JAPAN - TOKYO - PART II
Ten days, and an earthquake later, we arrived back in Tokyo for the final few days of our trip. There were so many special moments of our second stay in Tokyo. Our ryokan, the Yuenbettai Daita was mere steps from the train station. I guess you could describe the Yuenbettai Daita as being a modern interpretation of a ryokan. It felt like a ryokan re-invented. The area (city) that it’s in is called Setagaya which quickly became my new favorite place in Japan. Coming from Toronto where developers rule the roost and seem to have only one priority and that’s to line their bank accounts, Setagaya is a community where the developers would actually want to live there. It’s urban design by really smart, talented people.
So onto the highlights. We had a super delicious pour over coffee experience on the first part of our Tokyo trip @binyacoffeeten but on the advise of my friend and official coffee aficionado Len, we found our way about 15 minutes from our ryokan to @bearpondespresso which I quickly found out, roasts and serves beans that are simply out of this world. I think we went there three days in a row to get our daily fix, each time buying more beans and trinkets to bring home. I can’t recommend them enough. The only thing missing was the owner, Katsu San was away during that week so we didn’t get to watch the master at work.
Another highlight of the trip was our time with Alice’s cousin Peter and his family. On our first day back in Tokyo Peter took us to a Harry Potter exhibition where according to Peter, there is very fresh and very reasonable sushi. It sounded just way too touristy for me, but when in Rome. So apparently other folks know about this particular spot. 2-1/2 hours later we finally sat down to eat and oh my, it was just outstanding. And so reasonably priced you can’t believe the value. For about ¥3,800 (about $38 CAD) I ate enough super fresh sushi to totally fill me up. And we got to watch Peter’s spectacular son Ken (nicknamed Natto Boy for a reason) wolf down enough natto to choke a horse. The kid’s amazing (and super cute).
On the last day and final hours of our stay in Tokyo (and Setagaya) we went back to Bear Pond for yet another hit of caffeine and wandered around the area looking for a quick lunch before the train ride to Haneda Airport. A few feet from our coffee spot we noticed a line was forming by a tiny shop. It was only 11:30 am. Our internet savvy sons looked the spot up and found out it was a Michelin rated hand pulled noodle shop. So we got in line which, not surprisingly moved along pretty briskly… it is a noodle shop after all. I think we all ordered hand pulled noodles with wontons (our family has a thing for wontons) and we were not disappointed. As far as last meals go, we definitely went out with a bang. It was simple and delicious. End of story.
To wrap this up, there’s really no way to include all of the fun things we did in Japan. I haven’t even described the Jazz Kissa’s (Jazz BigBoy being a highlight) or the record shopping at disc union - @discunionshinjukijazz. Nor the terrific omakaze dinner we had with our Japanese distributors for @uberlight. Not to mention the 15,000 + steps we did every day to explore this amazing country.
Sometimes after a long journey you feel exhausted, almost ready for another vacation. The exact opposite has happened after this trip. Japan was exactly the tonic that we all needed. We are already thinking about our next Japan adventure (hopefully without the earthquake drama). It might be time to start learning some Japanese. Until next time, Sayonara.
SHOT WITH THE FUJIFILM X-PRO3, XF 27mm
TOKYO PART II IN COLOR
JAPAN - KANAZAWA
We arrived by bullet train in Kanazawa on December 30th, the plan was to spend New Year’s in the nice “quiet” setting of this smaller city. Alice had another surprise for me (the first being the K5 hotel in Tokyo with it’s in room stereo, turntable and records). As we walked into the Kaname Inn, greeting us in the lounge was a pair of Garrard 301 turntables (for DJ use), McIntosh amp and preamp and a set of Tannoy vintage loudspeakers. Oh and a wall of LP’s. Things were definitely looking up.
There were lots of sites worth exploring in Kanazawa, but I had the feeling that we were all interested in relaxing and not doing too much… winding down for the New Year. Getting a restaurant to eat on New Year’s eve was a bit dicey, but our hotel came through for us.
On New Year’s day, the plan was to go out for a very casual, lazy walk through the Kenrokuen Gardens and the famous Higashi Chaya Geisha District. On the walk back to our hotel, Alice’s iPhone alarm warning went off and a split second later we felt the ground under us shake with an intensity that was frightening. The buildings around us rattled, as did trees and pretty much everything else. I guess the whole event lasted not more than a minute. It felt much longer.
We found out later that the epicenter for the earthquake was in the Ishikawa prefecture (the same one Kanazawa is located in) a mere 116 km from where we were staying. Of course we were never in any real danger. Our friends and families back home needn’t have worried, but it was a very scary and intense event. The aftershocks were another new experience, having our fifth floor hotel room shake and sway was nerve racking to say the least.
Once things settled down, the next problem to solve was how the heck we were going to get back to Tokyo the next day. All trains going into and out of Kanazawa had been cancelled. Assuming the worse, Alice got online and booked us a flight out of Kanazawa to Tokyo on the first flight she could book which was three days later on the Friday.
While we were stewing with the prospect of spending two extra days in Kanazawa, we could see on the train systems mobile app that trains were supposedly resuming the day after (January 2nd) at 3:00 pm. We decided to go for it, dispatching Maximilian and Solomon to the train station to “scope out” the situation. While we were waiting to hear from them we packed up and checked out of the hotel. In a short while, they texted that the trains were resuming at 3:00 pm and they were in line, so we needed to get over there.
If they hadn’t gone three hours early and waited in line, we likely would have spent at least an extra day in Kanazawa. It all kind of worked out in the end. The reserved train seat we had that was cancelled was gone, but we were able to find four seats (we were second in line). The train was jam packed with people, literally like sardines for most of the four hours to Tokyo. This was a high speed bullet train but it felt more like the Slow Train To Oxmox, stopping at train stations along the way to pick up otherwise abandoned passengers. I’m not quite sure how so many people fit on that train but the passengers, mostly locals were all polite and taking it in stride. Alice cancelled the flight she had booked and other than the aggravation and slight delay, we were back on track for the final part of our journey… Tokyo Part 2.
SHOT WITH THE FUJIFILM X-PRO3, XF 27mm, XF 35MM F2
KANAZAWA IN COLOR
JAPAN - Nagano
The K5 hotel in Tokyo was a lovely modern oasis in the bustle of the big city. The hotel had all of the amenities one needed. The big surprise though, was an in room stereo complete with turntable and records. It’s located right across from the Tokyo Stock Exchange so fairly central and easy to get to.
On December 28th we took a bullet train to Nagano, then a shorter ride on a local train to our first ryokan in north Nagano. Complete with tatami mats on the floors and the requisite futon bed (although ours seemed to be made with memory foam), it certainly was a lot more on the rustic side, but still very nice. Jinpyokaku Honten - @jinpyokakuhonten was just a short walk from the main event, the famous snow monkeys, located at the base of Joshinetsu Kogen National Park.
We were warned about snow and icy conditions, but as luck would have it, neither were a factor. The walk was a couple of km’s up the winding mountain. It was quite lovely actually, a lot of tourists but it was very manageable. And the adorable snow monkeys didn’t disappoint, not to mention the guy dressed in a tiger outfit.
On the walk down back to our ryokan, a women in a stall to the side of the road was cooking sweet potatoes over an open fire. We stopped to taste the local apples as well as a very tender sweet potato.. it was the best thing I had eaten in a day where the ryokan had prepared us a breakfast feast. It was simple and delicious. Memorable in fact.
After our snow monkey adventure we took a walk into town and discovered the wide range of onten’s (steam baths) that are available to the locals and the tourists. Lots of skiing is done up here as well (Winter Olympics anyone?). We stopped for a light snack bought a few treats at a local shop and headed back to our ryokan for a hot bath in the natural springs and a rest before dinner.
We only stayed in Nagano for two nights but it was a restful respite from the busy start to our holiday in Tokyo. If we had more time, there are so many beautiful towns in this area. Definitely worth exploring on our next trip to Japan. And I’ll definitely be back for more of those sweet potatoes.
SHOT WITH THE FUJIFILM X-PRO3, XF 27mm, XF 35MM F2
NAGANO IN COLOR
Next up, Kanazawa…
CURATING COLLECTIONS
Curating this site has given me all kinds of lessons on how to put together a collection of images. Something I would previously have taken for granted actually takes a fair bit of skill and lots and lots of practise.
You would think finding “like” images is a simple process but I’m often surprised by how it looks when done. There’s so many variables from the subject matter, the colors, the shapes and so on. It’s a never ending battle of trial and error.
These are a few from our recent trip to the south of Italy. The images look “warm” to my eye. Not surprisingly, they were taken in July during the hottest time of the summer.
SHOT WITH X100F
SEASIDE IN ITALY
The cool breeze coming into the room as I write this reminds me how far we are from our July trip to the south of Italy. Warm days and warm nights. The relentless heat that will melt your gelato if you don’t slurp it up quickly.
SHOT WITH X100F
PORTUGAL BIKE TRIP
The beautiful people of Lisbon made this trip very special. What can you say about a city where you're met with smiles at every turn. In spite of the onslaught of tourists, Lisboetas are gracious and kind. This place could feel like home real fast.
SHOT WITH X100F
While the project title is "Lisbon Bike Trip, there are no images of bicycles, sweaty cyclists and thankfully you are spared the site of spandex. I have lots of snaps taken with my iPhone during the 400 or so km we rode along Portugals coastline but non of them made the cut.
Our daily rides spanned distances from 35km to 100km. We visited Setubal, Sesimbra, Sines, Sagres and finally Lagos before driving back to Lisbon. Portugal is a fantastic country to cycle. The motorists are generally very patient and polite. I think I had one car honk me the entire five days on the road.
It's almost two weeks since we've been back in Toronto, yet these pictures pull me back as if by a Star Trek transporter.
BARCELONA + MADRID
Oh, Spain, I think we hardly know you. After 11 days in Barcelona and Madrid, I think it's fair to say we barely scratched the surface. While I've been to both cities over 30 years ago, they both appeared like a fresh slate to me. My memory doesn't work the way it used to. Other then the Sagrada Familia this was all new.
It was very comfortable visiting these cities. The language barrier was likely more of an issue then in Berlin or Hamburg, but there was always someone who spoke some English. And Alice did a stellar job of learning enough Spanish to somehow guide us through the rough spots.
This was a vacation done at a reduced speed than normal. Other than tickets for the Sagrada Familia, there were no tours planned, no schedules to adhere to. Sleeping in till 11:00 or noon was allowed. We were all doing some serious chilling.
In the end, in spite of a missed flight home, Spain was charming. Both cities are very easy to navigate. We were provided with terrific weather and lots of sunshine. The food (yes, I'm looking at you Pata Negra) and the spirits (hello Mr. Cava) were definitely to our liking. The pace and lifestyle of the Spanish definitely take some getting used to. As I said, we only scratched the surface, but there is something special about the way the Spanish live their lives. It forces you to slow down and take a deep breath. That's exactly what the doctor ordered.
SHOT WITH FUJI X100F
11 DAYS IN CHINA
If you're a frequent business traveller to Asia it's likely you know someone who thinks it must be the most exotic and exciting thing there is. But let's be honest here. Business travel is exhausting. Period. Yes there can be nice bits. If you're lucky enough to spend time in a good hotel or eat a fine meal it can definitely have its perks. As a photography enthusiast, finding time to take pictures can help swing a bad day into a good one. But airports, train terminals, traffic and endless delays are not the stuff travel dreams are made of.
This trip was going to be challenging from the onset as we didn't want to be away from work or family any longer then what was absolutely necessary. Four cities in eleven days; two trade shows, three factory visits and a typhoon waiting for us when we finally had a day and a half to rest before the flight home.
After the long flight to Hong Kong we were able to rest up for the day before attending the Hong Kong Electronics Show. By "rest up", that means a whirl wind tour of Alice's favourite wonton noodle joint, Mak's Noodle in Central. It was a beautiful, hot and sunny day in Hong Kong. Quite the opposite of what we would get when we ventured north for the rest of our trip. The noodles and wonton's were delicious. Mak's even renovated since we were last there a year ago. They've really jazzed up the old place.
The trip from Hong Kong was eventful simply for the fact that we almost didn't make it. This being the Canton Fair season, all trains were fully booked going to Guangzhou. By the time we arrived at the train station our only option was the bus. By some miracle, we purchased two seats on the last bus leaving Hong Kong that day. And the bus was leaving right now. 3 hours later, we arrived in Guangzhou. By the way, there are two places the bus stops in Guangzhou. We had no idea where either stop was in relation to our hotel. The first taxi driver who approached us wanted 200 renminbi to take us to our destination. We finally found a driver who accepted 120 renminbi after he explained it would take at least 30 minutes in traffic. 10 minutes later we arrived at our hotel. A 60 renminbi ride at the most.
SHOT WITH FUJI X100T
MONTREAL IN MAY
Back in March I had thought it would be a good idea to take another workshop with Patrick Laroque whom I've been studying on and off with over the last year. May seemed like a long way off in March. But here it was, May 5th. There was so much going on at work, at one point I was going through my head how could I possibly cancel this thing.
This time though, Alice and I were going with Maximilian and Solomon. Max was just back from his first year at Quest University and while I was going to be tied up in the workshop during the day, it would still allow all of us to be together as a whole family again. Regardless of my uncertainty, this trip was going to happen. So we piled into the Tesla and off we went.
This was also our first road ride in Alice's new Tesla S. It would be fun to experience the Toronto-Montreal journey driving in an electric car. I have to admit some nervousness as we went out. What would happen if we didn't calculate the battery life properly? I didn't want to get stuck in Timbuktu with the Tesla charging for 12 hours using some strangers 110V home outlet. Thankfully that didn't happen. We "filled up" in Kingston, then an extra stop in Cornwall which seemed prudent when the car's display informed us that we needed to drive under 110km/hour to make it to Montreal. Better safe then sorry (our trip back to Toronto we drove the whole way at 110km/hour and only had to stop once in Kingston).
The next morning Patrick arrived at our hotel, Hotel Alt in Griffintown, with his trusty Fuji X100T hanging around his neck and an X Pro2 in his camera bag just in case I could be tempted to give it a try (oh yeah).
First order of the day was an espresso so off we went to find a café and yes, it was already my second one of the day. It was probably 10:30 before we finally hit the road but it felt good to be outside, have my camera in hand and talking life and photography with Patrick.
I explained my recent disinterest in picture taking to Patrick and of course he understood fully. The need to make pictures just seems to come and go in me. I think it's my fear of not having anything unique to say in photography. There's just so many images today, does the world really need another amateur posting their images?
Perhaps I'll always feel that way, only time will tell. After a couple of days though I did feel re-energized. Being able to see is such a gift and like most gifts it needs to be nurtured. There's nothing automatic about it for me, it's just like working out, the more you do it the better your results. That's my take-a-way. I just need to remember it.
SHOT WITH FUJI X100T, X-PR02
BERLIN + HAMBURG
We visited Berlin & Hamburg in December/January 2015/2016. It's now August 2017 as I'm writing this. The memories from this trip are still vivid. This is the great gift of photography, in an instant you can be taken back to another time and place.
As I'm rummaging through these I know I would process them differently today; quite a bit differently. But I'm reluctant to make any changes. It's like time stamping, once it's done it's done. 2-1/2 years later I'm very happy with the images in this post.
Berlin is a great, fun city to hang out in, notwithstanding the sobering visit to Sachsenhausen, the infamous concentration camp outside of Berlin. I think I would have preferred a warmer time of year but in some ways it was perfect. Our trip to Hamburg was capped with a visit with my old friend Shane who I hadn't seen in many years. We're both quite a bit greyer then the last time we met, but time has stood still in many ways and the sign of a true long lasting relationship is one where the conversation flows as easily as the day we met.
SHOT WITH FUJI X100T
