TravelswithCharie

Torii gates with names Anamori Inari Shrine is dedicated to Inari, the deity who protects the three essentials of life: clothing, shelter and food. It is a Shinto shrine. The  red gates and banners symbolize protection against evil spirits. These torii are donated by devotees as an offering for blessings. The names of the donors are indicated in black paint on the posts. Votive offerings of mini torii gates Oyashiro (miniature shrine) Large and medium torii gates Oyashiro (shrine) Oyashiro with sacred Kitsune (foxes) guarding it The foxes are the messengers of the deity, Inari. They are said to have magical abilities. People visit this shrine to pray for blessings for business properity, good fortune, educational success, air traffic safety, healing from illnesses and a host of others. I think that we can all pray for our dearest wish and believe it will happen.  Votive offerings of torii and kitsune miniatures Votive offerings Main Torii gate  This marks the entrance to ...

Dinner haul from Family Mart Have you seen all the hype about konbini (convenience store) food hauls by travelers to Japan? It’s hard to miss these reels that are all over social media. It intrigued me so much that I decided to check it out on my way back to the US.  As soon as I arrived in Tokyo and after checking into my hotel in Haneda, I set out to buy the food items on my list. As if the universe knew my plans, there just happened to be a Family Mart in front of my hotel. My first shopping haul included mackerel , salmon, rice ball, rice ball with roe, edamame, matcha cookie, pancakes, french toast, rice crackers, 2 coca cola and 3 water bottles. The total came to 2,548 yen or $16.11. The viral items that these travelers to Japan grab at the konbini stores are the onigiri, egg sandwich, strawberry custard creamy sandwich and smoothies. Notice I didn’t buy any of these as I’m allergic to some of the ingredients in these food items. But I was tempted to try the creamy goodness ...

Corridor leading to the cabins in the Ladies section of the hotel I recently stayed at First Cabin Haneda Hotel in Tokyo. After missing my flight (I was flying on standby), I was glad to have found First Cabin. The hotel is conveniently located at Terminal 1 and as it happened, they had a room available for me. The hotel is divided into two areas, one for male and another for female guests. To enter the respective areas, you are given a security card key upon check in. Check out time is 10 a.m. Rooms are also available for a minimum two hour use and may be extended for a corresponding fee. First Class Cabin There are two types of rooms, a first class cabin with semi double bed and a business class cabin with single bed and no room for baggage. I arrived close to midnight and I had to be quiet because my neighbors could easily hear me through the thin walls and gaps between the door and ceiling. The front desk has ear buds if you’re a light sleeper. Accordion door does not lock Ameni...

The wayside shrines in Moldova have fascinated me since my first visit in 2023. I wanted to take photos then of the simple crosses I saw along the way to Chișinău but woefully didn’t  take any.  I was lucky to have been given a second chance this year to take a few images of these unique sanctuaries that dot the bucolic landscape. These shrines often consist of a simple  Troiță  (cross) found at intersections or entrances to a village and along country roads. Often it is just a simple wooden crucifix. These shrines can be seen not only in Moldova but also in neighboring countries. They mark a sacred place or a memorial. The cross is also a manifestation of gratitude and devotion. ( The troiță above is actually inside the Ciuflea Monastery in Chișinău. I show it here for reference purposes.) These shrines I’m posting here are more elaborate miniature chapel shrines with gilded domes and frescoes. The domes are reminiscent of the architecture of Christian Orthodox chur...

  Alexander Sergeyevich Pushkin, 1799-1837 Alexander Pushkin was born in Moscow to an old noble family. His maternal great grandfather, Abram Petrovich Gannibal, was of African origin and was kidnapped by the Ottomans in what is today, Cameroon. The Ottomans later offered Gannibal to Peter the Great who raised the child in his own household as his godson. Gannibal studied in France for several years and upon his return to Russia in 1723, he was banished to Siberia by Prince Menshikov who was suspicious of him. It wasn’t until the reign of Elizabeth of Russia that he ascended to Chief Military Engineer in 1756 and General in Chief in 1759.  Gannibal’s second wife and Pushkin’s great grandmother, Christina Regina Sioberg, descended from noble families in Scandinavia and Germany. Pushkin is considered the father of Russian literature and its greatest poet. His most famous works include the play, Boris Godunov and the verse novel, Eugene Onegin , both of which were adapted into o...

Pierre Bergé Museum for Berber Arts Long before my trip to Marrakech, I had decided that one of the top places I would visit in the city would be the Jardin Majorelle. And I nearly missed it. I took too long to make the online reservation that the only available spot left was the day before my flight back home. I got caught in sightseeing around the city and taking a day trip to Essaouira. Lesson learned but it exacted a toll! I missed both the Pierre Bergé Museum of Berber Arts and the YSL Museum because the timed visit to the garden was at 2 p.m. and the museum closes at 6:30 p.m. If you’re planning to visit all three places, plan well ahead and get a time slot in the morning so you have enough time to enjoy the garden and museums. You can pay for entrance fees to all three or pay for just one or two of the three. Since I was starting at 2 p.m., I got just the ticket for the garden. I hope I’ll be able to visit Marrakech again so I can see the extensive collections of the museums....