Robin, Dan, and Hannah Visit Japan
Robin, Dan, and Hannah, our third set of visitors, have come to spend the week with us. Dan was here before, years ago, with the Navy, but it's a first time for Robin and Hannah. They are being very adventurous with the food, which for gourmandizer Robin is par for the course, but is impressive for a 9-year-old. With our new car, which we can finally drive, we went to the ramen shop that Jeff has been itching to go to since we started buying the car.
We went to the Meiji Shrine the other day. This is my fourth time, I think, but it's always different. I've been there in the late summer, fall, and winter, and the trees were different each time. Now I got to see in the first greening of spring, and it was lovely.
Oddly, there was a lot of sweeping going on, as traditionally-dressed people with brooms chased the falling leaves that were falling like it was uh, fall. I theorized that it was due to the very mild winter, which maybe didn't knock all the leaves off the trees with serious winds and/or snow. So, now as the new leaves are coming in, they are pushing off the old, like an adult tooth pushes out a baby tooth. I can't think if why else the leaves were all falling, unless it's a Japanese seasonal peculiarity. Anyway, I didn't try to pair the visit with a shop-n-stroll around Harajuku's Takeshita-dori this time, so there was a more leisurely pace that allowed us to see more than just the main shrine. For instance, I didn't now there was a set of gardens enclosing an azalea garden, an iris garden (not in bloom yet), a well, and Empress Shoken's favorite fishing spot (she was the wife of Emperor Meiji, in whose honor the Meiji Shrine was built). We also saw the treasure museum, which I hadn't had time to see before. After all that walking (and them still dealing with the jet-lag that was taking way longer to go away than they had imagined), we had a lovely sit-lie down by the water. Nice spot.
The next day, Dan took a trip down memory lane and wandered about Yokosuka before meeting up with Jeff. Hannah went to school with the boys. Now when her friends ask her what she did over Spring Break, she can say "went to school." Robin and I went to Chinatown, which I'd been wanting to do since I missed Chinese New Year there due to illness. The riotously-colored and carved Chinese shrines there were a nice counterpoint to the zen, natural-wood at Meiji Shrine the day before. We ate some really great soft ice cream (apricot and mango) and walked around, looking at the amazing shrines, snapping pictures, looking at all the interesting food. We successfully ordered a lunch that was like a dim-sum sampler and too big for me to finish. I did eat the almond-milk-pudding dessert, of course.
We found an organic honey store and Robin told me about Manuka honey, which is a NZ product that apparently has all sorts of anti-bacterial and antibiotic properties. They had a shelf of it, but it was expensive. I know where to find it now if I need it. They also had a tasting bar. We were offered a tiny spoonful of taste of one, and I asked, recklessly, "can we try them all?" There were 10, I think, and we did try them all. I didn't realize that honey could come in so many flavors! I ended up buying a jar of honey was flavored with some kind of fruit, but tastes like jasmine. As we were walking back to the train station, I got an allergy attack and felt a bit crazy. I believe I was having a honey overdose.
See some more pictures of Meiji in spring and Chinatown here.
That night, Robin and I had girl-talk over apricot wine while Jeff was giving Dan the rockstar tour of Yokohama and Tokyo.
Our guests took the train to Kyoto for the night, to stay in a ryokan and see some traditional Japan. When they get back, I am taking them to, where else, the Blue Corn, to meet Helen and perhaps Martine.
We went to the Meiji Shrine the other day. This is my fourth time, I think, but it's always different. I've been there in the late summer, fall, and winter, and the trees were different each time. Now I got to see in the first greening of spring, and it was lovely.
Oddly, there was a lot of sweeping going on, as traditionally-dressed people with brooms chased the falling leaves that were falling like it was uh, fall. I theorized that it was due to the very mild winter, which maybe didn't knock all the leaves off the trees with serious winds and/or snow. So, now as the new leaves are coming in, they are pushing off the old, like an adult tooth pushes out a baby tooth. I can't think if why else the leaves were all falling, unless it's a Japanese seasonal peculiarity. Anyway, I didn't try to pair the visit with a shop-n-stroll around Harajuku's Takeshita-dori this time, so there was a more leisurely pace that allowed us to see more than just the main shrine. For instance, I didn't now there was a set of gardens enclosing an azalea garden, an iris garden (not in bloom yet), a well, and Empress Shoken's favorite fishing spot (she was the wife of Emperor Meiji, in whose honor the Meiji Shrine was built). We also saw the treasure museum, which I hadn't had time to see before. After all that walking (and them still dealing with the jet-lag that was taking way longer to go away than they had imagined), we had a lovely sit-lie down by the water. Nice spot.
The next day, Dan took a trip down memory lane and wandered about Yokosuka before meeting up with Jeff. Hannah went to school with the boys. Now when her friends ask her what she did over Spring Break, she can say "went to school." Robin and I went to Chinatown, which I'd been wanting to do since I missed Chinese New Year there due to illness. The riotously-colored and carved Chinese shrines there were a nice counterpoint to the zen, natural-wood at Meiji Shrine the day before. We ate some really great soft ice cream (apricot and mango) and walked around, looking at the amazing shrines, snapping pictures, looking at all the interesting food. We successfully ordered a lunch that was like a dim-sum sampler and too big for me to finish. I did eat the almond-milk-pudding dessert, of course.
We found an organic honey store and Robin told me about Manuka honey, which is a NZ product that apparently has all sorts of anti-bacterial and antibiotic properties. They had a shelf of it, but it was expensive. I know where to find it now if I need it. They also had a tasting bar. We were offered a tiny spoonful of taste of one, and I asked, recklessly, "can we try them all?" There were 10, I think, and we did try them all. I didn't realize that honey could come in so many flavors! I ended up buying a jar of honey was flavored with some kind of fruit, but tastes like jasmine. As we were walking back to the train station, I got an allergy attack and felt a bit crazy. I believe I was having a honey overdose.
See some more pictures of Meiji in spring and Chinatown here.
That night, Robin and I had girl-talk over apricot wine while Jeff was giving Dan the rockstar tour of Yokohama and Tokyo.
Our guests took the train to Kyoto for the night, to stay in a ryokan and see some traditional Japan. When they get back, I am taking them to, where else, the Blue Corn, to meet Helen and perhaps Martine.
posted by Sandi at 9:09 AM
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