Oh Canada!/Berkeley Bounce-Back

 

View from the condo

Vancouver

I have trouble thinking of Canada as an international destination. Aren’t they just our neighbors to the North? Can’t we just run up there without much fuss? The place I summered as a child, Old Orchard Beach, Maine, was full of Canadians. I'm pretty sure they just hopped in their cars and drove down from Montreal. Now we are stopped at the border, coming and going.

My friend Jane and I were in Vancouver for our first time, so we had a lot of ground to cover in three days. Our Airbnb condo was on the twenty-second floor and we had sweeping views of the city. And we were near the Gastown neighborhood where people go to have a gas, or get some weed, it is dotted with cannabis stores. And there’s a famous steam clock that burped out some gas, lights and calliope music every thirty minutes. People stop to listen, watch, and photograph it, but we just saw it as a lot of hot air. 

Cherry pyramids at Granville Public Market

Provence in Coleur on Granville Island

Our first morning we fell for that old tourist trope, the Hop on Hop Off Big Bus. We wanted to catch it “midstream” instead of at the origination point, and we walked aimlessly for an hour trying to find the pick-up stps. We finally took a cab to Canada Place, the Big Bus Headquarters. The bus stops at several Vancouver highlights, the Olympic Cauldron, the Cruise Ship Terminal, Stanley Park, Chinatown, and Granville Island, where we got out. We loved it there, restaurants, a huge Granville Public Market, sunshine, seagulls, and good shopping. What's good shopping?  Stores that have things you won’t find anywhere else, and when someone says ‘where did you get that’ and you say ‘a tiny shop on a tiny island in Western Canada’ you know you won’t see them wearing it the next day. 

"Jetson's" skyline

We ate at Popina where a lobster roll went for $39. It had about as much meat as a claw on a Maine lobster and was padded with coleslaw. We sat on the Ferry Dock and looked at the skyline of skyscrapers in downtown Vancouver which Jane thought looked like Orbit City, the Jetson’s metropolis.

Cielito Lindo 

Accidentally walked into Muse Cannabis 

I didn't think we needed to go to the airport too early because it’s just Canada to California for goodness sake. But Jane wanted to go three hours early as is recommended for international flights. We needed every minute of it. US Customs has set up a pre-clearance system at Vancouver airport. Oddly you are welcomed to the US before getting on the plane. 

 

Bouncing back to Berkeley

San Francisco Embarcadero

Ippudo Berkeley with Nila

The Berkeley Beiser brothers, Peter and Franky, picked us up at the airport and drove us around for the next two days, anywhere and everywhere we wanted to go. The first night we went to dinner at Ippudo Berkeley, the ramen restaurant I had so loved in Japan. I got my beloved gyoza and spicy noodles, but they had anglicized the menu to include French fries and matcha cheesecake.  

Shattuck Plaza Hotel

We stayed at the Shattuck Plaza Hotel which was delightful, except for the sound of a gurgling ghost in the wall. Great location, only a 15-minute walk to Nila and Peter's place.

 

La Note, Berkeley

We had breakfast at La Note where they serve lattes in soup bowls. A woman at the next table told Jane she looked just like Tinkerbell, and that her daughter loved fairies, and they had recently seen Peter Pan. Jane insisted she did not look like Tinkerbell, but I told her any comparison to an adorable cartoon character is a compliment.

The real Twin Peaks

Jane had lived in San Francisco in the late 70's, early 80's and hadn't been there since, so she wanted to see how much it had changed. We started with the Ferry Building at the Embarcadero, which was definitely new since her time. Then we went to the highest point,Twin Peaks, a show I followed religiously that has nothing in common with this Twin Peaks. Next the Mission District, where we walked on Valencia Street, which we found fairly charming, and then up Mission Street which we didn’t, but we did stop for lunch at a good Mexican restaurant,Taqueria Cancun.

Murals in the Mission District

 

We requested that the next stop be Pacific Heights for the higher elevation, higher income level, and the higher priced shopping. We found all this and more. Peter found a way to kill time at Browser Books.  Jane found her favorite store, Suzane, whose Georgetown pop-up had recently closed. We drove by some of the Victorian/Edwardian houses called Painted Ladies, but these didn't have their makeup on.    

Yimm Oakland

 

We met Nila and Franky for dinner at a fun Thai restaurant called Yimm in Oakland which was yum, and then went for ice cream at Humphry Slocombe, known for its unusual flavors like Secret Breakfast which is bourbon ice cream with corn flake cookie blend-ins.  

We promised Jane a rose garden

Berkeley Rose Garden

It’s quite easy to entertain a florist in Berkeley. We took Jane to Berkeley Rose Garden, and then a walking tour of homes and gardens in the Berkeley Hills. 

Chez Panisse 

 

Jane took me to Chez Panisse for lunch, which was there when she lived in San Francisco, and Alice Waters was already the belle of the chef community. It lived up to its reputation.

Berkeley Hills Garden

I love Berkeley. Jane loved it too.  I’ve been so many times now that I know my way around, the weather is nice, the views are great, and you never know who you are going to meet.  Before we knew it we were talking to a scientist from Kitt Peak Observatory in Tucson whose job it is to map the universe. 

 

I asked him if there were signs of life out there and he assured me there are. So make sure your passport is up to date.

Berkeley Garden

Japan Part Two: Kanazawa and Kyoto

 

Deep in the roots of Japan

Hida Furukawa, Shirakawa-go

We left Takayama with a driver and a tour guide, and made a brief stop in Hida Furukawa, a nearby suburb where we went to the Hida Furukawa Festival Exhibition Hall. They show an excellent 4-D movie about the festival which I highly recommend.

Latte at Kanokoya Coffee and Waffles, Hida Furukawa

The tour guides seem to call each other to alert them to any peculiarities of the client; and clearly they got the message that I need a mid-morning latte. 

Shirakawa

Our next destination was the village of Shirakawa-go, a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1995. The "go" suffix means village, but it also means you have to go because it’s so charming, it’s so different, and because tourism is its only source of income. 

Our guide steered us to an out of the way Soba noodle restaurant Sobasho Yamakoshi for lunch. Soba is made of buckwheat, so it’s the most nutritious choice compared to its noodle friends Udon and Ramen.  It's like choosing pasta made from chick peas, a healthier than thou choice, but Soba happens to be delicious a well as nutritious. We also ordered vegetable tempura which was a pile of various unidentifiable greens that the guide said the owner picked out of the forest that morning. I believed him. 

Shirakawa

Shirakawa is an isolated mountain village that gets 10 meters of snow in the winter, and 300 years ago someone came up with a brilliant architectural solution, gassho style housing, an A frame (they called it praying hands) design with a thatched roof. I mean thatching on steroids, some of it up to three feet wide. 

Kanazawa

Samurai garden, Kanazawa

We continued our drive winding through the mountains and Japanese countryside. Then we were dropped off at the Hyatt Centric Kanazawa which is indeed at the center of Kanazawa and serves as the anchor of new train station, shopping mall, and restaurant complex. 

Kenrokuan Gardens, Kanazawa

Kanazawa is the Seattle of Japan and gets 185 days of rain per year. They cleverly have a city-wide borrow-an-umbrella system where you grab one as needed and return it to another swap spot. Our guide  took us to the Namagachi samurai district, where the one percent lives, the Kanazawa Castle Park, the beautiful Kenrokuan Gardens and the amazing Kanazawa 21st Century Museum of Contemporary Art, which alone is worth a trip to Kanazawa. 

Installation at Kanazawa 21st Century Museum of Contemporary Art

The guide recommended Ippuda for lunch, a ramen restaurant where you can order mild, medium, or hot, and specify your noodle texture.  Ippuda started small but now has 100 locations in Japan and 60 around the world. No wonder, the founder has been named Ramen King and is in the Ramen Hall of Fame. 

Geisha District Kanazawa

Imai Kinpaku Workshop and Store

Kanazawa produces 98 percent of Japan’s gold leaf. In that city everything that glitters is gold. They even serve gold ice cream cones. You can buy gold flecks by the bag to brighten up your cocktails and dinner plates. 

Kyoto 

Kyoto Tower

The Thousand Kyoto lobby

The Thousand Kyoto was our favorite hotel, luxurious, modern, with an artistic portrayal of “wind” in the lobby, and a nightly light show on its huge staircase. Best of all they had an amazingly resourceful staff who helped me find my cell phone which I had left in a taxi! 

Heads or tails?

Our first day was rainy so the guide rearranged our tour to include covered activities.  We arrived at the Nishiki Market which seems to stretch to infinity, and more covered shopping at the Teramachi and Shinkyogoku arcade. Then we sloshed around in the old town but told the guide we were "templed out." He proceeded to test us on our temple knowledge and when we failed several questions, he said “See, so you’re not templed out.” Darr said “I am now. "

Japanese pancakes Okonomiyaki

For some reason they seated us with a stranger

We parted ways with the guide and had Japanese pancakes for lunch at Issen Yoshoku. They are not pancakes as we know them, they reminded us more of enchiladas and are stuffed with cabbage, meat, seafood and sprinkled with seaweed powder. 

Bamboo Forest, Arashiyama

The next day off to Arashiyama, a beautiful section of Kyoto with a bamboo forest. Adjacent to the forest is an estate once owned by a famous samurai movie star Okochi Sanso Garden. We sat quietly in a beautiful tea house where I sat on the floor and practiced copying a Buddhist saying with an ink brush and copy. Sadly I can’t read it. But I know it was something wise. 

Bamboo Grove

Tenryu Ji Temple, pond and island garden

Then on to an enormous Buddhist site Tenryu Ji Temple, big enough to accomodate the three types of Japanese gardens, a pond and island garden, rock garden and tea garden. We stood on the Togetsuky Bridge where we learned about a strange tradition of fishermen using herons to catch their fish. Darr who has photographed many a heron slurping down a fish asked how they get the fish away from the heron. You don't want to hear the answer. But the guide says the heron-regurgitated fish are delicious. 

 

Welcome to Nara Park

Feeding frenzy

No visit to Kyoto is complete without a day trip to Nara, an hour away by train. Nara Park abounds with tame deer that will eat rice cakes out of your hand. They can get a little pushy though, and there was a sign warning tourists that the deer can kick, bite and headbutt.  But when they bow their heads, which they do for food, it's so cute.

 

Great Buddha

Also in Nara is the Biggest Best Buddha: Great Buddha Hall Todai Ji Temple. The enormity of the Buddha is stunning, his nose width is 98 cm,  mouth length is 133 cm, and his feet thickness is 223 cm.

The guide took us to lunch at Momoshiki where we were introduced to the gyodi beef on rice bowl. There is a way to eat it our blond German waiter explained.  First plain, second with three spices; and third in hot broth. Yummy. Nara's signature dessert, shaved ice, was not as good as the name of the restaurant, Café Groovy. 

Fushimi Inari Shrine Too many people with the same idea

Unfortunately, after a three transfer train ride that afternoon I was too tired to see much of the Fushimi Inari Shrine, the one that is pictured in every travel story about Japan. I had reached my limit. I was deered out, subwayed out, shrined and templed out, and had to sign out. 

But what a great trip! 

Tender treatment for pineapples

        

A note about food:  A friend who has rather refined taste said don’t worry about restaurants in Japan, everything is good. He was right. There is not much not to like in land of fresh fish, perfect rice, delicious noodles and gyoza.  Enlivened by lots of teriyaki and soy sauce. And macha ice cream. A few recommendations: coffee and pastries at  the tiny cozy Cafe de Ginza after shopping; another skyview restaurant in Tokyo En; conveyor belt-delivered Sushi Kuinee in Kanazawa; Sobasho Yamakoshi  outside of Shirakawa; Sushi Tsukiji and the elegant Kizahashi in Kyoto; and Momoshiki in Nara.

Dinner at Kizahashi Kyoto

A touch of whimsy

Everything is Perfect. Everything is Pretty. Japan Part One: Tokyo and Takayama

Tokyo

 View from our hotel room in Tokyo

Darr and I celebrated a big wedding anniversary (45 years) with a big trip in big style, in the very hospitable, polite, and accommodating country of Japan. 

Japan doesn't have a hair out of place.

It is neat and tidy and orderly and well organized. Every aspect of Japanese life has a sense of artistry and design and beauty. Whether it is the packaging for a watermelon, or a perfect table setting, or the perfectly clean sidewalks.  And service is impeccable.  Even taxi drivers are well dressed and drape the seats in a lacy white cloth. It's like sitting on a doily. … 

Public art centipede

We used Kensington Tours to make our travel arrangements. They saw to our every need; we were escorted from the train station to the hotel even if it was a block away. They had staff at the ready to help us with transfers on the bullet trains. We were amply attended to by tour guides and warmly welcomed at our hotels. Service with a bow. 

Art everywhere, Park Hotel breakfast room

Tokyo is huge and tall. We were surprised to find that the lobby of the Park Hotel was on the 31st floor. Our room was on the 36th floor with a view of the Tokyo Tower.  The next two nights we were "sky-dining" at restaurants on the 41st and 42nd floors of office buildings.

Nijubashi bridge, entrance to the palace grounds

We started our tour at the Tokyo Imperial Palace, a huge park surrounded by moats and stone walls,  the home of the royal family.  After 260 years of Shogunate rule Emperor Meiji came into power, banned the Samurai class system, made education mandatory, and thoroughly modernized Japan. No wonder he gets his own Shinto shrine, an honor normally reserved for dieties. 

Empress Shoken's garden

Gate to Meiji Shrine

Next stop: The Meiji Shrine, 172 acres of forest, a beautiful quiet oasis in a big noisy city. It was our first shrine so we were suitably awed, but after seeing several grander on the trip, owe realized it was just a good starter shrine. The beloved Empress XX also has her own garden filled with waterfalls, water lillies and general soothing loveliness.

Asakusa

Festival participant, Asakusa

The last stop of the day Asakusa known for its festivals and Tokyo's oldest Buddhist temple Sensoji Temple and the impressive Kaminarimon Thunder Gate. People were furiously getting ready to party and the CC festival.

Tsukiji Outer Market

World's largest oysters

May 17th anniversary proper--After breakfast the tour guide took us to the Tsukiji Outer Market. It was hard to have an appetite for the various fishy offerings, but Darr did manage to slurp down two of the world's largest oysters, standing in a dripping wet little shack where he could help himself to lemon and tabasco. 

Yukiko Hata at Seizan Gallery

That afternoon we went on a tour of five art galleries in Ginza. Joey the chauffeur welcomed us in a luxury vehicle, filled the back seat with salty snacks and a handwritten post card.  Joey had the tough job of delivering and picking us up at 5 art galleries in the rain. We saw a range of artwork, old and new, traditonal and modern at Galerie Chene Tokyo, the Shihodo Gallery, and my favorite Seizan Gallery, with a great show by Yukiko Hata. We also caught an interesting photo exhibit at the Sony Imaging Gallery "Where Water Gazes Back" and met the photographer, Tomimo+Akina.

The Nikon Museum

Then the piece de resistance for Darr, a guided tour of the Nikon Museum .The museum featured every camera Darr has ever looked at, dreamed about, owned, or worked with. I caught him kneeling in worship there. 

Sea urchin flan

Anniversary dinner at Fish Bank Tokyo

Our last day in Tokyo we were free of adult (tour guide) supervision, so we did brave things like take the subway all by ourselves. We walked from the hotel to Ginza where I shopped at the beautiful 11-story Mitsukoshi department store. I bought an Issey Miyake shirt which I was surprised to see folded into a 5 inch square. 

 Chunichi Dragon fans at Tokyo Dome

Then we took the subway to the Tokyo Dome, where we had tickets to a baseball game featuring the Yomiyuri Giants of Tokyo versus the Chunichi Dragons of Nagoya. The sense of quiet and decorum associated with Japanese people is thrown out with the first pitch. Baseball in Japan is loud. My Apple Watch warned me twice about dangerous decibel levels. Enormous fan sections yell, sing, chant, dance, and strike up a brass band the entire time their team is at bat. A girl band danced and sang on the field, during the solemn period we dedicate to the National Anthem. Children dressed as sushi had a field race. 

It's all about fun in Shibuyu

When one of our Facebook friends saw that we were in Japan he posted one word: Shibuyu. So we felt we had to go, an area whose sole purpose is the having of fun. Sitting at an outdoor restaurant, trying to cook our Wagyu beef with chopsticks on a small Hibachi, was like being in the reviewing stands at a parade, a pageantry of Japanese style. Japanese girls with their perfect shiny straight black hair and porcelain skin, walked by, one out-glamming the next. They look like delicate flowers until you look down and see their feet are in rugged black workboots or high platform shoes. 

 Takayama 

R and R in the Ryokan

‘Just make sure that part of your stay is in a ryokan,” a friend told me. From the wild city to the mild countryside…we took two trains to get to Takayama where we stayed at the Hidatei Hanougi. No longer battling crowds in the city subway or trying to tell the taxi driver where our hotel was, we were now plunged into a soothing environment with waterfalls and koi and bridges and gardens and a wooden waterwheel. Taking off our shoes was the biggest exertion we had to make for the next two days. 

Traditional Japanese dinner

We had our favorite guide in Takayama, she was a chef, and took us to the farmer’s market and explained what miso is, why they fancy pickled vegetables, and a power point on the history and brewing of sake.  

There is more sake in Japan than beer at a Super Bowl

After breaking it to her that I didn't drink sake and that Darr didn't like it, we went to a hip cafe called Ember which served delicious latte and almond croissants. Because our guide was from a family of athletes, she was able to answer our many questions about Japanese baseball. Plus she was dazzled by Darr’s story of covering spring training in Japan, photographing the likes of pitcher Yu Darvish. 

Festival float

We walked along the river to the Takayama Festival Float Exhibition Hall. We had been in Spain during Semana Santa and thought we had seen the most amazing parades of our days of gold and silver floats. But, no, the Japanese floats are far more impressive. 

Novelty cameras

And we stumbled upon the Takayama Camera Museum (Takayamakamara, sorry no link) featuring vintage cameras and a large display of novelty cameras.  Who has a Charlie Tuna camera in the their collection? Well, some of Darr’s friends do. 

After our fill of ryokan rest, we were ready for the next adventure…Kanazawa and Kyoto, to follow in Japan Part Two.