But first:  MOSCOW/WASHINGTON/KYIV >> President Donald Trump said today that Russia and Ukraine “will immediately start negotiations” toward a ceasefire and an end to their three-year-old war, speaking after he held a call with Russia’s President Vladimir Putin. Photos and a video about our departure from Vancouver on Air Canada. Air Canada Lounge cuisine of soup with beer, Bloody Mary, Johnny Walker Black Label on rocks and sparkling rosé. Our plane, showing snow still on Vancouver mountain on May 18. Airline meal. Final view of Canada. This is a weird photo of our plane right over Diamond Head. Returned home at 9:15PM.  Walked 3641 steps. Great night sleep.  So anyway, our 33-day trip was wonderful. We went to the Osaka Expo twice.   Amazingly enough, we won the lottery on both days, for we got to use their motor scooter each day.  FREE!!!  Four for four.  The odds of this happening had to be 100 to one for this to occur.   We st...

We decided to find a place to have lunch in Vancouver.  Walked around quite a bit and was greeted by my Blue Bar Pigeon. We tried Kirin, a Chinese restaurant, but it was 2:10 PM and it was to close at 2:30.  Nearby was Din Tai Fung.  Same thing happened our previous trip this past October, when we were in Seattle to catch the Norwegian Encore, stayed a few nights in the city, walked around, and stumbled into  another Din Tai Fung .   I've written about this restaurant many times.  Here is  another posting from 2021 .  One of my favorite chains in the world.   Here is  another article from 2016.    Forbes  called it  the world's greatest dumplings . Originated in Taiwan. Like Seattle, this is one of the giant versions, and very popular.  At 2:15PM, there was a huge group waiting to get seated. So I walked around and filmed the restaurant. Wow, this is interesting.  To download this video this long, ...

Pope Francis died at the age of 88 on Easter Monday.  He made a valiant effort to modernize the Catholic Church to make it relevant for the 21st century.  Promoted unity among Catholics and called upon the church to embrace its global diversity.    Comments are mixed about his actual effectiveness . From  Time  magazine: T he film   Conclave   begins with the death of the Pope. It then follows the chain of events from that moment to the election of a new Pope, following a few characters—portrayed by a cast that won the top honor at the Screen Actors Guild Awards. A 2024 film based on the 2016 novel by Robert Harris, stars Ralph Fiennes as the cardinal who organizes the  conclave , Stanley Tucci as a liberal American cardinal candidate, John Lithgow as a moderate Canadian cardinal, sort of the villain, and Isabella Rosselini, a sister who serves as the conclave's head caterer and housekeeper.  Earned 93/86 ratings from  Rotten Tomato...