(01/05/05 - 31/05/05)

 

See May's photos

 

 

30/04/05 - 01/05/05

 
Mini travels in Golden Week
(In case you missed the entry at the end of April)
Most of Golden Week this year is to be taken up with planning and sorting.  However, we decided we needed a break, so Tom and I made our way down to Obama (in the south of Fukui) and beyond... to see (amongst many other things), a very...um...interesting view...
  
See the photos
 

03/05/05  
An interesting way to wake up...
Was woken up to the sound of brass bands, singing, taiko, and shouts of "WASHOI, WASHOI".  The portable shrines were out and being paraded around.  Ah, if only they'd do this at 6.30am on a work day, instead of (a-hem) 10am on a holiday - it would make it a lot easier to get up...! (see the photos below for a pic of the shrine)
 
Kyoto Symphony Orchestra
Free tickets to gaijin for a concert at Harmony Hall, again... so Tom and I took advantage and enjoyed a really good concert by the Kyoto Symphony Orchestra. 
 
Sabae Azalea Festival (and, more importantly, Nicola's birthday ;) )
After the concert, we trundled to Nishiyama park, to enjoy the thousands of azaleas in bloom there (and to take advantage of the festival food...).  HAPPY BIRTHDAY to Nicola, too, and a huge thanks for the carrot muffins!  おいしいいいいい!

See the photos
07/05/05  
Luuuurve Hotel
Well, we've already stayed in a capsule hotel, various ryokans, minshukus, business hotels, etc, etc.  There was only one type of Japanese accommodation left to try:  The Infamous Love Hotel.

A full account of our findings can be found on the photos page, so...

See the photos
13/05/05  
Fukui Leavers Conference
A huge thank you to Jazz for organising this.  I can't believe how much paperwork, etc, we have to get through in the next two months!  Gah!

Annie arrives in Japan...
...and heads on over to da shi, ready to go out on the town after around 26 hours in transit

See the photos (all of Annie's first weekend in Japan are on the same page)
 
14/05/05  
Let the Japan Experience begin!
After a night out in Katamachi, we made sure Anne got to bed at a fairly reasonable time, so she'd be ready for today:

Japanese garden, tea house, tea ceremony, soba noodles and tonkatsu, Asuwayama, Prefectural Museum of Natural History, an Emperor, Heisenji Shrine, Jersey ice cream, shopping, Tengu and Bear's.  A typical Saturday in Fukui.  Well, the last part, anyway ;)

See the photos (all of Annie's first weekend in Japan are on the same page)
15/05/05 - 16/05/05  
Kyoto Time
Tom, Annie and I spent a few days in Kyoto.  Brief summary:

Italian meal, Kyoto station exploration, search for Kyoto tourist info office (it's moved...), handicraft centre, Yasaka jinja, Maruyama park, random conversations with random people, Indian meal, Gion, geiko (geisha) and maiko encounter, busking, sword dancing, purikura (print club), walking, and lots and lots of naked men...

...and that was just the first day!

The second day involved:

Starbucks (novelty factor!), Kiyomizu temple, Jiju shrine, swamped by school kids, green tea, conveyor-belt sushi, subway trip, Nijo castle, Izakaya-style meal, Mr Donut...

...then Tom and I headed back to Fukui, ready (or rather, not really ready) for work the next day, and Anne settled in to her Japanese-style room.  Annie's off to Hiroshima tomorrow, until Thursday when she heads back to Fukui...

See the photos (all of Annie's first weekend in Japan are on the same page)

19/05/05  
Shodo!
Annie made it back to Fukui in time to join Adam and me for a spot of shodo... 
20/05/05   
Mikuni Festival
Annie and Tom met me at Haruko at lunchtime, and together with the secretary - Mrs Yamamoto - we made for Mikuni.  Mrs Yamamoto's family were in charge of organising one of the massive floats at the Mikuni festival, and we'd been invited to help pull the thing...for EIGHT HOURS!   It was an absolutely incredible experience, though...and we have an awful lot to thank Mrs Yamamoto and her family for.
 
See the photos 
 
21/05/05  
Shopping, Massage, Yakiniku Dinner, and livin' it up in Katamachi!
During the morning, Anne and I hit the shops...before meeting Tom from work for a tempura lunch...then onwards for more shopping!  
 
In the evening, after calling in a Hyaku Man Volt for a free massage, we went for dinner, then headed into Katamachi to help Ruan celebrate his birthday...!
 
See the photos
22/05/05   
Chillin'
After the craziness of the last few days, we needed time to sit back and relax.  Imadate beckoned, so paper-making and posh French cake-eating it was!  After that, we made for a lovely onsen in Takefu, before dining out on okonomiyaki.  Nice.
 
See the photos 
 
23/05/05   
Bye Bye Annie
I took the afternoon off work, and Annie, Tom and I went out for lunch, on to the Bamboo Doll Village, then the oldest house in the prefecture (Senko no ie).  

It was a nice end to a great two weeks.  It was so good to see Annie, to show her the sights of Fukui and to catch up on all the news!
 
See the photos 
  
29/05/05   
Echizen Pottery Festival
Well, we went last year, and decided to save our pennies, go back this year, buy what we wanted, and send it all back in a box a all in one go.
 
Problem was...this year we didn't see anything we liked.  Which either goes to show:
a) our tastes have changed, so it's a damn good job we didn't buy anything last year
or
b) the stuff wasn't as good this time, and we should have bought what we liked when we saw it last year...
 
Nice day out, though - gorgeous weather!
  
30/05/05   
Tom's Trip To the Doctor's
Tom is never usually ill for very long, but his cough, etc, has been getting worse over the last week.  He finally succumbed to going to the doctor today, and has been told he has a sinus infection.  Time for antibiotics.   
    

 

 

Previous                                                           Next