Day 14 - Last Day, Homeward Bound

Our practice papers

Amy's Happy Cat - My Christmas Gift to her

Miss Trixie watching me pack

Amy's collection of kimonos

One kimono in paper wrapping

Some of our Japanese calligraphy

My home with it's Christmas lighting

Today I leave Japan.  My flight time is 6:50 PM out of Osaka, then back to Seattle and Minneapolis and then a very, very late arrival in Boston. I'm almost all packed and ready to go with only a few items to pop in right before we load the car.

Amy's Japanese teacher, Yoshiyama-San Sensei, will arrive at noon and stay until 1 PM to teach us Japanese brush calligraphy.  Above are two photos of our Japanese brushwork.  They look okay but I feel we need more practice.  It was fun to give it a try and use the Japanese brushes with the thick black ink.  We wrote simple words like "cat" and "love" and then longer phrases "Merry Christmas" and "Happy New Year" and our names.  With more practice, I think I could do better.

One of my favorite photos

I said goodbye to Amy at the ferry terminal on Port Island and took the half hour ferry across to Kansai International Airport in Osaka.  I stopped at Starbucks before boarding the tram to the North Wing and met my flight crew for Seattle.  It was funny to see them at the coffee shop and then be greeted by them when I boarded the plane.  Very friendly Americans. The approx. 9 hour flight was great for me since it wasn't crowded and I had room to stretch out and sleep. Customs was easy.  The man asked "What is a lady from Massachusetts doing in Japan?" and then "Welcome Home".  The most difficult part was staying awake at the airport and boarding and reboarding.  The second and third legs were super crowded and I had a short delay in Minneapolis so I arrived late into Boston. Great feeling of relief when we landed finally in Boston since I knew I would soon be sleeping in my own bed.  Grabbed my bag and met the limo in record time.  Of course it was near midnight by then and I had been basically up for two days (I repeated December 1).  I wish my husband wasn't in Norway and could have met the plane but at least Beth was awake to greet me.  The last photo is my house with Christmas lights to welcome me home at last! ( and the very last is my favorite - Me with Rocket Man at the recycle shop!)
Many thanks to my husband Mike and dear sister Amy for making this fantastic trip possible!

Day 13 - Kobe Women's Club

Entrance to the Kobe Club

Today was the Kobe Women's Club Christmas Bake Sale and presentation of  "Christmas in Germany" by a guest speaker, Ursula, who has taught German in Japan for over 24 years.  She spoke English with a British accent but is definitely fluent in Japanese, German, and English.

The Club has a mixture of international ladies and educated Japanese ladies, many who have traveled overseas and to America.  I was welcomed by many people, especially since I was my sister's guest.  I helped sell our baked goods while Amy greeted guests and members at the officer's table.  She is the treasurer.

There was tea, coffee, and snacks while we waited for the presentation.  The speaker was wonderful and described the German customs while showing a slideshow of photos and items that she brought.  Since I have received gifts from Germany for Christmas but never been during the winter, it was fun to hear all the Advent and Christmas season customs.

Afterward, we decided not to stay for lunch and said our goodbyes to several of the ladies we had met and lunched with.  Then we walked around the neighborhood and down to the shops.
 

A French-style bakery

 We stopped at one of the fine bakeries along the way and into several chocolate shops.

Petite china pastry at the bakery

The Royal Chinese Restaurant

Bulk rice section, sold in 30 lbs bags

Fruit and Veggie section

Things we didn't eat!

 I told Amy that I've been very surprised at all the wonderful sweet shops here in Japan (for some reason I didn't realize that there were so many).  At one shop in the Kitano area, a sign read "EAT CAKE, BE HAPPY! and I think that has been the motto of this trip.  Fortunately I feel that I have had enough cake for quite a while now.  I'm good.

Tomorrow is my last day.  We have had fun filled days and long walking days, days of lots of food and days of talking and laughing.  I think the best thing about this trip have been the people, especially Amy's friends--all kind, interesting women who I would like to have as my friends.  And they have been mine for a short time, sharing and enjoying experiences together.

Our last stop today was Agro Garden which has groceries as well as plants.  Beth wanted photos of the food store so here are several interesting shots (look to the left and above).  We made our selections and passed up on many others.  Many packages tease you with some English words but the rest is in Japanese and it is hard to figure out what it actually is.
Amy said..."Welcome to Japan!"

DAY 12 - Osaka

Today was a long day and I am very tired.  We traveled by train to Osaka to bake for the Kobe Women's Club bake sale. Along the way, two Japanese friends, Mari and Tomoyo met us on the train and we continued to Osaka together.  They were familiar with the city and had been to Mireille's (Mur-ay) apartment before. Here is the promenade (to the right) which is lit at night for the holiday season.

Her apartment is high above the bride section over the rivers and you can view the city on three sides.  Beth, I felt like I was in the New York City apartment we stayed in last December, except no view of the Empire State building.  On the left is the group walking near the Town Hall.  The yellow line on the sidewalk is everywhere in Japan.  It is a bumpy stripe on all walkways for the blind.

 The photo to the left is the rose garden which has finished blooming for the season.  The city is lovely along the rivers and in season, Amy says the sakuras (cherry blossoms) line the water.  The petals fall like snow all around the city.  It sounds very beautiful but even with the last of the leaves, the city still has a garden feeling.

 This photo is from Mireille's balcony.  Pretty high up for me on her open balcony. 

 The group started baking in the morning and worked for a few hours before having a delicious lunch of torte, mushroom risotto, and fresh french bread.  For dessert, we had chocolate buche du noel.

 Amy and I made gingerbread men and hearts.  We will be icing them tomorrow for selling at the Kobe Women Club.

 Mari and Mireille get ready to roll the buche du noel sponge cake.  Then put in the filling and icing on the outside.

 Here they are decorated for the Christmas season!  Yum!

Day 11 - A Quiet Sunday

Today was our quiet day.  It was Sunday morning @8 AM in Kobe, Saturday evening @ 6 PM in North Andover so I called my family.  We talked for about an hour and I was very happy to hear everyone's voice.  It made me seem closer to home.  The time change makes it difficult to call.

Talon and Wayne were catching up on American football after yesterday's busy golf day. Amy and I decided to go with Jennie to some recycle shops and see what could see.  The recycle shops are consignment shops and have the usual items but also kimonos and obis and of all colors and sizes.  We saw a rainbow of kimonos at one shop where I tried several on.  They were great prices---between $5 and $30 for most of the them.  The finer silk ones cost a bit more between $60 and $100. 

The day was cold and breezy compared to the other days so we went home for the afternoon.  After a spaghetti dinner, Amy made a real pumpkin pie with ingredients I brought her.  Also we made gingerbread dough for tomorrow since we will be baking with Mirielle (Amy's French friend who's daughter lives in North Andover of all places) at her home in Osaka.  Two other ladies who are Japanese will join us.  The gingerbread men and ladies will be sold on Tuesday along with other baked goods at the Kobe Women's Club.

I forgot my camera today so I don't have any photos.  It's okay.  Tomorrow is another photo op day!

Day 10 - Akashi Bridge and Awaji Island

Today we started off just to see the bridge and museum and ended up going across the bridge by bus and exploring the other side, Awaji Island.  Until 2000, this island was only reached by boat.  Today millions of visitors and inhabitants cross this bridge daily.  The toll is steep but the bus is cheaper.

Amy and I met Haruko at the train station.  She offered to be our guide again and help translate.  We started by exploring the outside at the foot of one end of the bridge and the museum.  Then ventured up the marine promenade and then up an elevator to the viewing level, a bridge level just under the auto road level.  Fortunately for me, the height didn't bother me since we were enclosed in a long viewing tunnel open to the air but caged on each wall.  Haruko had an idea for us to go across the bridge by bus since it was only 500 yen, a bargain considering the car toll was something like $60 roundtrip.

We made the bus quickly and traveled across in minutes to the beautiful Westin Hotel Awaji Island where we had a Japanese lunch and toured the gorgeous atrium gardens now seasonally called "Christmas Fantasy".  The gardens were staged as rooms with tropical plants, seasonal Christmas plants, and Japanese Zen decor.  Orchids of all colors abounded as well as poinseittas, paperwhites, gerberas, calla lilies, and other white flowers which surrounded beautiful fir trees decorated for the winter season.

The bridge from Amy's house

At one end looking toward Awaji Island

Bridge Observation Deck

Christmas Fantasy

Of course we had to have dessert before we left.  Amy had mango ice cream while Haruko and I had chestnut.  Almost to beautiful to eat.  Almost.

Day 9 - Rokko Island, Sannomiya, Kitano

Rokko Island (man-made island)

Rokko Island Cargo ship

Sea serpent at the Canadian Academy entrance

Weathercock House, Kitano, Sannomiya

Day 9 - Rokko Island is a man-made island and a newer section of Kobe.  It is more industrial and newer than many sections.  My sister's kids go to the Canadian Academy which is an English speaking, private international school.  It is 45 minutes by train from Shioya Station.  We shopped and looked around the island for a bit after we walked down to the Marine Park Promenade close to the water.   It was interesting to see the open bay with the cargo ships and the water lapping up the stone steps of the oceanfront park.

Me, Amy, Wayne (her husband), and Talon (her son)

English Tea in heart shaped cup

Then we traveled by train over to the Kitano area of Sannomiya, a few stations from Amy's home.  The Kitano area has boutiques, restaurants and curiosity shops.  It is known for its western houses built on the hillsides.  The homes were from the 1880s and it is a popular tourist spot.  The Weathercock House (photo above) has a rooster weathervane which is a Kobe symbol for the city.  We had a nice coffee break at Starbucks Kobe which was in an old Victorian house.  It almost felt like being in America.

We met Talon and Wayne for dinner at the Kagura's Steak House for teppanyaki and a birthday celebration for Amy.  Today was her birthday.  Wayne ordered very well in Japanese off the menu.  Meals come in sets so you can have a soup, salad, entree, side and dessert all for one price.  The chef spoke with us in a bit of English and Wayne explained I was the older sister from America and the introduced the members of his family in Japanese.  Then the chef asked where I was from.  I said Boston and he smiled and said "Red Sox".  Dinner was beef with garlic and onions on the grill and vegetables as the side with fried tofu.  Dessert was ice cream and I had English tea in the fancy heart shaped porcelain teacup. 

We returned to Shioya Station and finally had to walk up the horrible steep hill up to her house.  It was a bear.  The past few times we had a taxi ride or were walking from a different direction.  All the hills are tough!  We had rose champagne and Amy opened more birthday gifts from her family. It was the end of a long satisfying day.

Day 8 - More Around Kobe

Amy loves the stuff weasels

Children's creative felt hats

At the IKEA cafeteria sign

Inside the cafeteria

This morning I actually slept in until 8 AM.  Amy and I decided we needed a long walk after eating and eating the past several days.  It was a good walk down the hilly roads from her house and across the main street to the oceanside road and further to the park.  Several older men were throwing frisbees to their dogs and there were mostly older couples, women playing tennis, and mothers with children.  We had a friendly luncheon with the CAT (Caterpillar company) ladies.  Amy's husband works for CAT and the families try to get together for lunches and activities at the neighborhood Club on a regular basis.  Then it was on to IKEA for a fun shopping trip on Port Island over from Kobe.  Of course, I could only window shop since buying anything here would be rather difficult to pack for my return trip.  Oh well!