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Fresh From the Mind
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ISN’T KOFU IN GREECE? CHERRY-BLOSSOM TIME IN JAPAN PART 2
Cherry-blossom shots are the quintessential heart of the Japanese travel brochure cover shot, but Japan in cherry-blossom season is unlikely to live up to your dreamed experience if you limit yourself to the overtouristed areas of Tokyo, Kyoto and Osaka. NARITA In March 2025, our Jetstar flight from Brisbane landed at Narita Airport after dark. Rather than…
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RITES OF SPRING, JAPAN 2025
After three weeks in less touristed parts of Japan, my husband and I are bulleting through semi-rural Gunma Prefecture towards Narita Airport, laden with presents for the grandkids and a shared head cold. Blinking at passing scenery with dull, red eyes, over soggy masks, we’re afforded tantalising glimpses of iconic ‘sakura’—cherry-blossom trees. They’re scattered throughout…
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VIGELAND SCULPTURE PARK -OSLO
One of the great joys of travel is having in-person encounters with great art and architecture. This little ripper—the Vigeland sculpture park is a fine example. Steps alert if you are a little unfit. This park is not really wheelchair friendly and Oslo was having a heatwave when I visited so it was a test…
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The Power of Storytelling: Turning Inner Struggles into Character Arcs
Writers love to write plot twists; we revel in the next jolt of excitement.…
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There ain’t no cure for the Summertime Blues
I hate the story summer tells, and the way I never seem to belong…
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The Arctic’s hottest spot: Reykjavik—36 hours in the coolest season
36 Hours in Reykjavik: The Cool Capital “Greenland is actually white because it’s full…
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Insights gained on a Trafalgar Tour of Christmas Markets
It isn’t safe to visit Bethlehem in December, so the next most Christmassy experience…
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A Sacred Sanctuary in the Mountains: The Essence of Real Japan
It is early spring in Japan. We are to the west of Mount Fuji,…
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The Cusp between the years in Tuscany
After Rome, the most bucket-listed part of Italy is probably Tuscany. I spent New…
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Lenses on Lilac: Jacarandas in Ipswich
Where I live, in South East Queensland, there’s a saying that when the Jacarandas…
Margaret R Kelly 