The Captain & crew (you know who) are back on the ‘Pearl’ after what was a long and chilly winter spent in the Washington, DC area… can you say “record snowfalls”. So with the special visits to family & friends completed it is time to pick up where we left off on a leisurely sail always heading to the west – the idea being that if Magellan was right, we will eventually return to where we began.
We flew back to the boat’s winter home in Ashiya, just south of Osaka in time to enjoy the cherry blossom trees in their full glory. The weather was beautiful for the local town’s marvelous weekend blossom festival. People came out in droves to enjoy the festivities… vendors selling all sorts of fare, sushi, crispy fried things, okonomiyaki – a savory omelet/pancake, sake & wine samplings… even cotton candy. The ultimate in breathtaking backdrops for the cherry blossoms was the grand Himeji Castle. We and with what seemed like a million Japanese enjoyed a Saturday afternoon strolling the castle grounds. The James Bond movie, You Only Live Twice and Tom Cruise’s, The Last Samurai were filmed here.
Steven & Carol on ‘Seabird’ have been back a month and Ken & Roberta Williams of ‘Sans Souci’ arrived late last week. All three captains & their mates have been planning & plotting in earnest our spring/summer voyage.
Stay tuned for adventures on the Seto Naikai (Japan’s inland sea).
Grey Pearl over and out –
p.s. NewsFlash
– Don & Sharry Stabbert of Seattle, WA and crewmates, Tad & Joyce Lhamon of Bainbridge, WA arrived yesterday
in Bellport Marina, here in Ashiya on their 70′ Delta Marine Trawler, ‘Starr’…they left late last summer and laid over in Hawaii for a few months and set off for Japan late January via Micronesia, Guam and the Northern Marianas…close to 9,000 mile passage from Seattle…very excited to have them here!
We flew back to the boat’s winter home in Ashiya, just south of Osaka in time to enjoy the cherry blossom trees in their full glory. The weather was beautiful for the local town’s marvelous weekend blossom festival. People came out in droves to enjoy the festivities… vendors selling all sorts of fare, sushi, crispy fried things, okonomiyaki – a savory omelet/pancake, sake & wine samplings… even cotton candy. The ultimate in breathtaking backdrops for the cherry blossoms was the grand Himeji Castle. We and with what seemed like a million Japanese enjoyed a Saturday afternoon strolling the castle grounds. The James Bond movie, You Only Live Twice and Tom Cruise’s, The Last Samurai were filmed here.
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Stay tuned for adventures on the Seto Naikai (Japan’s inland sea).
Grey Pearl over and out –
p.s. NewsFlash
– Don & Sharry Stabbert of Seattle, WA and crewmates, Tad & Joyce Lhamon of Bainbridge, WA arrived yesterday
in Bellport Marina, here in Ashiya on their 70′ Delta Marine Trawler, ‘Starr’…they left late last summer and laid over in Hawaii for a few months and set off for Japan late January via Micronesia, Guam and the Northern Marianas…close to 9,000 mile passage from Seattle…very excited to have them here!
Woo Hoo! Sounds Great! Have fun youse kids! Thanks for Blogging!