On Sunday mornings Dwight does indoor gardening: watering, pruning, cleaning, pest control, adjusting for light, and so on. A 180-degree rotation of this plant rack will ensure even light distribution. Outside, the weather may be dreary, but inside these plants bring warmth and a pop of color.
Category: Living
Sausage Saturday’s Back!
It’s the first Sausage Saturday at home in two months. Dwight says my braise is so much better than his, pure flattery, it means I cook. It does help to push up the umami by remembering to brown all the ingredients, including the cabbage, then adding tomato paste, shoyu and fish sauce. Meanwhile, Dwight completed our taxes today and I’d rather cook.
Applying a Large Language Model to Travel
Published a Blog post about how I’ve been using a Large Language Model (AI) when thinking about travel.
Applying a Large Language Model to Travel
These days, navigating a massive Japanese train station with its multi-level tracks feels less like studying a map and more like following a personal guide. Google Maps provides step-by-step instructions, delivered straight to my wristwatch. A gentle vibration tells me when to turn, making the journey to the exit for my hotel less stressful. This…… Continue reading Applying a Large Language Model to Travel
Excess Baggage
It was time to empty my backpack. Some things I never used in Japan include: a spork (accidentally brought two), a SIM remover (I used an eSIM), work gloves (for clambering over volcanic rocks), and various health and repair items (duct tape included). The mental unpacking, however, will take much longer.
A Quiet Trail With a Tiny Shrine
Completed my temple and shrine quota for this trip with a visit to Kamakura, Japan’s capital from 1185 to 1333. On a hike along a fine trail in the hills above the city, I stumbled upon this tiny cave shrine. The few other hikers I encountered, nearly all Japanese and mostly older than me, seemed unfazed by the trail’s more technical sections.
Final Stop, Yokohama
Monday. Travelled by bullet train from Kanazawa to Tokyo, then transferred to a local train for Yokohama (part of Greater Tokyo), my final stop on this trip. On Wednesday it will be a 20-minute ride on the Keikyu Line to Tokyo’s Haneda Airport international terminal.
Cycling the Tedori River
Cycled the Hakusan-Tedori River Route, a rail trail near Kanazawa where I’m staying. In this photo I’d been cycling towards the Northern Japan Alps for a couple hours; rice paddies flank the trail. I hadn’t realized there was a gradual incline most of the way, so the return trip was faster.
Kanazawa for the Weekend
I’m now in Kanazawa (blue dot) which will be my base for the next three days. Authorities are begging tourists to return after the January 1, 2024 earthquake devastated areas in the peninsula north of Kanazawa. Today I traveled 144 miles from Osaka via two bullet trains and four local trains. Along the way, I paused for a hike.
Riding a New Bullet Train Route
Rode on a new section of the Hokuriku Shinkansen line that opened two weeks ago between Tsuruga and Kanazawa. When completed, this line will offer an alternative bullet train route between Tokyo and Osaka.