Greece Day 2: Delphi
Another early start today to join a bus tour to Delphi. The trip is about 2.5 hours. Our tour guide, Mariana, kept the trip interesting, pointing out landmarks along the way and telling historical anecdotes. After a winding, narrow mountain road, we reached the spot on Mount Parnassus where the Oracle resided.
Stone where the Oracle would sit.
I had read the mythology but I guess I never realized that this was an actual place. Leaders came from all over Greece and neighboring areas to consult with the Oracle on matters of state. While the oracle’s advice was a bit of a show, she would fall into a trance, speak in riddles, etc, the area itself provided other opportunities to influence political outcomes and share the culture of education, art, athletic competition and music.
Inscriptions in the stone from visitors
Trees and pedestal.
Remains of Apollo’s Temple
The spot of Apollo’s temple and the Oracle must have been a challenging place to visit, high up on a mountain where,even to this day, the road is winding and difficult. Guests would make the pilgrimage, bringing gifts, receiving their advice and then staying to enjoy theater and musical performances, observe sporting events, as well as meet pilgrims from other areas. The oracle’s advice tended to favor diplomatic resolutions rather than war. Delphi served as a hub to spread the culture of education and art. Mariana also pointed out the significance of athletic competition as a lesson in peaceful conflict resolution, i.e., there can be a winner and loser but no killing!
After a tour of the temple area, we had free time to explore on our own. Sarah walked up further to the theater. I found a shady spot sit quietly and absorb the surroundings: tall sculpted cypress trees, marble stones, pine needles, the overwhelming sound of cicadas, spectacular views of an area still relatively untouched surrounding what was once a influential and bustling center.
View from my shady spot
In the Delphi museum, there are beautiful sculptures and friezes excavated from the temple and its surroundings. Also in the museum is the statue of the Sphinx that once stood atop a high pedestal near to where the Oracle gave her advice. Our guide walked us through the rooms after our free time at the temple site.
Majestic Sphinx
Nike
Apollo and Artemis firing arrows and taking names
Socrates
Athena
Greek warriors, Medusa shield
By now it was late afternoon and time to head out. We stopped at a lovely restaurant with traditional food and spectacular views of the valley.
Greek salad, the real deal
View from the restaurant
We returned to Athens that evening and Sarah and I walked to Anafiotika Cafe in Plaka for dinner. We waited for a table in the rooftop with a view of the Acropolis. I had a dinner of olives, bread and eggplant stuffed with feta. For my last night in Greece I splurged and ordered Galaktoboureko (Greek custard pie) one of my favorite desserts.
Olives
Eggplant
Last view of the Acropolis
Athens arrival and Day 1
Nerves and exhaustion dominated my mood Friday as I started my travels. However the flights went smoothly. There was some excitement in the first leg from Boston to Istanbul when someone’s pet cat got loose ohn the plane. The lights were out and many passengers were asleep when I heard a commotion in the aisles. Soon everyone was peering under seats and trying to coax the kitty out. It was meowing constantly, but still hard to track down. When it was finally found and returned to its owner there was some applause and laughter.
After that escapade the 9 hour flight was more than half over and the remainder wasuneventful. Istanbul to Athens was the last leg and then a taxi ride to the lovely apartment in Plaka that my sister and I rented.
Apartment balcony
It was late, but I was still on US time so my sister humored me and we walked to an outdoor wine bar, Athena’s Cook. I had a glass of house wine and an appetizer: Grilled talagani cheese with fig marmalade, pine nuts and balsamic vinegar. Delicious, perfect. Sitting outside in the warm night, drinking wine, eating delicious food, chatting with my sister.. a perfect first night in Athens.
Athena’s Cook
The alarm rang painfully early this morning, but we had tickets for an 8 am walking tour of the Acropolis. The tour began in front of a frozen yogurt bar. I tried a free sample of yogurt with honey and nuts that was heavenly. Then our tour guide, Stevie, led us towards the site. She mixed historical information with architecture and engineering notes and some mythology. We walked through the site in the 90+ degree heat but I never felt fatigued.
Seeing the remnants of this incredible civilization was emotional for me. These buildings were constructed without the engineering tools and software we have today, and they are still standing despite many attempts to destroy them. This testament to the resourcefulness in humans; the creativity; the value placed in learning, education, and arts — all of this made me feel a sliver of hope for our species. When Stevie referred to the story of Pandora and mentioned what remained in the box when all the terrible things escaped, Hope, I felt my heart surge.
After the tour ended, my sister and I found a small shady spot among the ruined walls where we had a view of the columns of the Parthenon and the remains of the Athena Nike temple. We sat there for a half hour, just absorbing what we were seeing and appreciating it. I think Sarah could have stayed another hour, but it was time to move on and see some of the other sites.
We contemplated the view for a long time
We walked down to the Acropolis museum. We decided to start with lunch at the museum cafe. I had freddo cappuccino and batzina, Greek zucchini pie. We split up after that because Sarah and I had different attention spans. I walked through the museum looking for pieces related to the mythology that I grew up reading and loving. I tried to imagine what everything must have looked like when the colors of the stonework was still vibrant and the carvings were still intact.
Athena on the left
We met up at the gift shop / cafe and proceeded to the ruins under the museum. This area was only opened to the public in 2019 so we were very fortunate to have gotten our timing right. When excavation was done for the new Acropolis museum, ruins of the city were uncovered and preserved. It was absolutely incredible to see. At this point, my phone battery had died so I have no pictures to document. The ruins consist of walls, floors, plumbing of the ancient houses of Athenian citizens. There are mosaics, workshops, stairs, doorways. It made me wish I could go back in time just long enough to observe. And seeing the ruins is the closest I can come to that.
By now we had been walking for hours in the summer sun. We decided to head back to our apartment to recharge for a bit. I took a nap and Sarah read tour guides. Then we went out to get some groceries for later and started on a walk towards the Monastiraki neighborhood. We were able to see the remains of Hadrian’s Library and the temple of Hephaestus. In the ruins of Hadrian’s Library I was amused to see several stray cats, making themselves at home among the rubble. Some of the street vendors left food for them along the fences.
Hadrian’s Library with view of the Acropolis
Kitty sleeping on some ancient rocks 
Cat from another era
After a long walk around the ruins and back through the hustle and bustle of Monastiraki, we made our way back to the apartment. I had bought some local wine and a tomato, feta and olive pastry from a nearby bakery for dinner. Eating and drinking as I type this and now I need to get some rest for a trip to Delphi tomorrow. I’ll write more after my visit with the Oracle.
Tokyo, Day 1
Edo-Tokyo Museum
My cousin had to work so I went off on my own. I was moving a little slowly. The heat was getting to me and I felt a little achy. I got a later start than I had planned, but I dragged myself out the door and took the train to the Edo-Tokyo museum.
It’s a large indoor museum with a mix of intricate scale models of old Tokyo and several life size replicas of both old buildings and more recent houses. One part of the exhibit is life size rooms from Japanese homes throughout the last century.
I have a particular love for models and miniatures, which is part of why I wanted to go to this museum. In the past I’ve worked on dollhouses and made dollhouse furniture, The detail of the models at the museum is so precise, down to the ridges in the tatami mats, that you feel like you are spying on someone else’s tiny world. When I get back home I’m going to look online for a model kit!
Edo buildings
Woodworking and screen detail
The artwork on the miniature screens is spectacular
A Japanese garden in miniature
My love for dollhouses is also the reason I enjoyed looking at the life size models of Tokyo homes through the years. These were like big dollhouses, again the feeling of looking into someone else’s world, just on a bigger scale.
Another exhibit that I loved was a set of woodblocks used to make a print. Ukiyo-e woodblock printing is one of my favorite genres of Japanese art. In the pictures below you can see the woodblocks used to layer different colors onto the paper.
The woodblock process
I would really like to make a woodblock print in the ukiyo-e style and I hoped that this trip would give my some creative ideas. Throughout the trip I tried to spend time just observing and absorbing. At times, I stopped and sketched some ideas on my iPad. Last winter I bought a kit with supplies to make a small ukiyo-e woodblock. Seeing the exhibit with the woodblocks made me feel inspired. This whole trip has made me feel inspired!
Before leaving, I bought a small umbrella at the museum shop hoping it would offer some respite from the sun beating down. After the museum I made my back to Ross’s apartment and took a much needed rest.For more information on ukiyo-e: https://www.artsy.net/gene/ukiyo-e
Dinner with a Friend
Later in the evening I went to Todai-mae train station to meet a friend in front of the Akamon gate at Tokyo University. The friend is the son of two of my dearest old friends. He is my oldest daughter’s age and working at Tokyo University for the summer. I’ve known him since he was a baby and had not seen him for several years.
We went out for dinner and walked around Tokyo stopping here and there for a beer or snack. It was an absolute joy to catch up with him in such an obscure location. He reminds me so much of my older daughter in his personality and view of the world. We had a lovely evening and then I made my way back to the apartment.
Goodbye Kyoto, Hello Tokyo
Laundry
My last morning in Kyoto I got up early, had the same breakfast as the day before at Maeda Coffee, and set out to do some laundry. I have made great strides in conversational Japanese, but my reading skills still leave a lot to be desired. Even with Google Translate, the washing machine instructions were incomprehensible so I took a guess and luckily I didn’t overflow the laundromat with suds or shrink all my clothes to Barbie-doll size.
While waiting for the dryer to finish, I went for one last walk around the Kiyomizu area. I bought a few more souvenirs and treated myself to honey ice cream with Yuzu.
Goodbye Kyoto
At checkout, Raito asked for my email address and Shusui friended me on Facebook. We took pictures and said we’d stay in touch.
Shinkansen
I took the Shinkansen from Kyoto to Tokyo. I was able to get a window seat on the Mt. Fuji side, but the cloud cover and haze was too think to see it. I have yet to see Mt. Fuji so I guess I will have to plan to go back to Japan again in the future. The day I finally see Fuji-san I think I will probably cry with joy.
Bento box lunch on the Shinkansen
Tokyo
After arriving at Tokyo station, I took the JR rail and then the subway to the area where my cousin lives. He met me near his apartment building, got me settled and gave me a key, and then had to go back to work.
I wandered around the area and found a small restaurant that looked good. I went in and tried to sit at the counter and was directed to what looked like a vending machine with a touch screen display. I realized that you order and pay ahead of time. The display was entirely in Japanese, but fortunately there were pictures. I ordered a beer and udon – my staple.
I stopped at Family Mart on the way back and got coffee, bread and bananas, my breakfast staples. I fell asleep staring at the lights of Tokyo from my bedroom window.
Kyoto, Day 2
Slow day
I was feeling a little under the weather today. The oppressive heat plus still not being caught up on sleep plus walking miles each day had me feeling tired and achy. I took my time in the morning before getting out and about.
I went for breakfast at a small coffee shop. I had a toast set that included cabbage salad and potato salad. It was an odd combination but quite delicious. From there I wandered around, doing some shopping and people watching. I felt like I was starting to wilt from the heat so I went back to the inn to relax.
I rested in the sitting room, edited photos and worked on my blog for the day before. The other innkeeper, Shu, came in to chat and showed me a flower arrangement he had done. He is an ikebana instructor and offers workshops daily. If I had been a little more energetic I would have loved to try one. The simplicity of the arrangement captured my eye and enjoyed looking at it. I wanted to try sketching it but my energy level was very low. Eventually I went back to my room to rest for a couple of hours.
Fushimi Inari
The rest & relaxation paid off because I was able to muster the energy to go out again after sunset. I was anxious to see the Fushimi Inari shrine and I had heard that after dark was the best time: the Torii gates are lit up, there are fewer tourists, and the temperature is a little cooler.
The walk to the train was about 20 minutes and then there was a short train ride to Fushimi Inari. The signs were easy to follow and I started through the first Torii gate.
The total hike is roughly 2 hours and I had no intention of doing the whole thing that late in the evening. I decided to hike for about 45 minutes and then head back down. The path is a combination of stairs and paved slopes. There are sections dense with Torii gates and then some areas surrounded by trees and small shrines. The trail has a few larger shrines where you can stop and rest.
The hike plus the heat and humidity had me drenched in sweat almost immediately. My legs were burning through some of the steeper areas and I stopped frequently to drink water. That late in the day, the tourists were scattered so I walked for some stretches without seeing anyone. There were warning signs about wild boar, which are very common in the mountain areas.
Walking out from the Torii gates into a quiet wooded part of the path, I heard rustling in the trees. As I approached I heard a pig-squeal and branches cracking. I could see the small round body of what I assume was a boar disappearing in the woods. It startled me, but apparently I scared it as well! Inoshishi is the Japanese word for wild boar.
I hiked up to trail intersection where there was a water barrel to wash hands and mouth before proceeding up to the next shrine. I stopped there and washed my hands following the instructions, careful not to touch the ladle. I hiked a little further to a clearing with a spectacular view and then decided it was a good time to head down.
I returned to the inn around 9 pm and had time for some sake before my bath reservation.
Fushimi Inari Taisha: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fushimi_Inari-taisha
Kyoto, Day 1
Saori
Another language exchange friend, Saori, met me when I arrived at Kyoto station. She and I had only ever exchanged written messages, never Skyped, so I was especially excited to meet her. She is from Osaka. She took the day off from work to take a train to Kyoto to meet me for lunch.
I was very thankful not just for that, but for the fact that she offered to take a cab to the Ryokan with me so I could leave my luggage there. The Ryokan was not well known and some of the streets are closed to cars, so the taxi driver had difficulty. Saori was able to explain the directions and help me find the place.
Saori also made a reservation at a very famous tofu restaurant nearby so we could walk to lunch.
Tofu lunch
We were seated near the window looking out on a beautiful garden. Saori asked if I wanted hot or cold tofu (definitely cold as the outside temperature was near 100 F!!) and then ordered for both of us.
The first course was soft sesame tofu with a small amount of wasabi on top. This was probably my favorite course, though everything that came after was wonderful.
Sesame tofu. Chopstick wrapper with restaurant name.
The second course was grilled tofu on a stick with some kind of purée sauce.
Then bowls of cold tofu in ice water with shoyu sauce, green onion and ginger to put on top. This was accompanied by a plate of tempura (Japanese basil, seaweed, mushroom, Shishido (pepper), and potato. There was a separate dipping sauce for the tempura.
We broke of pieces of tofu with our chopsticks and used a tiny strainer to drain the tofu and place it in an empty bowl. Then we topped it with scallions, ginger and shoyu. It was so delicious, I had to eat all of it even though it was a lot of food.
The last course was rice, pickles and young potato (a mashed sticky starch to pour over the rice).
Saori treated me despite my protests. The hostess took a photo of us before we left.
Restaurant link: http://www.tofuokutan.info
Kanji Museum
After lunch Saori suggested we walk to the Kanji Museum nearby. I have been studying Kanji for a couple of years now, so I was very interested to go. Also escaping the heat in an air conditioned museum was not unappealing.
The exhibits were entirely in Japanese, but geared towards people of all ages. There were simple explanations of the history for kids visiting and then lengthier verbiage for adults. I could understand almost all of the information geared towards kids, so it was perfect for me.
There were also kids activities – a little booklet to fill out as you went through the museum. I wasn’t sure how Saori would feel about it, but she enjoyed visiting the different stations, getting stamps and playing games.
If you are not familiar with the Japanese language, there are 3 alphabets in Japanese. Hiragana and Katakana are both phonetic. Katakana is used primarily for foreign words that have been adopted into Japanese. For example, is pronounced mee-roo-koo (Milk).
The third set of symbols, Kanji, is not phonetic. Kanji are the Chinese symbols that are used to build words in Japanese. Most Kanji have at least two different pronunciations: one used when combined with other kanji to make a word; one used when combined with Hiragana characters.
At the museum I learned that the Hiragana characters actually came from simplifications of some of the Kanji characters. Unfortunately, I couldn’t understand much more than that from the museum displays because, paradoxically, I don’t know enough Kanji.
More Kanji than I will ever learn
Gion & Udon
Once the sun started to set I headed back out to walk around the Gion area. This is also known as Geisha District. If you read Memoirs of a Geisha, most of the book took place in Gion.
I wanted to go back to Gion on this trip because it was one of the most memorable places I visited the last time I was in Japan. It has a mystery about it that is both beautiful and compelling.
Many of the buildings in Gion are preserved historical structures that now function as restaurants. It’s a popular tourist area, but occasionally you can turn down a side street and escape the hustle and bustle. The sound of cicadas takes over and though the restaurants are all open, there are no neon signs or pictures of food. Shops might have a lantern and some curtains at the entrance and sometimes a tiny bowl of salt on the step near the entrance. If you peek in from the street, you may not see any people at all, or you might see some shadows of movement and hear muffled conversation. This is the feel I wanted to experience again walking in Gion.
Walking back to the Kiyomizu area from Gion, I took many side streets. Most of the tourist shops had closed so the streets were fairly empty. The temperature was a bit cooler without the glaring sunlight. I stopped at a noodle shop for a beer and some cold udon and then walked the quiet streets back to the Ryokan.
Sake & Conversation
Back at the Ryokan, the innkeeper, Raito, asked if I wanted to get a sake sampler before my bath. I decided to give it a try and he opened up the kitchen/dining area and poured me 3 different kinds of sake to taste. He stayed and chatted with me while I drank. We spoke in a mix of Japanese and English.
We talked about travel, tattoos, drinking and anime. I mentioned that I had watched Death Note and he pointed out that his name is Raito, who is the main character in Death Note (“Light” in the American translation). He told me, “I see Ryuk behind you”. If you watch the show you know what I’m talking about.
Ryokan link: http://www.sangen.info/en/
Nighttime bath
After sake, I had reserved the top floor outdoor bath with a spectacular view of Kyoto. The pictures speak for themselves.
Early morning in Kanazawa
Neighborhoods
Part of the reason I decided to stay in Kanazawa was because I had to change trains there to get to Kyoto from Nagano. The other reason was to see the very famous Ken-rokuen garden. I had planned to go yesterday when I arrived in Kanazawa, but because it was so late I had to change my plans.
I read online that the garden opens early and you can go for free in the early morning. My train to Kyoto was scheduled for 9 am, and I got a late start, so I gave up on the idea of getting there. I decided instead to walk in that general direction and try to get back to the hotel around 8 am to pack.
In the quiet early morning hours, I walked through small side streets through residential neighborhoods. I saw a lot of older folks outside gardening and cleaning. Several people said good morning to me (“Ohayou gozaimasu”).
I reached some kind of park entrance that had a Do Not Enter sign. It listed park hours starting at 7:00 am and it was shortly before. A Japanese woman also stopped to read the sign. I started up a conversation with her saying that it was too early. She was surprised to hear me speak Japanese and we talked for a bit.
I decided not to wait for the park to open and started heading down the street. In this area, the street went alongside a waterway full of carp. I stopped to admire them and then moved on.
Kanazawa Castle
I reached a path and saw a few people walking down it. From my map it looked like it went to Kanazawa Castle, so I decided the follow it. The path went alongside a small woods with a stopping point along a small pond. The path was also dotted with statues and sculptures.
I continued along until I got to Kanazawa Castle. I didn’t actually enter the park, I just took a couple of pictures of the castle.
There were trails around the outside of the park so I followed a few of those. By this point, the temperature was starting to rise and I was sweating. I came across a man wearing exercise clothes doing various calisthenics as he walked. I passed by him and he said good morning so I commented “undo shimasuka?” (“You are exercising”)? Again, a simple sentence to show that I could speak a little Japanese and we had a short conversation.
I walked a little further to the entrance to Ken-rokuen, but now it was getting late and I needed to head back. I had an uneventful but lovely walk back to the hotel and then hopped on the train bound for Kyoto.
Night time in Kanazawa
Walking in Kanazawa
I didn’t get to Kanazawa until early evening. The hotel was very luxurious and I had a spectacular view of the city, with the ocean off in the distance. I took several photos as the sun set. After I rested a bit, I took off to wander the city and find some dinner.
I decided to try to head away from the crowds a bit. The hotel strip had many malls and upscale restaurants. I wanted something more casual. As a I wandered, I heard loud explosions – fireworks! I walked briskly to the street corner where there was a small crowd watching. They were a bit far away, but you could see them just over the tops of the nearby buildings.
I scheduled my trip based on the dates of the trip my kids were supposed to go on. I planned the itinerary based on my cousin’s availability in Tokyo. Looking back at my schedule I realized that I was going to miss fireworks in Yokohama by a week, miss fireworks in Tokyo by just a few days, and miss fireworks in Kyoto by a few days as well. I’m sure the festivals I missed were significantly more spectacular than the distant fireworks I saw in Kanazawa, but I was overjoyed nonetheless.
Sushi
I wandered for awhile and couldn’t find a place I felt comfortable going to. Eventually I decided to head back to one of the shopping centers near the train station. I found a small sushi restaurant (Kanazawa is famous for fish) and saw there were a few people at the counter so I went in.
I started speaking in Japanese and the waiter said, in English, “would you like to order in English or practice Japanese”. Off to bad start but I laughed and ordered a beer and a couple of pieces of sushi: maguro and tai. They didn’t have Tai and suggested that I do the chef recommended sushi. I didn’t exactly understand what that meant but I said yes. The waiter left and the chef made me a couple of pieces. The chef did not speak much English so I chatted with him in Japanese. The sushi was absolutely amazing. He brushed each piece with shoyu, some he put wasabi on, some lemon, some coarse salt. Each was different. I had ebi, maguro, two different kinds of squid, one called kiss (a joke) and several other that I can’t remember. The ebi he gave me in secret and told me to eat it before the waiter came back – a freebie.
The conversation was a bit flirty. He wanted to know how old I was. I decided to quit while I was ahead and I was full anyway, so I paid and left. Definitely helped my confidence on many levels. 🙂
Conversation
Wandering back to the hotel I heard fireworks again! I was able to get a couple of photos of the fireworks looking through the gate of a small shrine.
The fireworks continued again when I was near the hotel. An older couple was standing next to me watching. I turned to them and said “Sugoi desu yo!” (Basically “awesome!”). They were surprised to hear me speaking Japanese so they started asking me questions. We had a nice conversation. They were Japanese, but in Kanazawa for vacation. It turned out we were staying at the same hotel, so we talked the whole way back.
We went our separate ways in the lobby and then I got on the elevator with another man. Feeling emboldened, I asked him “Hanabi o mimashita ka?” (“Did you see the fireworks?”). He said no and told me my Japanese was very good – though I think the bar is low because everyone seems to say that if you even attempt to speak in Japanese. I said “no it’s not good but thank you” in Japanese and I went to my room feeling a mild sense of victory.
Last day in Nagano
Breakfast
This morning was beautiful after the rain. I took a photo from the window of my room of the bath house in the morning light. Later, I showed the photo to Mariko’s mother and she was very happy that I wanted to take a picture of it.
It was early and Mariko’s mother and sister were cooking for the guests. I went to the kitchen and offered to help. I filled small bowls with homemade blueberry and apple jam. I cracked eggs and whisked them in separate bowls for each group of guests, so that Mariko’s mom could cook them fresh when the guests came to the dining room. I poured juice and put out cream for coffee. Then, as the guests arrived, I greeted them and brought out small cups of vegetable soup. I was so happy to be able to help in any way.
After the guests ate, we sat down for breakfast. The vegetable soup tasted like a very light tomato bisque. With the soup there were plates of salad greens and scrambled eggs with corn. Thick buttered toast with jam followed.
Mariko and I sat and ate and talked for some time. I was getting ready to help clean up when some high school age kids arrived to work. They were starting their summer jobs at the inn today, so they took care of the breakfast clean up.
Togakushi Shrine, Part 2
After breakfast, Mariko and Mihiro visited me in my room. We sat on the floor and chatted and Mihiro played with the drawing app on my iPad. Then Mariko’s father drove us to another part of Togakushi shrine. At this part of the shrine, there are 300 steps to climb to reach the shrine. I told Mariko that my youngest daughter always runs up steps. Mihiro heard that and took off. I tried to keep up, but about halfway through I had to slow down.
Stairs at Togakushi Shrine
We enjoyed the beauty of the shrine and the surroundings and then carefully went back down the stairs where Mariko’s father picked us up.
Lunch at the Inn
We had time for one last meal before we had to head back. Lunch at the inn was curry rice with vegetables and tuna. Spicy and delicious and comforting. Aya also got some special treats especially for me – kind of like small calzones, they consisted of a doughy outer shell and were stuffed with different fillings: greens, mushrooms, pumpkin. More fresh peaches followed.
I thanked Mariko’s parents profusely. Lots of hugs. Mariko’s mother gave me a parting gift of two jars of homemade jam. I was so touched and thankful, my eyes welled up with tears of happiness.
Returning back to Mariko’s house was bittersweet. I was feeling very sad to leave but at the same time so thankful that I got to meet her and spend time with her family. We had a quick snack of ice cream and then Kei drove us all to Nagano station. Mariko and Mihiro walked me up to the ticket office. Mariko was ready to help me if the station attendant couldn’t understand me, but it was not needed. We spoke entirely in Japanese and I was able to get my tickets.
Lots of hugs and goodbyes and then I was off to Kanazawa.
Nagano Day 2
This is going to be a lengthy post. So much happened!
Morning
Breakfast with Mariko, Kei and Mihiro was simple and lovely. I made toast and coffee for everyone, Mariko made fried eggs with shoyu, yogurt with peach jam (made by her mom) and fresh blueberries (from her parents inn), and we had Mihiro’s miso soup from the night before. Kei makes homemade pickles. He has a paste that he refreshes and reuses. It’s stored in the refrigerator in giant Tupperware tub. The cucumbers soak in it and then when they are ready he takes them out and puts new cucumbers in. He has to mix it up every day. We had some of the pickles and they were delicious.
Matsumoto – Brass Band Festival
Mihiro plays trombone in her school’s brass band. Today there was a brass band festival in Matsumoto so we went to watch her perform. We saw a few of the other schools perform and then her school played a brass band version of The Grandfather’s Clock. This song is special to me because my father used to play in a bluegrass band and had a nice mandolin part in a bluegrass version of the tune. I learned all the lyrics and I used to sing it. (See end of this blog post for the lyrics as I know them).
I got to meet Kei’s parents at the concert. His mother makes beautiful dolls as a hobby and Mariko showed me a book with photos of them. When I met her I told her I had seen the book and that she is very talented. Later when we met Kei back at the house, she had given him a copy of the book to give to me. I get tears in my eyes thinking about it – so thoughtful and kind.
Togakushi Shrine
We had a short rest after returning from the concert and then headed to Mariko’s parents hotel. The route was spiral roads up into the mountains. I couldn’t take my eyes away from the car window. The scenery there is ancient tall trees and waterfalls interspersed with small farms and gardens.
Togakushi Shrine
We stopped at one of the Togakushi Shinto shrines. We washed our hands and mouth and then proceeded through the Torii gate. There is something special there. My heart felt so good. The coolness in the air, being in the presence of the towering trees. Also the quiet (in Japanese, the word is shizuka). I told Mariko that it made my heart happy. She feels that way as well and later at dinner she told her family what I said. They talked about the power of the place and suggested we visit more of the shrine the next day.
Dinner at the inn
Mariko’s family owns an inn/hotel in Togakushi called Pension Azalea. They have a large dining hall where they serve breakfast, lunch and dinner. Mariko’s mother and sister do most of the cooking. Occasionally Mariko goes there to help out. We arrived at the inn shortly before dinner and I met Mariko’s parents and her older sister, Aya. There were still a few guests dining so I helped in the kitchen and set out food for our dinner. We ate with a couple of the guests. Mariko’s mother made a multi course dinner, all fish and vegetables since Mariko told her I didn’t eat pork, beef or chicken.
Toast with sautéed zucchini and summer squash and topped with black caviar
Vegetable egg custard in small ramekins
Plates of edamame
Small bowls of spiced Romano beans
Shrimp fresh rolls with creamy wasabi dipping sauce
Miso soup with mushrooms
Lightly fried fish with broccoli purée, wilted greens and thin slices of orange squash
Shellfish and squash quiche
Rice
Blueberry cream pudding (with blueberries from the inn)
Fresh peaches
We drank cold tea and sake and ate and talked. I was peppered with questions from Mariko’s family and spoke non stop Japanese. Mariko stepped in to help when she could, translating their questions into simpler words for me. I felt very welcome and comfortable. All the dishes used fresh vegetables in season. Mariko’s mom cooks with a lot of love, like so many moms. I could taste it in the food and I’m sure she could see on my face how happy I was.
Bathhouse at night
Mariko insisted that I take the first bath. Mihiro showed me to the bathhouse and explained what I was to do. The bath there is a large tiled bath, almost the size of a small lap pool. Hot water cycles through constantly.
In Japan, you sit on a small seat and wash your whole body with soap and water before entering the bath. Many people typically bath together, and I offered to go with others, but I think they were concerned that I would be uncomfortable so they gave me the bath to myself. It was so lovely I could have spent a long time in there but a short soak felt good. I felt clean and refreshed and peaceful (maybe that was also from the sake and the meal and the shrine).
As I walked down the hall back to the main inn, there was an open window and at this point it was raining heavily. I stopped there and felt the cool air flowing in and took time to appreciate the moment.
Later that night I woke up and peeked out the window of my room where I could see the full moon and a light in the window of the bathhouse.
Azalea Inn: https://p-azalea.com
The Grandfather’s Clock
The Grandfather’s Clock was too tall for the shelf
So it stayed 90 years in the hall
It was taller by half than the old man himself
Though it weighed not a penny’s weight more.
It was bought on the morn of the day that he was born
It was always his treasure and pride
But it stopped short, never to go again,
When the old man died.
90 years without slumbering
Tick Tock Tick Tock
Life seconds numbering
Tick Tock Tick Tock
It stopped short, never to go again,
When the old man died.
origamiunicorn 