TravelswithCharie

Daibutsu The Kamakura countryside is within an hour by train from the hustle and bustle of Tokyo but is so far removed from the trappings of the big city. Set amidst a backdrop of wooded hills and sea, it is the ideal place for prayer and meditation. A small train chugs along the Enoden line from Kamakura to Hase where we got off for the short stroll to see the Daibutsu or Great Buddha. Measuring 37 ft. in height and weighing 93 tons, it is the second largest bronze statue of Buddha in Japan. I could see its face through the wooden slats which made up the gate enclosing an area where a temple once sheltered the statue. That temple was washed away by a tsunami in 1495, exposing the Daibutsu to the elements for the last 500 years. But this has proved to be a godsend because visitors can see the Amita Buddha in full view, serene yet majestic against the natural setting. Closer to the train station is Hasedera (Hase Kannon Temple) which is up on a hillside. A typical Japanese garden leads

Yahoo sent me an email last week informing me that they will be shutting down Geocities for good. I'm saddened by this because Geocities is the original blog. I kept my first travel writing journals "Decouvrez" in Geocities. It's a free site and hosted both my writing and photographic works. So sorry it will no longer be around. Thanks Yahoo for the free ride. In the next few weeks I'll be uploading some of my articles from Geocities to this blog starting with "The Wooded Hills of Kamakura". Hope you'll follow my past journeys as you have my latest ones.

The Sweet Life in Paris by David Lebovitz My nephew who is an avid reader gave me this book by David Lebovitz for my birthday. I can't rave enough about it. Here's what I wrote to David about his new book: "The narratives in "The Sweet Life in Paris" are as savory as the recipes which you've thoughtfully paired with each of the chapters. Can't wait for your next book. Till then I'll be reading your blog which is a visual feast." David's prose is candid, funny, honest and amusing. He confirms what I've thought and experienced in Paris in particular and France in general during my many visits there. Here's a sample: In the chapter What they say versus what they mean David writes that when a restaurateur tells you they are completely full, they mean "We already have enough Americans in here". My own personal experience dining at a starred restaurant in France is that we were escorted to the upstairs dining room where we were

America the Beautiful by ccendana For more on Chris Cendana's videos check out www.youtube.com/ccendana.

Intriguing entrance to one of the hottest spots in town The glory days of the Roman empire lives on at Caesar's Palace Hotel's upscale shopping arcade Continuing our tour of Italy, it's on to Venice for a view of these gondolas gliding along the canals of the Venetian Hotel From Venice to Paris is a short walk. Vegas triumphs with its own Arc de Triomphe! Planet Hollywood has a casino, a peepshow , a strip house and a mile long shopping mall Triple 3x. Hey, that's a winner! (it's a five-cent machine, lol) Oops, someone got a little out of hand. Graduation week! * * * Images by Charie

More DIY videos at 5min.com Recently on a flight from SFO to Las Vegas, I bought a ticket on Virgin America just 24 hours prior to departure for $54.00 one way for a mid afternoon flight. And the return was $49.00. Though the flight was delayed out of SFO for about an hour, I thought it was still worth it compared to other fares I checked which started at $129 and soared as high as $182, one way. Don't wait till the last minute to buy your airline tickets but if you can't avoid it, check the airline sites for best last minute fares. Fare Compare's CEO, Rick Seany, tells us the cheapest days and times to fly. * * *

Dale Chihuly's glass flowers at Bellagio Hotel Whenever I'm in Vegas, I make it a point to go to Bellagio to see its botanical gardens, it's Gallery of Fine Art exhibitions, and the hand-blown glass flowers by Dale Chihuly. What an explosion of colors these 2,000 glass flowers create suspended as they are from the ceiling above the reception area of the hotel! Nothing says "Welcome" better than these warm and tropical beauties. For more on Dale Chihuly visit his website at http://www.chihuly.com/ . * * * Photos by Charie