Experiment with Tablet’s camera,
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A native Wood Pidgeon, or Kereru, perched on my neighbours shed at breakfast time. These are about twice the size of your standard issue city pigeon.
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Chicago?
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Singapore?
Chicago
Thanks for all replies- it is indeed Chicago and the view of the city from Lake Michigan.
On a road trip from here to Niagara (Ontario).
Sadly without the NC.
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If only you were going to Australia via Singapore, i’d have been 100% correct! 
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Ah yes, Shogun. Fascinating stuff!
Yes! I followed the path of William Adams last March also Jan Joosten van Lodensteijn, also known as Yayōsu. The Yaesu Exit of Tokyo Station is named after him! Information and a statue in the basement shopping area.
Both had estates near to Tokyo Station. There is a memorial to Adams and his Japanese wife in Hemi and a grave in Hirado island, Nagasaki,
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I do love history! 
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I assume you speak some Japanese?
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Hi Barnetfair1,
Yes, I am not 100 fluent and don’t know good vocabulary to discuss for example, politics. I have been to Japan 23 times and have attended a Japanese baptism - お宮参り Omiyamairi, given a speech in Japanese at my friends wedding ceremony- 結婚式 Kekkonshiki.
I don’t speak English very often when I am there! I added some pages from my book! 200 pages of studying!
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This is my work in progress Portuguese book. I started studying Portuguese a few months ago. A very popular light Japanese sponge cake called カステラ Kasutera, and 天ぷら Tenpura in Japanese are from Portugal originally!
Vindaloo curry is also derived from a popular Portuguese dish!
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Rail 200 - aka ‘The Greatest Gathering’ - at Derby Carriage Works at the start of August. As a young child I went to the Rail 150 Cavalcade of Steam at Shildon (on special train IG35 say the ticket I still have), so it was nice to get to see Rail 200. Here’s looking forwards to Rail 250…
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Excellent! You have my total respect sir.
Learning European languages is difficult enough, never mind Japanese. I am attempting to learn Italian and Spanish but at my age i am struggling a bit, and if the truth be told, i am probably still struggling with English.
We have just finished watching The Last Samurai, prompted by the earlier conversation. A tragedy that the Samurai were wiped out!
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Barnetfair1,
Emperor Meiji [about Katsumoto]:Tell me how he died.
Nathan Algren:I will tell you how he lived.
Thanks! I am 71 years old now. I can speak, read and write enough Mandarin to survive as a tourist. My Japanese is much higher but i stay with the polite form of speech rather than the informal way between friends. My first language is Irish but, sadly, i don’t have relatives or Irish friends nearby to speak with.
I will do my best to get a good level of Portuguese!
The dvd set of Shogun with Toshiro Mifune and Richard Chamberlain is a good 10 hour + watch!
The new Shogun with Hiroyuki Sanada and Cosmo Jarvis is closer to history, more brutal and the Japanese language used is the style used during the Sengoku Period and many Japanese don’t understand it for the first listening! Apparently the Japanese actors needed to learn it too,
Ofiaich!
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Love a Deltic, especially in that scheme.
I cleaned out a couple of Sir Nigel Gresley’s oil boxes one day when volunteering at the NMYR when she was stabled there.
Looks like an excellent adventure
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