Twenty years ago Naoko and I got married. It was a great moment for me – to become anchored to another person, to go forth in the world as a team rather than as an individual. Our love was great and strong, as it should be. We got married in Japan in April, and my family came. My brother and his girlfriend arrived first, escorting my grandmother from Germany, and my parents came a few days later. It was a fantastic experience, and I was so happy to have all of my loving family from both sides there on that very special day.
A special note – we were very blessed that my maternal grandmother Henny was able to make the trip. She was nearly 80 at the time and not very healthy, but she made the effort and it was her first time in Asia. My binding memory of her on that visit is that first night in my future in-laws place, a few days before the wedding, when we were having dinner. She said to me in German “are those shrimps? I don’t think I can eat those…” I said “no pressure, just eat what you want.” Some time passed and she said, “you know, I’m curious about how they taste… just let me try a small one.” She did, and she said “wow, these are great!” After the wedding, the family took a trip around a few nearby spots (Nara, Kyoto), and I’ve got great pictures of those visits.
After the wedding, we hung around Himeji for a few weeks, because Naoko’s sister-in-law was due to give birth soon to their second child – Naoko had missed the birth of the first child (and the family’s first of the next generation) as she was studying , so she didn’t want to miss another. Haruka was born on May 9th, and then off we went on May 13th (a Friday, lol), to a big party in Ako, where I had worked for four months and had many dear friends.
The only fixed plan we had was to be in Beijing on July 8th, whence we would be on a tour of the Trans Mongolia-Trans Siberia trains, which would get us to Berlin eventually. So we had three weeks to see whatever lies between Himeji & Beijing. A lot! During that time, there was also a lot of buzz about the handover of Hong Kong from British colonial rule, back to China. That’s what we were heading into. A newly married couple in the late 20s/early 30s, we headed into the unknown. This is what we saw.
(tip – you can always click on the image to see a larger picture!!)
In Geongju!
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The Cheomseongdae in Geongju, Korea. This is the oldest surviving astronomical observatory in Asia, and possibly even the world. It was built in the 7th century.
UN cemetery in Pusan.
Fighting off a dinosaur in Qingdao, China.
Countdown to the Handover of Hong Kong to China.
Cycling in Beijing.
Horsing around in the Forbidden City in Beijing, China.
The Forbidden City, Beijing, China.
The Great Wall of China at Simatai
Enjoying the Great Wall of China!
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Looking down from one of the turrets
The Trans-Mongolia Espress, Beijing-Ulan Bataar!
Honeymoon in Mongolia
That’s me eating a cucumber outside of our ger (aka yert, aka bao). We both got sick right around that time too, with different ailments.
In the Gobi desert with Beth. Or was it Heather?
A Moscow subway. I love how Naoko wore her Guns N’ Roses t-shirt through that trip!!
At the Marinski Ballet in Moscow!
In Berlin with some dog… and Naoko.
At the Hun’s Grave in Diesdorf with my grandmother.
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Gone for a walk in Diesdorf with my grandmother.
In Wernigerode with my Grandmother.
In Wernigerode with my Grandmother. This house is known as “the smallest house in Wernigerode”. I love how thre’s someone peering grumpily out the the window at us.
In my grandmother’s garden in Diesdorf. That may have been the last time I saw my grandmother.
Hanging out with Ramin & Arash in Düsseldorf!!
Honeymoon in Germany with Naoko!!
Honeymoon Germany. I don’t remember which town this is.
Honeymoon in Germany, visiting Manfred, Inge and Kai Kremser, and Manfred’s sister & her husband.
Honeymoon in Germany – hanging out with Dieter and David in Düsseldorf.
Hanging out with Marcelo & Canaan in Frankfurt!
At Schloß Neuschwanstein with Naoko.
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At the River Lech in Bavaria.
Honeymoon in Germany with Naoko.
Honeymoon in Germany with Naoko.
Bavarian hay – on the road to Schaffhausen.
Hanging out with Masako & Phillip and the kids in Schaffhausen.
Naoko and Melanie in Schaffhausen.
Naoko & Masako’s son at the Rheinfall in Schaffhausen.
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At Lake Constance.
At Lake Constance.
In Strassbourg.
Swiss Lake with Nicole.
Naoko and Nicole in Switzerland.
Switzerland is for lovers!!
At the Rheinfall with Ralph Hoflich, Nicole and Ingrid.
Hanging in Switzerland with Ralph & Nicole Hoflich.
Naoko and Nicole in Switzerland.
Naoko’s birthday in Schaffhausen (her nickname was “Miki” at the time, lol)!!
In Strasbourg with Janice Jenny!
In Schladming with the relatives. Uncle Werner and Tante Gitti! Onkel Ernst! Tante Ingrid Onkel Karl!!
In Schönberg am Kamp, Austria.
Salzberg – the Undersberg, the Moos.
Going for a run in Schönberg!!
Going for a 10 kilometre run in Schönberg with Norbert.
Autumn colours.
On the road from Dresden to the Czech Republic with our car, which we named Rudi. That’s because it was the sound he made – “rudirudirudirudirudi…”
We tried to find the town where my mom was born. This is all we found, though…
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In České Budějovice, where the original Budsweiser Beer comes from.
Castle on the Danube.
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Hot spring water in Karlovy Vary (Karlsbad).
Taking a pilsner beer tour in Plzeň.
Czech forest in Plzeň.
Naoko among the ruins.
At Cicmany in Slovakia.
At our homestay in Hungary. This woman only spoke Hungarian. She kept saying to us “kaput, kaput, kaput…” After a while we realised that she was talking about a key…
Budapest.
Random Japanese art exhibit in Budapest.
Budapest.
Our Homestay uncle in Budapest.
Balatonfüred thermal lake in Hungary. Nice place!
Lake Balaton, Hungary.
Hungarian art.
Our first night in Romania, in Timișoara, only eight years after the revolution began there that ended in the fall of Communism in that country.
Village life in Romania.
Village life in Romania – with local kids.
Village life in Romania – ducks crossing bridge.
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In Skopje, Macedonia.
In Skopje, Macedonia.
In Skopje, Macedonia.
In Skopje, Macedonia.
In Macedonia.
In Macedonia.
In Thessaloniki.
In Cappadocia, with our friend Masako.
In Cappadocia – we spent a night in a cave hotel.
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A turkey in Turkey. We were there for American thanksgiving, one of the guys in the guest house we were staying at insisted on having turkey for dinner, so off we went to a village to buy a turkey, but we left before it could be served.
A boathouse in Olimpos, Turkey.
Hot spring hotel in Pamukkele. I was so sick on the eight-hour drive that I collapsed when we got to the hotel we splurged on, slept 12 hours, but Naoko got to enjoy the waters.
Ancient greek ruins in Efes (Epheseus).
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Brindisi, Italy, after taking the ferry from Greece. Trying to do a Nevlana dance on the breakwater…
Bocca della Verità in Rome.
San Marino. We were sliding all over the road, almost wiped out.
Christmas dinner in Diesdorf… without Oma.
This is how we took “wefies” back in the day…
New Year’s Eve at the Brandenburg Gate in Berlin.
Paris, Naoko.
Paris, Naoko.
At the Dune of Pilat near Bordeaux.
