私のカケラ: November 2014

Friday 28 November 2014

Twinkle twinkle

Back in Zurich. The inbox is half-defeated, but the hardest things have been left lurking there. I haven't even had time to write thank-you notes, this week has been so busy. I have, however, managed to eat halfway sensibly and go swimming three times! I've signed up for a year's membership at the local pool, and annoyingly haven't been able to go since. Now I just need to learn to swim a real stroke. Being there on Wed night with the training triathletes was somewhat daunting.

In other news, it's cold. I need to find my coat and sew the buttons on, I even managed to find the new buttons while unpacking after the move. My friend Gerry should be touching down about now, she's here for the weekend to see the Christmas markets, and I'm taking her to Miyuko's tomorrow as it's her birthday on Monday!

Friday 21 November 2014

Parting shot

And it's goodnight from Shibuya

The last batch of posts have come to you from the Starbucks overlooking Shibuya's famous 'scramble' crossing. Time to back up the photos, put the phone in the post and go for the last train to the hotel. That's all from Tokyo, for now!

Last meal

Sat at the counter of a tempura restaurant. ^___^

Um

Omu-soba, which I can only assume is soba wrapped in an omelette.

Zombie music

HMV!

News to me

How do you make French toast 'premium'?

I didn't travel halfway around the world for this

Kirin Ichiban beer garden complete with oompah music.

Kitty scratch

Hello Kitty nail stickers.

Taking notes

But do cats know anything about wine?

Especially when they're English schoolgirls.

Cats like coffee and cake

As well as soup, obviously.

Froth

There wasn't much in the way of food, so I settled for photos.

Cheese and Kitty

My eye was initially drawn by the fondue place, but look what else there is!

Nyan invaders

A very big Muji

With an equally large Loft at the back.

Devil wax

Synaesthesia?

As far as I could figure out, this plays music into your eyes.

Steam me, bunny

Apparently you need this because your eye area is dehyhdrated. The bunny says so.

Beauty help for men

Although the Dandy House ads are much funnier - guy in a tux with enough hair product to catch fire and a tagline that approximates to "because you want to be cooler tomorrow than you were today".

All this from just insoles

Right: insoles and dieting. Left: insoles togive you a six-pack?

Gods of Loft

Statue outside Loft in Shibuya.

Never mind the Shibuya scramble

The late-night post office might just be busier. Love the Tokyo design on the Yu-pack bags! Never seen anything like it before.

Penultimate

Made it to the hotel with all my luggage. There was no elevator or escalator at Shibuya due to works, and an amazingly stylish white-haired older lady offered to help me up the stairs. ^__^;

Now off for a final wander around Shibuya. I've also figured out the way to the monorgail station, which is thankfully around the corner as advertised. I need to drop this phone in the post tonight, so that will be that from me until I get back.

Steel flowers

Manhole covers in Ueno Park.

This too

I've kind of wasted my last morning - I hauled out to the National Museum in Ueno, on the far side of the Yamanote loop line, to see the special exhibit of national treasures. It took nearly an hour to get to Ueno and I had promised to be back by 1 pm to have lunch before leaving for the hotel. I came out at the wrong exit and ended up walking for ages before I was able to cross the tracks and get into the park. It did leave me closer to the museum, but with not much more than half an hour before I needed to leave again. Queuing time: 50 minutes. I should have known. These special exhitions are always rammed, and people were being bussed in to see artworks that hadn't been displayed in seven years.

Now heading back for lunch and then to haul my two pieces of hold luggage to the hotel ready for an early departure tomorrow.

Thursday 20 November 2014

I know this feeling

The weather turned today. It was cold and clear in the morning, but I'm very glad I took my rain jacket as by the time my friend and I got to Rikugien park there was chilly rain that got steadily heavier and heavier. Other people seemed just as surprised by the rain if the rush to buy umbrellas was any indication. I had an "Irish coffee" at Tulley's Coffee that seemed to consist of strong coffee with caramel, and my friend showed me geta (sandals to wear with kimono) with clear plastic shields on the front - rain wear.

On the crowded Yamanote line on the way back, it took me ages to realise that some of the polka dots on the the of the man standing in front of me were actually Hello Kitty heads. ^__^

Can't believe tomorrow is the last day. I'll need to spend some of it getting my bags to the hotel, but at least the forecast is dry.

May Kitty help you?

Exclusive Matsuzakaya department store Kitty.

Nom fish

Cute fish-shaped holders at a things-on-skewers restaurant.

Wednesday 19 November 2014

To make absolutely sure you enjoy it

After joking with someone about foods with collagen, steamed bread with GABA-containing chocolate. Myth-busting this stuff would be a full-time job.

Maybe you'ld like to check the English before you print that

Something on your face

Face mask with kabuki mask pattern. I'd seen these before (Loft? Tokyu Hands?) but they were also displayed outside the Suntory museum in Tokyo Midtown.

Never mind the tree

We'll make do with the ornaments. In Tokyo Midtown Galleria.

Zen library

This seems to be associated with one of the temples near Shirokanedai, but as the walk for that area included a Japanese garden (Happo-en) and I saw one yesterday (Shiba Detached gardens) I decided to do the Roppongi walk instead, so I didn't investigate further.