@alchemystones I really love these! I just got one with a star on it from your ebay page. I know what you mean about painting one being a meditation. It is the same for me doing a drawing or painting -

Thank you!

haha maybe so. They do look a little phallic for sure.

Thanks for the great informative post. I love visiting ruins as well, so much more than museums even though they are usually very rewarding too. When I was visiting Portugal, I thought the castle towns

I've read about it, and the nearby hill as well that is in need of excavating. Fantastic stuff, pushing back historical timelines. I'd love to visit there sometime.

Thank you so much. I will definitely look into your community of travel bloggers! It sounds like a good place for me to have content.

Thank you so much @ilovewintergem. I hope to return later this year to visit areas northwest of Tokyo. There are so many beautiful places to explore, and we find temples and shrines everywhere we go.

@ecency Thank you so much, I do appreciate it.

You're welcome. I hope to go again next year, this time to the mountain towns north of Tokyo. My wife is from Japan, so it helps to have a tour guide! I've wanted to see all the fantastic temples and shrines,

I took your advice, and just posted on Japan's amazing places. This is really about the historic village of Shirakawa-Go, but it does have some shrines. I loved walking around the village.

@ goldenoakfarm haha thanks! I got it a couple years ago when we visited San Miguel de Allende, Mexico for their day of the dead celebration.

It looks so good! Nice photos as well.

You're welcome @riverflows.

@babeltrips Yeah without cacao and honey it would not be as tasty. I remember loving the iced coffees with the heavy cream when I was in Vietnam. I visited Hue as well as Ho Chi Minh City and further down

@armandosodano Nice painting!

@itchyfeetdonica These are so fun!

@trincowski It looks very nice. We were south of there a few years back, by the Duoro River and into Porto. Hopefully another on trip we can visit Ponte de São Gonçalo.

@leaky20 Ok this place just made my must-see list. Unbelievable scenes, and great photos!

Great photos @astinmin! It makes me want to do a post on all the amazing temples and shrines I have visited in Japan.

Wow that is some crazy patterning!