Category: Living

Hiking the Seoul Wall

Spent much of the day hiking the Seoul City Wall. Originally built in 1396, two-thirds of it still exists today. The wall snakes up and down mountains around Seoul, so we enjoyed a decent hike.

Cycle Around Active Volcano

Rented modest bicycles from a modest shop for 4 hours. Cycled a loop around the base of a smoking, roaring volcano, Sakurajima, taking care not to slip on volcanic ash. When we returned the bikes 40 minutes earlier than planned, the owner refunded ¥200 each.

An OLLE Hike

Paused today’s rail journey from Onomichi to Nagasaki at Kurume for a few hours to do a self-guided OLLE hike. The concepts and trail markers for OLLE hikes originated in South Korea. The energetic hike included forests, bamboo stands, shrines, great views, and fields of azaleas.

Cycling the Inland Sea

Took a ferry from Onomichi, where we’re staying in a “bicycle hotel,” to Ikuchi Island in the Seto Inland Sea. Rented bikes, then cycled back across islands and bridges (including the one in the photo), and past a children’s playground.

Without Fear of Discovery

Walked into art at the Chichu and Lee Ufan Art Museums on the island of Naoshima in Japan’s Seto Inland Sea. Photography was not permitted, but I took this photo without fear of discovery. Note Tadao Ando’s signature concrete.

Frank Lloyd Wright in Japan

It was rainy, a good day to change plans and ride a bullet train for 230 miles to visit Meiji Mura, an architecture museum. After coffee in the lobby of Frank Lloyd Wright’s Tokyo Imperial Hotel, we explored many of the 60 buildings. We then rode a bullet back.