重遊阿拉斯加2023／莊峻華
下週二出發加拿大溫哥華，搭上精神號重遊阿拉斯加州，自從選擇郵輪旅行後，阿拉斯加州，新英格蘭加拿大，加勒比海巴拿馬運河，和橫跨大西海等航行，變成選擇，一年一年，時光飛馳，這次旅行後，緊接著葡萄牙里斯本行，十月初從西雅圖，經阿拉斯加到東京，我尚未訂下東京後三週之陸地旅行，但心中有譜，只要身體健康，這些旅行均非常有趣，有益身心健康。
記得剛剛寫完2022年阿拉斯加遊，又過新年，郵輪價格有些未變，顯然國濟經濟尚未完全復甦，或是郵輪競爭劇烈，只是航空公司，班班客滿，非常納悶，不知投資所措，先出外旅行再講。
這次阿拉斯加遊，和去年稍異，去年是西雅圖出發七日來回，然後重複一次，這次是溫哥華出發，七日達阿拉斯加蘇握港，就在安可路治市外港，再折回溫哥華，停靠碼頭有異，冰洲不一，而且我尚能兩次參觀溫哥華，伊莉莎白二世女皇玫瑰花園。
Swimming 2023/Carlos Pueblo
Finally I got the opportunity to swim at our community pool this year yesterday. Swimming is the only exercises which I can maintain regularly for the time being. I am afraid to injure my left knee again; therefore, I quit playing tennis. Of course, I can still walking to have some physical exercises while the weather is cool. Swimming is very nice for an old man.
Our homeowner association pays very much attention to our community pool and tennis courts. There are one and a half standard Olympic size pool at our community center. The pool is open between April 1 to October 1 every year; however, I have been busy travelling around and it is very difficult to keep a healthy body and warming weather simultaneously. I did have the opportunity to swim this year when I was on the Caribbean; yet, the pool on the cruise ship was sea water. It is not nice when I choke in the pool. I like the fresh water on our community pool.
Yesterday I did 10 laps altogether. I estimated about 2 kilometers, almost 1.2 miles. I am going back today and Sunday before I go to Alaska on a back to back cruises.
游泳2023／莊峻華
下午網路氣候曰華氏88度，提醒我應該游泳去也，自日本回家已近三週，時差感冒，加上修葺庭院草坪，每日散步運動中斷，深懼習慣養成，對身體不利，於是拾起小包設備，前往社區游泳池，其實我在年初，東加勒比海巴拿馬運河行，在船上游泳，當然外出散步，一直持續到日本。
社區游泳池空無一人，下水後發現淡水，確實較船上之海水溫和，我們社區游泳池，約有一座半標準奧林匹克大，這半座屬稍深水區，我估計一整圈周圍約是200公尺，因此我準備游十圈，約兩公里，一點二哩，完事後剛好有一鄰居來，明日和週日，我都可持續，下週二我就需上船兩週，到阿拉斯加，六月初再赴葡萄牙里斯本，就是盡量為之。
夏日游泳比起散步，有趣甚多，而且對膝蓋也較溫和，我的左膝蓋傷勢，有些好轉，我不敢再打網球，散步和游泳，也許試試高爾夫球，對我老身有益。
Return visit to Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada 2022/Carlos Pueblo
Halifax is quite a lovely city in the Canadian Nova Scotia Province where I have been visited on my cruises since 2011. I am very familiar with the set up of decks path along the harbor. I could walk more into the city center when I was a little bit younger. Now I am satisfied with the harbor decks walking from the pier to the casino hotel at the end of the path. I was attracted to the fleet of naval carrier Gerald Ford's maiden voyage at the Halifax Bay drilled with fellow battle ships of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization NATO, specifically Germany and Netherlands mint shaped cruisers. A couple of years ago, I did see another maiden voyage of Queen Elizabeth II UK carrier at a drill in this same bay. Gerald Ford is now on the Mediterranean to response in case Russian uses the nuclear weapon toward any of NATO members or Ukraine as Putin's threat.
I was more interested in finding handsome Canadian mountain dogs on decks. Usually the locals would bring out their dogs during a sunny day. I have had some photos on my files in my desk top. I walked with Ivy and her friend on the path. At the end, there was a military fan taking photos of battle ships and explained to us what was going on. She and her friends went to take a ferry ride and the captain took them closed to Gerald Ford which was a treat. I tried again on the next week of the back, All ships were gone.
The three Canadian prov
重返加拿大新蘇格蘭哈里費克斯港2022／莊峻華
哈里費克斯港也是美洲東北線必經之港，加拿大東北有三省，獨立戰爭以來，美洲英皇保守派，退居此區三省，新蘇格蘭省，新布朗斯維克省，和愛徳華王子島省，英國皇家守住這塊土地，獨立後之美國也無法越過雷池，美加兩國兩三百年來，和平共存，我旅行加國幾十年，美加兩國真是不分彼此。
這次到哈里費克斯港，又遇見北大西洋公約組織，海軍演習，美國那艘造價千億美金之福特號，就在哈里費克斯灣停泊，旁邊有十餘艘飛彈導彈巡洋艦陪伴，美國，徳國，和荷蘭三國軍艦，上次我遇見的是英國之新航母，伊莉莎白二世號，在此演習，說巧不巧，今日福特號已經進駐歐洲地中海，準備配合烏克蘭軍春季反攻，美國防部奧斯汀部長，佩北約14國相印，準備接待俄羅斯之核武蠢動。我興奮的踏上港都舖設之木板步徑，走向盡頭，就是一家大飯店兼睹場，然後再折返郵輪，念華她們倆中途，搭乘渡輪遊覽海灣，她說渡輪船長，故意駕駛小船接近福特號，看得更清楚，我在第二次抵達時，演習已結束，但我確實拍攝幾張相片，我也曾在加州聖地牙哥，拍過雷根號航母，這雷根號現在在南中國海執勤，維護南中國海海運暢通，還有台灣海峽，非常有趣。
我很喜愛哈里費克斯港，新穎設備，乾淨俐落，我通英語，當地居民，偶攜愛犬外出甲板步徑，這些加拿大高山巨犬，非常英俊友善，令人喜愛。過去我稍年輕，容許我逛到街面，此市有很具規模之城中心，有一巨大之草坪，上有紀念建築，許多遊覽車打卡重點，我曾逛過幾次，甚是懷念。
我將此行當作避暑勝地遊，幾乎每年都來玩，每年都很滿意興奮。
Return to Osaka Castle, Osaka, Japan 2023/Carlos Pueblo
Osaka Castle was first built by the famous Toyotomi Hideyoshi in 1583, the current one was a re-built of the third times. We took a JR train of Osaka Loop from our Fukushima Station to the Park for only four stops. I need to mention to our hotel at Fukushima that is a old city center with several famous names in Osaka history, i.e., the Umeda section, Umeda Kawa Bridge, the Kita no Shin Chi, and the famous Kabuki play Sonezaki Shinju, a double suicide love story. Kita no Shinchi is Osaka's Ginza in Tokyo. I know these because I have been doing self study Japanese for years. I am glad that Michelle selects this hotel for us to stay.
We entered the city park early to see many venders preparing for the Cherry Blossom Festival. Cherry groves were fully in blossom. We first walked pass the plum garden and was a week late to miss the plum blossom, the Japanese plum called Ume flowers. We could see some small green fruits formed on branches. Then, there were lovely cherry blossom all over with various kinds at leas
I found some Japanese young girls accompanied with their parents with traditional Kimono in some beautiful spots to take photos. I know that is an unique ceremony for their even year birthday, like 20 years old, the most important one, etc. With their permission, I took some photos of them with Amy for our collection. They are about our granddaughters age if we would have one.
We wnet out to have a lunch break in a big office building and shopping center outside of the Castle park. We had had a very delicious meal and thanks to the dollar's exchange rate. Amy helped me for a large warm sake.
Upon our return to the castle, we ran into a group of Taiwanese tourists. They recommended us visit the Kiyomitsu Temple in Kyoto on the next day. We went back to the peach garden to take more photos of lovely red peach flowers.
重返大阪城2023／莊峻華
這次重返大阪城，是事隔五年，非常愉快，剛好趕上春季花開，日語曰花見，我們先住大阪一週，首日遇雨，僅能和一位當地姑娘娘午餐，翌日我們開始逛大阪城，城堡之城，大阪是府，日本第二大城市，我們住的酒店在福島區，是老城中，離北之新地步行約半小時，而且是大通直行，我對日本有特殊親切感，我的雙親都曾是大日本帝國國民，一直到1945年，雙親都受日本學校教育，有日本精神，講話算話。我上年紀後學習日本語，效果不佳，但不斷自修改進，現在膽敢發問。
福島離北之新地甚近，這北之新地就像東京之銀座大鬧區，講到大阪就讓我想起艷歌中都春美的大阪時雨，歌詞中提到北之新地，這福島車站附近也有一新梅田站，有一年我走過梅田橋，這梅田和福島相鄰，橋在梅田川上，我旅行日本，非常仔細，人歌地一氣喝成，演歌中提島曾根崎心中，更是逼人心弦，曾根崎也在北之新地，是日本文學歌舞妓中，著名之悲劇。
大阪城是豐臣秀吉所興建，是1583年，現址是第三座，前二座已損壞，秀吉是日本三國時代之大諸侯，繼織田信長後，幾乎統一日本。這大阪城有帝王規模，和當今姬路城，熊本城，和松本城，三大名城有異，畢竟秀吉年俸高達三百萬石以上，僅德川家康堪可比較，家康之江戶城興建，還得秀吉之許可。
我們搭日鐵大阪環城線，過幾站就抵達大阪城，這城已屬大阪府管理之公園，櫻花開始怒放，我們到時尚早，攤販正在佈置，我們沿著梅園逛去，梅花已謝，果實可見，倒是吉野櫻花到處，非常美麗，我不停拍照。我們走近城垣，已經開始有遊客排隊購票參觀，我們找到座蹬，欣賞遊客來來去去，確實熱鬧。我又帶領愛美逛城周圍櫻花林，鼓勵她和和服少女姑娘拍照，當然都經過家長同意，春天有新婚夫婦，著傳統和服拍紀念照，還有雙數年華少女，有成年禮儀照，都甚講究，愛美也有興趣，這些都像我們之孫輩。
離去午餐前，我們找到桃園，紅色桃花盛開，我們拍照後離去。街道上遇見兩位女同鄉，推薦我們上街百貨公司午餐，果然找到一家理想午餐廳，美金真好用，日本餐廳變成合理，我叫一大瓶米酒，連愛美均曰好。
我們又逛回大阪城，在桃園前休息，遇見一群台灣遊客，他們建議我到京都清水寺曰，人山人海。
