When I think of the Fourth of July, the first word that comes to mind is “freedom”, so it seems like a perfect day to announce my next Shirleyfest location. People who know me well, know that I believe that life’s essential three ingredients are health, love and freedom. Freedom can mean many things to people, but to me a big component is the freedom to travel the world. I don’t take it for granted and I’m grateful that this freedom is part of my life.

Now it’s time to reveal this year’s Shirleyfest. Can you guess from the photo?

That’s right–beautiful Kyoto. Once the capital of Japan, it’s famous for its numerous Buddhist temples, as well as gardens, imperial palaces, Shinto shrines and traditional wooden houses. It’s also known for kaiseki dining, consisting of multiple precise dishes, and geisha often found in the Gion area. ( I’ve rented a beautiful place in the Gion area)

As usual, I look forward to publishing posts of what I find there and I hope you will follow along with me. Any suggestions are welcome in the comments to this post.

By the way, speaking of the freedom to travel, I just returned from Scotland. If possible I will do a post soon about this amazing trip. The people were so welcoming and believe it or not the weather was sunny every day but one. Maybe I’ll add a Scottish city to my potential Shirleyfest list! Until then, here’s a toast to my readers from a Glasgow pub!