Day four started with a little snafu over the motor coach not picking us up on time. So, our time in Santa Monica was cut a little short. We had time to see the ocean and take 
a quick walk to the pier but no time to linger. I could have spent an hour or more photographing at the pier.
Then we were off to the Getty Villa which features a collection of art fro
m the Greek and Roman era. The Villa itself is a work of art having been inspired by a villa partially excavated from the ashes of Mt. Vesuvius, not in Pompeii but nearby.
Our final day of exploring in Provence took us first to a village called Chateauneuf du Pape which is apparently famous for its wines. Th streets are lined with wine shops and tasting rooms. We made our way again up a narrow street to a wine cave near the top of the hill. Here we had a mid morning tasting. Bottles in the cave were marked from from about 25 euros to well over 100. I think they offered us the cheap stuff to ta
ste. It certainly didn’t appeal to me. And though they are supposedly famous for their reds, I found the white considerably more palatable. Needless to say, I didn’t buy any wine that morning. 
Back down the hill to lunch we were served a tomato stuffed with tuna salad and were commenting on what a lovely light lunch we had had for a change when the waiter came out with a plate of pork and pot
atoes. As much as I enjoyed the cooking in France it was nice to come home to my 1200 calorie a day diet after so many heavy meals. On the plus side, not a day went by when I didn’t get well over 10,000 steps!
and old. Of course, the fact that I was forbidden to take pictures of anything painted (i.e. the most interesting rooms) did not help.
Our last stop was in Arles in Provence, possibly the most charming of all the charming towns we visited in France. It features a fairly well preserved Roman Amphitheater which has done service as a housing complex during the middle ages and is currently being used for bull fights and bull races. 
ed to be very photogenic. It is no wonder that Arles is home to France’s national school of photography. 
d was destroyed by bombing during World War II. All around town there are signs showing Van Gogh’s paintings at the locales featured. It was in Arles that he cut off his ear and landed in an asylum. We also had a pleasant stroll along the Rhone River. Unfortunately I can’t share all the pictures here but I did like these blue shutters and awnings near the arena.
at a creperie we boarded the bus for a trip to another charming village called Les Baux-de-Provence. Built on a hillside in and area which features houses built into the cliffs called troglodytes, our clime to the top of the village street was rewarded by an amazing view of the Povencal countryside.
ere we were treated to tastes of their olives, some tapenade, and even some of the neighbor’s wine.
ay was all about Route 66! There is a stretch of the old highway now maintained by the State of Arizona as AZ66 which veers far away from the interstate and passes through some towns which have dedicated themselves to preserving the history of the iconic route. I had the most fun just looking for abstracts of parts of old cars and trucks.
The next two, a wrecked DeSoto and the hood ornament of a dodge ram truck from the 1930s were found at the Hackberry General store which is a treasure trove of old cars, coca cola signs, gasoline signs and even an old tractor or two.
a sneak peak at Williams where I will be staying on the first night headed back. Williams is a city that has built its economy on its erstwhile position on Route 66 and its proximity to the Grand Canyon. If you are looking for Route 66 kitsch, you will find it in Williams. I found this 1950s ford reflecting its red and white restored gas station for a great hood ornament abstract.
group this evening. I’m looking forward to letting someone else do the driving for a week. I was disappointed to learn that absolutely no photographs are allowed on the Hopi Reservation where we will be going tomorrow but at least I will be able to get some shots at the Heard museum before we head back north. Assuming, of course, we will be able to head back north given the forecast of snow in Flagstaff.
Our first full day of touring started with a bus ride around town with a guide to tell us all about the history and culture of the city. One thing we learned is that the reason they build so much with glass and steel is that it is more flexible during an earthquake than concrete or brick. We also learned that there is a serious housing crisis in the city as real estate prices keep spiraling upward. A tiny condominium in one of those high rises can go for upwards of a million dollars. People are being priced out of their own homes because the appraised value is so high they can’t afford the property taxes. Living in paradise has its price it seems.
the city has the best views. It also features gardens planted in old quarry beds and a geodesic domed conservatory. There is also a plaza with a huge fountain surrounded by spaces for Tai Chi clubs to practice.
sounded like quite a guy, well ahead of his time in thinking globally and creating a culture of peace. Having just been to Japan I was a little underwhelmed with the garden, though I am sure it makes for a wonderful retreat from the hectic city. My photos all came out just looking green so I decided a black and white treatment was the way to go.
final day in Kyoto started with a visit to Nijo Castle, the last remaining home of a Shogun. It was a very impressive complex with gold leaf on the gates and three-dimensional wood carvings. There were paintings on gold leaf covered screens with tigers in rooms where power was to be commu
nicated and peonies in the more peaceful areas. The floors were intentionally designed to squeak when walked upon so no one could sneak up on the Shogun.
We then walked a few blocks to the Shibori museum where we had a lesson in making dyed silk scarves. We got to keep our creations to take home and most everyone wore them to dinner. We also saw a video on the shibori technique which consists of tying off hundreds of little bits of fabric and then dying it to create beautiful patterns. It is painstaking work 
and can take up to two years to make a kimono which might then sell for $15,000. Some of our ladies had an opportunity to try on the kimonos.
Our first stop today was at the home of a tea master who demonstrated the preparation of tea and explained the tea ceremony which would normally take four hours. Ironically, Michael is not Japanese but Swiss. He became interested in the tea ceremony through martial arts and now lives in Japan and provides lessons in both.
where we learned something about the man who invented the tea ceremony, or at least formalized the ritual, Sen No Rikyu. He is also credited with developing the concept of wabi-sabi, beauty through simplicity, a concept I can definitely get behind. We had an opportunity to view some gardens that Sen had designed. Unfortunately, we were not allowed to take pictures and the post cards they had available did not capture what I would like to have taken pictures of. One interesting thing we were told is that the white rock gardens associated with Zen Buddism came 
about because there was a big fire in Kyoto back in the 15th century and after all the temples had been rebuilt there was no money left to replace the classic gardens so groomed white rocks were substituted for water.
c sort of pottery used for tea bowls which has been produced by the same family for 15 generations. Personally, I could not see what all the fuss was about. But they also had a display of Noh masks which was of more interest to me. But once again, no photographs. I’m beginning to understand that the advantage of cell phones over real cameras is it is easier to cheat in a situation like this. They did, at least, have some nice flowers in their front garden. From there, we caught a cab back to the hotel and are once again on our own for dinner. I am thinking of returning to the Nishiki market to taste some street food and look for souvenirs.
boarding the bus we experienced, all in the space of five minutes, snow, rain, sleet, hail, thunder and lightning. Our guides had to scramble around and find an indoor activity to substitute for our walk through the samurai quarter. Instead we went to the Museum of Folk Art which was interesting enough. I especially liked the highly decorative lacquerware.
century. We were not allowed to take pictures inside, but the thousand-armed Buddha statue was impressive. What was also fascinating was that the building was built without nails. This closeup shows the detail of how the wood pieces are just fitted together like Lincoln logs.
Once in town we dropped our luggage at the hotel, said goodbye to the bus and walked to our next appointment at a food museum. Here we had a craft lesson in making paper and later looked at all the plastic models of Japanese food.
earnest. But we piled into 8 taxis for the transit to our destination. First stop was a brief look at the 21st century art museum, a round structure with pant legs and sneakers gracing its support columns. There was also an interesting elevator on a hydraulic lift. However, we were really just killing time until the Noh museum opened. Here we got a look at some masks and robes. All very elaborate, as well as a model of a typical Noh theater. We will be h
aving a full-blown lecture and demonstration of Noh later on, so I won’t go into details just now.
the park at a pace more leisurely than befitted the weather. Once while waiting for people to use the restroom I decided to get creative with the cherry blossoms and umbrellas. When we came to a decision point about whether to grab a taxi back to the hotel or stroll on to the fish market I decided what I wanted most was not to be miserable anymore, so I had to take a pass on the market.
Buddhist Temple I had spotted on the map, not too far from the hotel. So, I walked the few blocks in the right direction it turned out and found not only the temple but this scenic graveyard. I hesitated to go in because I didn’t really know the protocol and by this time the clouds were gathering again and I was regretting the three glasses of tea I had at lunch. So, I started hurrying back to the hotel. Just as the thunder roared, a downpour started, and I thought I was going to pee my pants there in front of me appeared a lone porta-john. I ducked in and took care of business and by the time I came out the downpour had tapered off. We’ve been talking about unemployed angels at church lately, I guess one must have been watching out for me.
moto in the 1970s. Here she checked herself into a mental hospital where she still lives but continues to work in a studio near by at the age of 89. Her work is a bit too avant-garde for my taste but it was interesting to see the exhibit. In addition to the paintings she does a lot of interesting things with mirrors creating an infinity effe
ct.
were served a large bowl of ramen noodles with some chicken, bamboo shoots, black mushrooms and green onions. There were a lot of fun signs and decorations around the place, so I got to take a few photos before getting back on the bus.
f the shrines some of the floats deliver spirits to. And, since it was a lovely day we took a walk through one of the old neighborhoods. A preview of coming attractions tomorrow when there is a threat of rain.
of town that boasts a phenomenal view. Dinner was another multicourse affair at the hotel. We started with a salad as usual. Then we had small pieces of Waygu beef that we cooked on a little grill in front of us. Next was a beef hotpot also cooked at the table. Then we had tempura, one shrimp and some vegetables. The last course was a sushi plate with a variety of fish over rice. And for desert a few small pieces of fruit. Once again, I was kicking myself for not having brought my camera to dinner.