Tag Archive | Japan

Konnichiwa from Kyoto, Japan

Jun22

Kyoto, Sunday, June 22, 2014
As marathon journeys go, this one is up there. Way up there. From start to finish, it took us 41 hours to get here to Kyoto from Southport, Connecticut. Door to Door. Accomplished in stages, it involved eight full legs to make it to our hotel, The Via Inn in Kyoto on Shijo Muramachi.

–1. Car ride from Pequot Avenue to Westport Railway Station, Connecticut–courtesy of our helpful neighbor, Ken. (Reason we didn’t catch said train from Southport? There was a bomb scare at Fairfield that shut down the railroad line. Not a very good omen, one might say, for a trip halfway around the world. Still, we did not let a mere potential terrorist attack get in the way of our plans). So we were off. It was Friday, June 20 at 8.30 am.
–2. Metro-North train ride from Westport (train was pulling into platform when we got there, much to our awesome luck). One hour in virtually empty train got us to Grand Central Station in Manhattan, New York. It was Friday, June 20 at 10.30 am.

–3. NYC Airporter Ride by Shuttle Coach from Manhattan to La Guardia Airport in Queens, New York. Uneventful if very comfortable. Sun shining down on a gorgeous summer’s day in New York City. It was Friday, June 20 at 12 noon.

–4. US Airways ‘Shuttle’ Flight from New York’s La Guardia airport to Reagan Airport in Washington DC. Wine and beer served gratis on board–a rarity these days in America. Flight empty. Nice view of the Potomac and the Capitol as we landed and great view of the Washington Monument and the Jefferson Memorial throughout our stay at the airport. It was Friday, June 20 at 3. 15 pm.

–5. American Airlines Flight from Washington DC’s Reagan airport to Los Angeles International Airport. It was Friday, June 20 at 5.00 pm. Grand view of the Grand Canyon as we flew right above it–an experience of a lifetime. Still cursing the fact that I was so awed, I forgot to take pictures. Watched two movies in-flight: Winter’s Tale with Colin Farrel (a cute NY fantasy flick) and The Monuments Men (for the second time–liked it even more this time round). Chriselle and Robert had left that very evening for a wedding in Minnesota–so our stay at the airport was lonesome. It was Friday, June 20 at 7.30 pm (local Pacific Time which is 3 hours behind New York Time).

–6. Three hour layover at Los Angeles airport as night fell over the USA. We had been traveling already for what seemed like hours and we had still not even left the Continental USA! In the middle of the night/early in the morning of Saturday, June 21, at 1.00 am, we got into our next aircraft: a China Eastern Airlines Flight from Los Angeles to Shanghai Pudong Airport. Flight took about 13 hours and had us bored stiff. Despite fairly decent in-flight entertainment (I watched Baz Lurhman’s The Great Gatsby and liked it very much), it seemed to go on forever. Llew and I dozed on and off for about six hours and were over the sea so completely that our window seat was a total waste. We reached Shanghai at 7.00 am on Saturday, June 21.

–7. After a two hour layover in Shanghai during which time we browsed through duty free shops selling tea and silk scarves and douzed our bodies in perfume to keep our proximity to bearable to those around us, we were airborne again: this time it was China Eastern Airlines’ connecting flight to Kansai International Airport in Osaka, Japan–flight took two and a half hours during which time we had crossed the International Date Line and completely lost one whole day of our lives! Delicious breakfast in-flight saw us consume Chinese momos and a sweet pudding like concoction made of jellied azuki (red bean) paste. Very good indeed. When we arrived in Kansai airport, it was 12.10 pm on Sunday, June 22.
–8. Yet another journey in store–for we had to get from Osaka to Kyoto: this meant a shuttle ride of (get this!) almost two hours past verdant green, freshly rain-washed hills and scattered town settlements based around urban sprawl before we were deposited by MK Shuttle Service that we picked up at the counter at Osaka airport, to the door of our hotel–the Via Inn on a side street right off the busy Shijo Muramachi and Kurasama-dori intersections. We walked into our hotel lobby at 4.00 pm on Sunday, June 22 (having left home on Friday, June 20 at 8. 30 am).

So there you have it–phew! If you are exhausted just reading about this convoluted journey to Japan, just imagine what we went through enduring it. Even a seasoned traveler such as myself have broken all traveling records to make this marathon journey. Surprisingly, Llew and I were still good humored when we alighted from the shuttle and checked into out hotel–small, very neat, spotlessly clean and centrally located, it is just what the doctor ordered for 7 days’ stay in this impeccable city. We liked our little room (reminiscent of our cabin on the cruise ship same time last year) with its perfect little attached bathroom and its many amenities–including free WiFi!

While Llew shaved and showered, I decided to stretch out my cramped knee caps for a mini-nap and was asleep for almost two hours before Llew woke me up to shower and get down to the lobby at 5. 30 pm. to register formally for the Workshop I have arrived here to attend. Chief Organizer Fay and another Chinese delegate (whose name I promptly forgot!) were already there. We were introduced to each other, were joined by Fay’s husband Gary and another delegate named Donna. After sitting around chatting with them for almost 45 minutes, we excused ourselves and at 7 pm, set out to find a bite to eat.

Although our hotel is very conveniently located and surrounded by eateries, it is impossible to decide where to go as all signage is in Japanese. Pictures and realistic plastic models of food in restaurant windows help but are inadequate. Stopping to ask exceptionally helpful and overly polite young ladies, we found our way to the basement food court of a department store called Actus on the busy intersection of Kurasama and Muramachi and eventually settled for an Italian place called  Kouji where we shared the most delicious Grilled Chicken with a Side Salad and a large bowl of Pasta with Bacon and Mushrooms that was divine. The waitress was quite the most enchanting little person in all of Kyoto and we were charmed. There is bowing and smiling and Japanese utterances all around us, but we are simply at a loss. All we know is that we are in the midst of some of the world’s nicest people and we are touched by their simple sincerity.

First impressions of Kyoto? It is busy, modern, young (full of a twenty-something population), hip and sparklingly clean. Not a cigarette butt to be spied anywhere although smoking is rampant. We think we will like it here very much, thank you.

We returned to our hotel at 9. 15 pm, jet-lagged and very sleepy. So I shall call our first day/night in Japan a halt and remind you that almost everywhere in the world, no matter where you night be reading this, here it is already tomorrow.

Thanks for following me. Your comments would be very welcome indeed!

Sayonara!

Friends, Shopping, Kyoto Gardens, More Friends, More Shopping…

Aug10


Friday, August 9, 2013
London
What do you do when you realize you have only two days left in your favorite city in the world? Do you complete the rest of the items on your sightseeing To-Do List? Do you spend them shopping for last-minute items? Do you panic that you will exceed baggage weight allowance and end up paying heavy charges? Do you fill it seeing friends whose contact with you makes your life more meaningful?  Well, in my case it was all of the above.
            So when I awoke at 8.00 am after a hellish night during which I stayed wide awake until 3.00 am listening to the bongs from the clock on St. Paul’s Cathedral and regretting the caffeine- laden chocolate drink I had consumed, last thing at night, from Paul’s, I skipped Mass and began to plan my day, literally hour-wise, as I had so much to pack in.
           
Breakfast with a Dear Friend at St. John’s Wood:
I showered and skipped breakfast and took the Tube straight to St. John’s Wood and walked briskly to Gail’s, the coffee shop at which I had plans to meet my friend Marilyn. Marilyn had been away from London for the past three weeks and had only just returned—hence the late date for our first meeting. Talking of Gail’s, have you noticed how many coffee shop chains have sprouted all over London, each better than the next? These Londoners are simply spoiled for choice—and every single one is packed so the economy had better be booming.
            Marilyn arrived ten minutes later but since we wanted someplace quieter to catch up in, we stepped next door into French Café Richoux which has the best pastries in town. Since it was breakfast time, we opted for something more sensible–she had Eggs Benedict sanssmoked salmon which I was quick to gobble and I had French Toast with an Americano. It was delicious but not as delicious as our long chinwag during which we found out all the exciting things that have happened in our lives since last we met a year and half ago, also in London. Marilyn was one of the close friends I had made during my life in London and she is someone I have clung to as I have gained nothing but wisdom, comfort and entertainment from our friendship.
            But then it was time to say goodbye and to get on with other items on my agenda.   
  
Shopping…
A bus from Wellington Road took me straight to Oxford Street where I found the side entrance to Mark sand Sparks—exactly the place I was seeking. I was in and out in a jiffy as I knew exactly what I wanted: my year’s supply of cotton undies. And from the Food Hall in the basement, two bars of their scrumptious Battenburg Cake which Llew and I love. Excess Baggage or not, I am going to have the room and the weight allowance for these!
An Errand at Victoria:
From the same bus stop at which I had alighted, I jumped into the 82 bus then headed to Victoria as I had a small errand to accomplish. I have been commissioned the submission of an essay on the new Shakespeare portrait that was unearthed a few years ago in Ireland and which is now considered the only definitive portrait for which he actually posed in his lifetime—and therefore, the most authentic likeness we have of him.  
A few days ago, when passing in a bus, I had spied the use of this portrait on the sign post of The Shakespeare Pub at Victoria and since I wish to illustrate my essay with a picture to indicate that this portrait is now so widely acknowledged as Shakespeare’s own that even pubs are using it, I wished to take pictures of it.          
So with my camera carefully recording it, I composed my pictures from all sides of this corner pub and when I was satisfied with the quality of my pix, I hopped on to the Tube at Victoria and headed for my favorite part of London. I got off at Holland Park and found my way to the entrance from the North side—I usually approach it from the Kensington side.
The walk from the South side approach was lovely—flowers were in full bloom in the gardens and the shady paths that led to the center were just delightful on this particularly temperate morning in London.   
Lingering in my Favorite Spot in London:
            So knowing London as well as I do, I guess if someone had to ask me what my favorite spot in the entire city is, I would answer without a second’s hesitation. So it was somewhat inexplicable, even to me, that I had not yet found the time to linger there until my second-last day in the city. I will keep you out of suspense by disclosing that what I mean is the amazing Kyoto Garden in Holland Park. I mean where else in a city would you see masses of azaleas blooming in vivid colors in the spring? Where could you tune the rest of the world right out as you listened to the soothing sounds of a tumbling cascade accumulating foamy water in a rock pool filled with giant koi? Where could you linger as peacocks, yes peacocks, came to say Hello and rewarded you with glimpses of their stunning tail feathers? Where could you pause to appreciate the calming qualities of Zen minimalist landscaping design? I have done all of the above in the gardens that were gifted to the UK by the Government of Japan. It amazes me that this place is not mobbed—but thank goodness it isn’t. I have the happiest memories of whiling away the hours grading my students’ papers on the stone benches of this garden while glancing occasionally at herons darting into the pool. I also have happy memories of introducing Chriselle to this memorable spot—a spot she too grew to love—as we chased peacocks for pictures on the park’s lawns.
            So naturally, I stopped there to relive those happy memories at the fag end of my London stay. I nibbled on my lunch—Carluccio’s take-out offerings. Savoring them quietly, I paused to give thanks for a brilliant month that will always remain in my memory as a marvelous time for self-reflection and self-growth in a city I adore.
           
Reliving the Romance of a TV Show:
            Then, because I was in Holland Park, I left the Kyoto Gardens behind me and arrived in the Orangery. The Belvedere Restaurant by Marco Pierre White, one of London’s best-regarded chefs, was right beside me. Since I hadn’t clicked any pictures from the terrace on the evening I was at the party thrown by my friends the Harveys, three weeks ago, I asked permission of the receptionist to do so this time. She readily agreed and up I went to the terrace which overlooks the formal Italianate Garden in which key scenes from my favorite TV show of all time were shot: As Time Goes By. This is the scene in which a young Lionel Hardcastle (Geoffey Palmer) meets a young Jean Pargiter (Judi Dench) for the first time and asks her the way to Curzon Street. I clicked a few pictures there as well as ones of the bench on which Jean pauses during her lunch break when she encounters a breathless jogger.
Yes, yes, I know I am quite quite hopeless when it comes to ATGB so you must forgive me my idiosyncratic excesses; but coming to Holland Park is always for me, a pilgrimage of sorts in the same way that Beatles devotees go to the crosswalk on Abbey Road and pose for pic there. See the similarity? So I am not that cracked after all, right?
More Shopping:
            Using the more conventional exit by which I USUALLY leave Holland Park, I arrived at Kensington High Street. This gave me the opportunity to check out a couple of thrift stores before I crossed the street and went to Waitrose to buy my stock of Ainsley Herriot powdered soups that are a staple in the Almeida household and much loved by Llew and me. With a dozen packets in my possession, I left my favorite pantry in the world and hopped on a bus again.
Off to Buy A ‘Stick’:
I rode it all the way to Bloomsbury as the next item on my To-Do List was buying myself a good quality umbrella from James and Co. at Bloomsbury, one of the oldest ‘stick’ shops in the country. Indeed it was in business at a time when gentlemen carried walking sticks—then a most fashionable accessory. Today with walking sticks no longer de rigeur, the shop sells umbrellas and very expensive ones too with fancy carved handles, real crocodile skin embellishment and sturdy frames as only the English can make them. I was fed up of the el cheapoJapanese ones that bend at the slightest sign of a wind so procuring a good umbrella was on my list.
            Alas, I did not find one that was pretty enough for my liking. I particularly wanted one with beige tones to match my Burberry trench raincoat and not finding anything appealing enough, I sadly walked out of the store empty handed. Perhaps on my next trip to London, I shall find the right one for which I will not mind forking out 100 pounds or more!
An Errand at NYU and the Post Office:
            Well, at that point my day went downhill. I decided to stop briefly at NYU to find out how much I owed for the mailing of my printed material to the States only to find that my box was still sitting in the mail room and hadn’t been send off. This meant an unexpected trudge to the Post Office at Holborn with Mark, our porter, to get rates and when we discovered how expensive it was to ship by surface through Royal Mail, we balked and decided to use the courier service instead.
So we trudged back to Bedford Square and Mark promised me that the parcel will be couriered first thing on Monday. I can only hope all my books, notes and other research material will reach me intact and soon.
Tea with Roz:
            It was almost 5,00 pm and I was late by half an hour for my cuppa with my friend Roz on Tottenham Court Road. I had left my jacket at her home in Battersea and she had kindly brought it to work for me to pick up. We planned to have a cuppa for the last time before my departure and seeing how distressed I was over my parcel, she marched me off to Yumcha for a pot of Chelsea Chai. And sitting and chatting with her and laughing at little things as we often do, my distress became a thing of the past. It was just wonderful to sit in (yet another) coffee shop and shoot the breeze with one of my dearest friends in London—probably for a very long time to come.
Home Finally:
            I said goodbye to Roz, got on the Tube at Goodge Street and headed back to Amen Court. I had wanted a short rest before I left for my evening’s dinner appointment, but the NYU wild good chase had delayed me. So all I had time to do was freshen up and change and leave the house again for my 6. 45 pm appointment with Bande Hassan, Llew’s former colleague and now close family friend.
Dinner with a Dear Friend:
            I took the Tube to Marble Arch and met him at Portman Square as decided and we strolled the couple of block to the London Hilton Hotel where the famous Italian restaurant Locanda Locatelli is located. We were soon joined by Kiran, yet another of his invitees, and then we gave ourselves up to the fun and relaxation of a great evening in superb company with amazing cuisine. Service, as befits a great restaurant, was impeccable and my red prawn risotto with zucchini flowers were perfect. For dessert I had a chocolate fondant with a pistachio sauce center served with “milk ice-cream” while also nibbling on the selection of sorbets ordered for the table: passionfruit and apricot, strawberry, apple. Delightful! Indeed, Locanda Locatlelidoes not have its great reputation for nothing and we were fully satisfied.
            It was about 10.00 pm, when I bid goodbye to my host and thanked him for his generosity. He and Kiran walked me to the Tube and I was home by 10. 15 pm and in bed by 11.00 after what had been a day of purposeful agenda completion—but above all, a chance to meet my London friends without whom my stays in this city are simply not the same. I had started and ended my day with good friends and to me that was made it exceptional.
            Until tomorrow, cheerio!