On the Road... Again

Last summer during vacation season, I paused from my reprints of Japan Times columns to present photos from various trips taken through the years. You can revisit those previous photos here.

I have just returned from a journey abroad, so I thought to take another pause and post a line-up of my travels, not only of the recent trip, but of all my wanderings since that "On the Road" publication in 2025.

The title this time: "On the Road... Again."

In 2025, I arranged the phots in non-chronological order. The same here. As I wrote then, "Chaos is more interesting than form."

So... from the summer of 2025 until just a few days ago:

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A boy and his dog near Fort Goryokaku in Hakodate on the island of Hokkaido

A dancer in Budapest

This flag was kind enough to pose for me, on a foggy morning on the Isle of Skye.

Okayama's Black Crow Castle at night.

Dolly, the cloned sheep, stuffed in Edinburgh.

Furuzamami Beach at dusk on Zamami island, two hours by ferry from Okinawa.

The train line at Auschwitz II -- Birkenau. One of the final sights of up to one million people.

Keeping with the Holocaust, a few of the "Shoes on the Danube Bank."

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  A cannon aims out over a castle wall

Some cannons.

These are all in Scotland, but I'm thinking of adding one to my rooftop at home.

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The Old Town Bridge Tower at the entrance to Charles Bridge in Prague.

One of the most renowned night views in Japan: Hakodate City seen from Mt. Hakodate

Another renowned night view, the Hungarian Parliament Building in Budapest.

Some Castles. Which is from Japan? Can you guess?

In order, that's Dunrobbin, Eilean Donan, Dunvegan and Himeji.

That man at work in Bratislava.

Coastline of the Isle of Skye.

A samurai dwelling at Korakuen Garden in Okayama

The ancient stone dwellings of Skara Brae on the Orkney Islands.

Older than the pyramids of Egypt.

The poster says it.

You can find men on horseback anywhere. But this fine specimen is in Budapest.

Nope, not a shop on Nakamise Street in Tokyo. This is in Old Town in Krakow.

And you gotta have food shots!

Some deep-fried tofu cheese balls. And some people say tofu isn't yummy!

Haggis, neeps and tatties in Edinburgh.

Neeps = mashed turnips. Tatties = mashed potatoes. Haggis = haggis.

Okay, here is what you do. Down a small alleyway in central Vienna is this sandwich shop.

Find it. Colorful, inexpensive, with boundless variety. Delicious too.

A discovery thanks to Illya Bondar!

While teaching Keiko how to use her zoom at a pub in Hakodate. Shot of the year?

And from the most recent trip...

Sunset off the Urangan Pier in Hervey Bay, Queensland.

The pier extends almost half a mile into the sea.

Hervey Bay welcomes enormous numbers of humpback whales each August and September.

These two poked up less than ten meters from the ship.

But some came closer.

A humpback calf showing off for the cameras.

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Some departing humpback shots and a shout out to the whale cruise company.

75 Mile Beach on World Heritage K'gari Island, near Hervey Bay.

Despite the name, the beach is "only" 47 mies long.

It serves as a highway for road traffic and as a landing spot for small planes.

Planes have the right of way.

A tall Kauri Pine on K'gari. More than 50 meters up before the first branches appear.

Last... This kangaroo tried to take a selfie with me, but bungled the shot.

Kangaroos are no good with cameras. Everyone knows.

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© Thomas Noah Wood

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