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A Warm Afternoon at the Meadowlark Botanical Gardens
We visited the Meadowlark Botanical Gardens in Northern Virginia this afternoon. As usual, we saw many beautiful flowers as well as a variety of birds. The highlights of this visit were seeing an Osprey catch a fish as well as spotting Baltimore Orioles.
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DC Cherry Blossoms Peak Bloom
We headed to DC to see the cherry blossoms around the Tidal Basin this morning as the NPS declared peak bloom yesterday. Although the sky was mostly overcast, it was warm and the flowers were beautiful as usual. And, of course, it was busy!
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Santa Maria Maggiore and the Capitoline Hill
After breakfast at the W, we visited the Basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore. After, we visited the Basilicas of San Silvestro in Capite and Santa Maria in Aracoeli before spending the afternoon at the Capitoline Museums. We then walked over to a restaurant by the Circus Maximus and below the Palatine for dinner, visiting two more churches on the way.
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Vittorio Emanuele II and the Basilica di San Giovanni in Laterano
After breakfast at the W, we visited the huge Monument to Victor Emmanuel II followed by the Palazzo Venezia. After lunch, we visited the Basilica of San Giovanni in Laterano, the cathedral of the Pope. It was night by the time we left and got two gelatos on the way back to the W.
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The Colosseum and the Palatine Hill
After breakfast at the W, we started the day at the Colosseum. After visiting the arena and walking around the amphitheater, we spent the rest of the day at the adjacent Palatine Hill and Roman Forum. We left at closing time and had dinner nearby. We briefly viewed the Colosseum at night before returning to the W.
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Trevi Fountain, Pantheon, and Churches in Rome
After waking up at the W Rome and having breakfast, we first visited the Trevi Fountain. After, we visited the Pantheon, Saint Mary of Minerva, Church of Jesus, and Largo di Torre Argentina before lunch. After, we visited St. Andrew of the Valley, St. Louis of the French, the Piazza Navona, and Saint Agnes before having gelato, a snack, and visiting Trevi again at night.
(more…)Basilica of Saint Mary of Minerva (Basilica Santa Maria Sopra Minerva), Basilica of St. Andrew of the Valley (Basilica di Sant’Andrea della Valle), Church of Jesus (Chiesa del Gesù), Church of Saint Agnes in Agone (Chiesa di Sant’Agnese in Agone), Church of St. Louis of the French (Chiesa di San Luigi dei Francesi), food, historic, Italy, Pantheon (Rome), Piazza Navona, religion, Rome, Sacred Area of the Silver Tower Square (Area Sacra di Largo di Torre Argentina), Trevi Fountain, W Rome -
Rome and the Castel Sant’Angelo
After landing at FCO, we entered Italy and checked in at the W Rome. We visited the Spanish Steps, Basilica dei Santi Ambrogio e Carlo al Corso, and the Castel Sant’Angelo. We briefly visited the Vatican, saw Rome from atop the Janiculum, and ate pizza, pasta, and gelato. It was a great first day in Rome!
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Leaving Tokyo After the 47 Ronin
After waking up and having breakfast at the The Strings by InterContinental, we checked out and visited Sengaku-ji, the final resting place of the 47 Ronin. We then briefly visited Happo-en before returning to the InterContinental to pick up our bags before going to Haneda for our flight home to the US on United.
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Ueno Park
After waking up at the InterContinental and having breakfast, we went to Ueno Park where we visited temples and shrines and enjoyed the park. After, we went over to Asakusa where we walked around the area and Senso-ji before having kaiten sushi, a matcha snack, as well as Ichiran ramen. We returned to Senso-ji to see it at night before heading back to Shinagawa.
(more…)Asakusa 浅草, bird, food, Gojo Tenjin-jinja 五條天神社, Hanazono Inari-jinja 花園稲荷神社, Japan 日本, Kiyomizu Kannon-do 清水観音堂は, park, religion, Senso-ji 浅草寺, Shinobazu-no-ike Benten-do 不忍池辨天堂, Taito-ku 台東区, The Strings InterContinental Tokyo ストリングスホテル東京インターコンチネンタル, Tokyo 東京, Ueno Park 上野公園, Ueno Toshogu 上野東照宮, Ueno 上野 -
Back to Tokyo
After waking up early at the ANA Crowne Plaza Sapporo, we returned to CTS and flew back to Haneda. After checking in at the InterContinental at Shinagawa, we went to meet an aunt in Shinjuku. We visited the Hanazono Shrine, walked around the area, and spent awhile watching the giant 3D cat by the station before returning to the InterContinental.
(more…)ANA Crowne Plaza Sapporo (ANAクラウンプラザホテル札幌), flight, food, Giant 3D Cat (Shinjuku), Hanazono Shrine 花園神社 (Shinjuku), Haneda Airport 羽田空港, Hokkaido 北海道, hotel, Japan Airlines 日本航空, Japan 日本, New Chitose Airport 新千歳空港 (CTS), Sapporo 札幌, Shinagawa 品川, Shinjuku 新宿区, The Strings InterContinental Tokyo ストリングスホテル東京インターコンチネンタル, Tokyo 東京
Here and there but not quite everywhere!