Explored featureless tunnels under downtown Minneapolis connecting buildings across several blocks. Eventually I was glad to return to the frozen world above.
Category: Place
Depictions of a Neighborhood
On my walk home from my Friday gig, spotted a mural I’d never seen before in the Cedar Riverside neighborhood. It depicts many stories of the neighborhood, ranging from the first Americans to the journeys of the newest Americans. I’ll be back to take a closer look.
Visualizing the World in 1603
On a chilly walk, warmed up at an exhibit in a university library: The Art of the Travel Narrative. A standout was A Complete Map of the Ten Thousand Countries of the World drawn by Chinese cartographers in 1603. Google Translate and an interactive digitized version revealed fact and fantasy.
Not Just Another Coffee Shop
On my walk through the Minneapolis North Loop (Warehouse District) popped into recently opened Backstory Coffee Roasters. The former warehouse is stunning, complete with a green wall and historic artifacts from the former occupant, the Duffey Paper Company.
Beneath the Surface
Walked past a construction site, which got me thinking about Azuma House in a working class suburb of Osaka. I’d made a point of standing in front of that home last week: it raises questions; with answers I warm to it. “Like” or “Dislike” are not enough.
Japan 2022 Itinerary
I’m home from a solo three-week trip to Japan. As usual, I made it up as I went along based on research, past experience, and whim.
I visited three of Japan’s main islands: Honshu, Kyushu, and Shikoku. Hokkaido didn’t make the list this time because winter was setting in there and I didn’t want to carry winter clothes.
Quick Scene Change
Walked on fresh snow in our neighborhood: a quick scene change from the streets of Tokyo yesterday.
Tokyo Hike
Took the train to Asakusa, Tokyo, walked back until I ran out of time. Along the way it was my kind of urban hike: huge temple; buildings not intended to last (that’s OK); the only Le Corbusier building in east Asia (went in); stark transit infrastructure (love it); and the gardens of the Imperial Palace.
Tenju-an Temple
Kyoto is over-loved like so many A-list places. For this reason I’ve avoided the city for over ten years. Today I visited for a few hours, took the subway to places that have escaped top-ten lists.
A Piece of the Past
Dwight’s uncle was posted to Kyoto at the end of WW2. Today, I walked around his old stomping ground trying to reconcile some of his photos with today’s Kyoto. When I matched this 1946 photo I must’ve reacted: people started to gather around me and were excited to see the old photo. More…