Hang, a UFO-looking musical instrument created by PANart in Switzerland, adding to Vienna’s good music. The music is so good it is bordering on hypnotic.
Category Archives: travel
Rick Steves
Rick Steves has been such a big help 2 years back when Kat and I went to Italy. Now, he’s our travel companion again.
Of fairs and flowers
On fairs.
Sharing Hubs’ rendition of Andrew York’s “Fair”. Impromptu guitar playing. Recorded via tumblr app.
On flowers.
Up to now, I still don’t know who’s responsible in keeping our office toilet attractive because of them flower arrangements which varies every other day or so. And the flowers come in different vases at that. Or probably they switch the vases they use in the other floors. Today’s flower arrangement can even pass as a centerpiece in a wedding reception. Simple yet elegant and eye-catching.
On great news.
Was pretty busy but I had to hurry home to wait for my passport to be delivered. Was in tenterhooks while waiting for it; praying as I wait that my passport already contains the visa we’ve been hoping for. And. It was an answered prayer. Thankful.
Ice Sculpture Festival
There just are times when you unexpectedly walk into something beautiful.
The first thing we saw when we entered Isezaki Mall in Kannai were two huge blocks of ice facing each other across the street, both positioned upright unlike the one below. This one’s a bit melted already since I took it much later so yeah, the blocks of ice were initially really big.
A few steps farther, we saw this. What with the midsummer heat scorching us, I sort of envy the flowers. But husband pointed out I wouldn’t be able to move. Yeah. Right.
A few steps farther and we discovered there were several big blocks of ice spread out on the street mall. We did some purchases (more books for Atsushi and wooden clips for me for a wedding e-group friend) and when we went out the shopping store, we saw that each big block of ice was already manned; each person manning the ice blocks were already busy chiselling ice, with sharp-looking tools right beside them.
She’s the only woman among the 21 sculptors but she’s handling the big ice saw (?) quite efficiently.
Was sitting just right in front of her hence it was colder in the area near my seat; the chipped-off ice released its cold as it took in heat.
An ice sculpture in progress.
Turned out it was a couple of dolphins. Featuring Atsushi.
A mermaid.
A cockfight. We saw this much later and hence was probably already past its glory as we can’t make out the two cocks fighting anymore. The other sculptors were luckier they had a tree nearby to protect their work. No tree for this one though.
I found this one beautiful.
It was called, in Japanese, “Something to be Protected”. This beautiful bird’s eggs are indeed something to be protected.
Apparently, it was a contest. These two men were among a number of people walking around with checkboards with them, marking their grades for each sculptor on a sheet of paper.
A Kanagawa Ice Sculpture Committee member tallying scores.
Trophies!
Hubby with the trophies.
A woman committee member was writing the participant sculptors’ certificates, shodo-style. Shodo is the Japanese calligraphy or the traditional artistic writing of the Japanese characters. Her penmanship is beautiful and amazing. Such control!
We didn’t wait for the official tally results to be announced but based on the initial results, the winner was “Tama, abunai!” which literally means “cat, dangerous!”.
A photo with the winning sculpture.
The ice sculptors were amazing, making something artistic and beautiful out of something that would just eventually melt. And they have to race with time and the sweltering heat which threatens to melt their masterpiece no sooner than they were finished.
Witnessing the ice sculpture festival reminds me of a loooong-time dream to witness the Snow Festival in Hokkaido. Hopefully someday.
Mitsuike Park
Seeing the need to exercise and burn some calories, Atsushi and I were determined to go out and explore even when it was terribly humid what with nowadays being the peak of summer.
I initially proposed to go to Taya Cave and then to the Zoological Garden but thinking that it was already 1pm and we’re yet to set out and the sightseeing places close at 4:30, I urged Atsushi to go to Mitsuike Park in Tsurumi area instead.
Mitsuike Park is considered one of the 100 best places to go for hanami or sakura/cherry blossoms watching in Japan and the only one among the list that’s located in Yokohama. They boast over 1600 sakura tress with a number of sakura varieties.
They even have a variety that blooms not only in early Spring but in October ~ December as well. Curious.
My best friends and I went there years back (and I distinctly remember it was a month before Atsushi and I worked together 😀 ) but we went there towards the end of the sakura season already so we weren’t able to witness its full glory. Still though, the place was still beautiful even with only a few lingering sakuras.
Got above photo from my other personal and teetering-to-being-defunct blog because I can’t find yet my set of photos during this trip.
Now that it’s summer though, the place is wholly green.
Some kids were having fun catching small fishes with their handheld nets.
There was a man-made stream near the bench where we rested and the sound of trickling water indeed helped us relax some more.
I wonder if the designers of this fountain had Zen in mind when they made it.
So yes, even sans the flowers (and sans the hotdogs which we thoroughly enjoyed during our last visit there!), we still got what we looked for – a place to relax and enjoy nature and at the same time get some much-needed exercise albeit it’s just walking.
Thinner us?Hoping.
It’s easy to reach really. One can take the bus from Tsurumi station to get to the place. If you’re worried where to take the bus, just look for the friendly map near the station exits. Direction points bus station is accessible from the train station’s West Exit.
As is typical with any Japanese bus stations, the route of the bus is displayed by the bus stop.
Yes, it’s in Kanji so you just have to memorize the Kanji character of your sightseeing destination which in this case is 三ッ池公園北門.
What I love with trains and buses here in Japan is that they also post train and bus schedules hence very convenient for planning tours.
And mind you these schedules are strictly followed although buses can sometimes be delayed by a minute or two.
Bus fair from Tsurumi station to Mitsuike Koen is 210 yen.
Let’s go there come Spring, shall we? 😀
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A side story.
There was a Book Off outlet by the bus station and so Atsushi urged me to go there after our Mitsuike Koen walk. We went home 9 books richer but 5,000yen poorer. Thankfully they’re all second hand books so it’s really much much cheaper than they should have been. This time though, half of the purchases are mine. Bookworms!
world map
Atsushi was attending their department’s party hence I was left to my own devices for the night. Alone at home, I was searching frantically for the world map book that Atsushi has. Not able to find it, I waited for Atsushi.
No sooner than 2 minutes after he got back, I asked him for the world map.
M: Atsushi, do you know where the world map book is?
A: It’s here
He then hurried to the bedroom, with me following closely behind him, and retrieved the book.
A: Why were you looking for it?
M: I’m looking for a place where we can go tomorrow to get some exercise and possibly invite our officemates to.
A: The world map book? tomorrow? Which country do you want to go?
There was actually a detailed map of Japan in it with some tourist sites. But yeah, he does make some sense. No wonder he was very surprised. Why the world map indeed. 😀