BonVivant

Yes. 🔺🏔️

Here's one of the thrills of rediscovering ancient Greece in modern Athens... archaeology in metro stations. The construction of new metro system in the 90's unearthed new ancient treasures. Actually, it was Greece's biggest archaeological excavation project, the staggering depth of 50 thousand artefacts . I've only checked out 2 stations (on purpose), saving the rest for future returns. The next station is Ancient Cemetery (Evangelismos station) There's a dairy shop in the same area where I wanted to eat something. Fresh goat's milk, sheep's/goat's yoghurt with quince spoon sweet and barrel-aged feta. It's a nice dairy shop where you can sit down and have a light meal that involves dairy products they sell, plus sandwiches etc. They also sell small-scale products from other places in Greece. Instead of taking the metro to my next point of interest I walked there, about 20 minutes. Only 1 metro station away to Syntagma where the parliament is located. The flag of Greece is actually not that old. Blue and white represent the colours of the sea and sky. Apparently, the horizontal blue and white lines are the numbers of syllables in the motto of Greece: "Victory or Death". Anything red on a national flag is out of the question as it evokes painful memories of the Ottoman occupation. A war monument in front of the parliament, one of the top attractions in the capital. It depicts a naked warrior holding his shield and wearing an ancient Greek helmet, seemingly ready to arise again. This powerful sculpture commands and maintains the attention of every person who sees it. Here a tourist was making photos of the cenotaph. The changing of guards takes place every hour. A formal and elaborate version is at 11am on Sunday. The Tomb of The Unknown Soldier (this monument) is guarded 24/7. I thought the slow-motion choreographed moves with lots of high kicks were rather comical. Every spectator was mesmerised, me included! 2 people, brother and sister, asked me right after the guard change march, if they could see the photos on my IG/FB/etc. But I am not part of that culture. We exchanged emails. I have sent them a bunch of their brother's photos later. Their younger brother is a new guard. They seemed most proud of him. Yes, that's a skirt, it has 400 plaits which represent the number of years under Ottoman occupation. I'm surprised the guards' caps are red. Pompom shoes with metal studs. At ease position. The guards are an elite unit of the Greek military. Meanwhile across the street from the parliament... we have learnt nothing from history. (I shall keep my critical opinion to myself) I spent a lot of time wandering round and round and finding many things interesting (to me). A leafy park next to the parliament where I ran into this turtle.There are no fences and no zoo in the park. Then I took another path... Ancient Greece in the city. A ruin near the park. Next year I will get a combo ticket to visit several sites, including this one. Golden hour meal at a nice restaurant known for their grilled lamb rib chops. They have 2 locations on the same street and both were full. Unfortunately, my table was in the shadow with strong spots of bright sun. Boiled greens (a lot like weeds in my garden when uncooked), aubergine dip/spread and portion of lamb rib chops. It was a Saturday afternoon, the place was full of Greeks who came with the whole family or group of friends. Even if there's just 2 Greek, they usually order a whole kilo. They take it home if there's leftovers, but I don't think so. Mostly bones and fat but it's so good. At home I use a Weber and cook the chops outside (smoke and fat spatter) like this... The views at night are just as nice. A row of beer taps (at another craft beer bar). Only metal music played here (metal music is fine but the volume though, it's senselessly loud). And the sight of my beer Unfortunately, the music level was too much (I wore earplugs) so I fled so fast to the safety of my hostel room. This is why it's near impossible to use the pavement or foot path in Athens. Meanwhile at home people walk on bike path. So why did I pay for the foot path then?!!! Seems if there's a suitable (or not) surface it'll be used to set up a table or splatter with graffiti. After weeks of feasting my eyes on empty streets and graffiti-free surfaces in Japan this is a sensory overload. I was this close to Acropolis today during my walk. Seen here is the back of the Parthenon. You know it because it's still under scaffolding. They say it probably takes 40 years till the work is done. I've read it was briefly scaffold-free only once, years ago. First time to Greece was Corfu in 1997 via Brindisi, also interailing. Money was still the Drachma. The partner has been to many places in Greece interailing as a youth, when things were still free and so much cheaper. Greece is still cheaper than a lot of places in Europe. Besides, I just love visiting/being in Greece!

Mushrooms -------- #2 --------- Baked ricotta More mushrooms Sicilian-inspired. Pasta with ricotta (and olive oil. Chopped pistachios would be nice, of course). Bucatini with parsley and raw garlic. I add a few dollops of ricotta to the pasta as I eat but Sicilians mix plain ricotta with olive oil and stir into the pasta. -------- #3 --------- I rarely buy rice, let alone this much. (It's for someone else, though.) "Pointed cabbage" Miso soup with soft tofu and seaweed Typical "neba-neba" (slimy food) ingredients.

The type of men I like...

Back from Athens. Life is so different only 3 hours (by air) away. Cold seafood is my favourite kind of food. "Pointed cabbage", raw, with some kalamata olive brine in it. Pumpernickel and seeded sourdough bread ------------------- Prawns in fermented bean curd sauce. (Mashed bean curd, some sugar, water etc) Char siu (from Asian supermarket, made on the premises) "Fried rice" (for someone else). Leftover rice, eggs, Amami grain miso and some crispy bits of Speck. Noodles with prawn roe (for myself) Happy to be cooking and eating my own food again!

I've recently spent a few days in the Greek capital, alone. One of us couldn't make the trip. ------------------- First thing I wanted to eat on my first morning in Athens was yoghurt. Stani is a small dairy shop, one of the last dairy specialists in Athens, that has traditional, real Greek-style yoghurt with quality milk sourced from small producers not far away. Small portion of cow's milk yoghurt Sheep's milk yoghurt. Rich and milky, and sheepy (tasting). I already had coffee before heading out but still wanted 2 cups of double Greek coffee. A "single" Greek coffee is tiny. 2 sips and it's done. The dairy shop is not easy to find as it's hidden in an alley. The central market is also in the area so of course I hit it next. The fish and meat sections are big, wet, and loud. Same snails I have eaten from northern to southern Greece, only what other things that go into the dishes are different. Interesting crab-like crustacean Shellfish specialist First lunch some time later. Had to eat it at least once. I'm in Greece, after all. Souvlaki Leivadia is not in the city centre. It's popular with locals, and tourists who don't mind walking or taking the metro to reach it. It's an easy 15-20 minute walk from my hostel. Finally it cooled down just a little in the evening... First visit to this small craft beer bar where I enjoyed a few nice beers. The moment my childhood dream came true... A sight to behold. The floodlit Acropolis (behind Erechtheion, parts of the Parthenon is visible from where I was standing). Such is the thrill of rediscovering ancient Greece in modern Athens. You'll be seeing photos of Acropolis again in the coming posts so be warned. Unfortunately for me, every waking moment was very stressful as silence simply does not exist in Athens. Massive crowds of tourists and Athenians pack the streets at all hours of the day and much of the night as well. I needed horse blinkers/blinders to limit the impact of distraction. It's very hot already (25C/77F), can't imagine being here in high season/summer when temperatures hover round 35C/95F and the sheer volume of tourists, not to mention the higher prices. I'd go bonkers.

6 full days of eating yoghurt, feta and souvlaki will commence tomorrow! (I just got in and it's bed time, unfortunately.)

All pizzas??? OK, I'm open to new ideas but this is ridiculous. Check this out, saw it on my way to the pubs (in Yokohama). I had a peek inside, looked like a regular pub to me. Of course they serve the national dish. (www.wyvern.yokohama) Thanks again, all!

Rotuts. Taking care of the neighbourhood's plants is encouraged. People plant flowers by the roadside in some neighbourhooods. Thanks! My year is full. More interesting trips (hopefully).

Can't believe it's all over shortly! 3 and a half weeks flew by just like that. Now on train platform about to depart Fujinomiya. This is like my very first Fuji sighting after exiting the train, but it was dark then when I arrived. Locals waiting on the platform, like these 2 women in the photo, immediately stepped aside so I could make a photo of Fuji. (This time I included waiting passengers on purpose, though.) Our final hours in Japan were spent in Yokohama. From here it's not too far from the airport anymore. We put our rucksacks in a locker at Yokohama train station and went in the direction of beer bars. (Today I learnt how to pronounce "Yokohama". The stress is on the second syllable). Adventures in eating in Japan. Pizza with prawns and sweetcorn. (No, didn't go inside. Had to get to the beer bars.) An unusually quiet alley in bustling Yokohama. We ate a quick lunch at another udon specialist here. With tofu With seaweed It's a tiny shop. This udon noodle machine is 1/3 the length of the shop/kitchen. We hit the beer bars after the udon. Many bars in Japan keep the beer kegs in a closet like this one. Sometimes it's also a glass "closet". I think because there's not much space, or no basement. And most bars serve warm/light meals. Some people like sweeping views and grand vistas of landscapes. I rather like views of a long row of beer taps! Like this wonderful view before me. On the walk back to the train station we dropped by a Vietnamese restaurant for a few Banh Mi to go. Unlike in the photo in their menu, what we got were a few strips of pork paste/cold cut. Could barely taste it. Northern Vietnamase run the place. (I ate good Banh Mi in Ha Noi.). Anyway, only found out when I opened the packages at the airport. Speaking of airports, it always sucks to be going back to hell! But I must. Because then I can look forward to planning the next trips. And thank you for reading along! /Bowing slowly/

It's our last day in Fujinomiya already. Felt like a long time ago since the day we left home for this holiday. We spent this last day to wander round many neighbourhoods and tried to find views of Mt. Fuji. There's a tiny shrine back there. Living close to Mt. Fuji We have read that the views were nice from the top floor at the city hall. At the city hall? We wanted to check that out. And indeed! Seen from inside. There's a model of Mt. Fuji in the room. Fuji and the town below. I held the camera outside one of the open windows to make this photo. The local craft brewery was not open to the public when we were there but they were still brewing and selling to shops. Street drain cover tries to blend in. If something has this kind of shape it has to look like the town's most famous sight. Fujinomiya's own yakisoba, and a photo of it is on every map board. Also what we had for lunch, at the yakisoba centre. Different versions from 2 different shops. Fresh udon for dinner. With mixed vegetables With grated yamaimo (Japanese mountain yam and king of neba-neba/slimy foods). No idea it was squid or cuttlefish/meat ball until I ate it. Used chopsticks to cut things open... This was meat ball. Never eat tempura at home but love it here. Maitake, sweet potato and lotus root. The last beers... All the beers since we came to Fujinomiya.

We took the train to a rural town called Minobu. This small town of just a little more than 11 thousand people is the gateway to Minobu-san/mountain. Endless steep steps take you half way there, then a cable car ride to reach the top, where the temple complex is located. One would need an ultra wide lens for the photos made here, mine wasn't wide enough so I didn't take more than a handful. In the old days it was a trail, now safe stone steps, albeit steep. This is the spot where you could view Mt. Fuji. Unfortunately, the clouds didn't move at all the whole time. Oh well, nature owns me nothing. Back in Fujinomiya the tip of Fuji was visible. Just got off the train and took this photo from the platform. Earlier today. Miso aubergine for breakfast. Dinner at an udon specialist. The few times we walked past it was packed so today we tried to arrive before the dinner crowd. Most employees were women. Everyone ordered this huge ball of onion tempura. We liked it but it was way too much/big. More tempura Ginger, nori, raw egg, and roe. With mince I wanted to try this monstrous thing but the partner would rather udon. Fresh ginger Beer and mochi.

We did a lot of walking today on another day trip, to Fuji city. Not too far away, maybe 30 minutes by a local train. The city is called Fuji, you see "Fuji" on many things. This bus stop sign... notice the hat again. Blue sign points to a tourist "food market" (very small with a few stalls specialising in rice bowl topped with a kind of tiny white fish). The markets or the food stalls here are run by the fishing cooperative. Well-maintained fishing boats at the fishery cooperative food centre We were passing through this part of town on the way to somewhere else. This is another Fuji train station, only Shinkansen (bullet trains) stop here. We did get off here when we took a Shinkansen from Tokyo and then a local train to our destination Fujinomiya. Yes, towards Mt. Fuji. That's why we came here. Covers in Fuji city The tiny white fish are a Fuji speciality. Unfortunately, we didn't get to try the rice bowl with these fish at the fishery cooperative food market because it was either sold out (most popular food item) or the freshly caught fish were not in season. Dried or processed version of the fish is readily available in supermarkets. At least there was a beer stall and a seaweed stall (I bought 5 packages to take home). I went for the "India pale lager". A strange tasting beer. It was a Sunday and we walked in areas far away from the centre where there was strangely no restaurants to be found. Finally saw this ramen restaurant after many hours of walking. They only serve ramen and udon here. A little spicy, in a very deep bowl. Back at Fuji train station later but we missed the train and the next departure was an hour later. We decided to check out the centre, which was just outside the station. As soon as we came down to street level we saw something on a side street that looked like a beer festival happening. It was, a mini beer tasting event, only 5 breweries and their taps. We tried most of them but only one stall had the best stuff. This one! A young man who was hanging round this booth much of the time started talking to us in English (but for more complicated thoughts he used his translation app, brilliant thing, worked very good). After having tried most of the beers from every booth I said to him I liked everything at this booth the most. High quality and proper craft beer. He started bowing profusely. Turns out he was an apprentice brewer and the beers I liked were his work. He just got hired by a craft brewery somewhere in Shizuoka. We exchanged emails. We have future plans to visit a couple of places in Shizuoka so maybe we will take him up on his offer to do a pub crawl there with him. Only 5 beer booths. I even tried an ESB (not cask dispensed). I asked if I could get these 2 beers to take back to the hotel with me. They used 2 water bottles and filled them with the 2 brand new beers that were tapped here for the very first time. Couldn't make it back in time so now we just had to join the queue, all the way at the entrance. Now inside in front of the udon maker. Everyone watched and admired the efficient workers. 2 big sinks filled with cold water to shock the noodles. Strainers with big wooden handles and a bamboo scoop similar to a pasta scoop/server. My dashi broth came out of this tap, boiling hot. You get the broth yourself, other add-ons such as sliced fresh green onions and deep-fried onions, ginger etc. We both like udon but having tried several different versions the simplest is still the best. Just good noodles, good dashi and some fresh ginger. With mince This morning And in the evening... Notice there's no photo of any special flavour such as seaweed, meat/fish etc. Calbee has a few of these that are flavoured with a soy sauce from a certain town or region. Beer from a stall we tasted and liked in Fuji City. Beautiful sight of Fuji again after a nice day out.

We used the tourist transport service again for this excursion to Lake Tanuki to do some walking in nature. Took some time to reach the lake, going through pine forests and quiet countryside. The walk was nice, the area was tranquil. There's one and only hotel next to the lake. During the walk we came across some elderly holidaymakers staying at this hotel. Some of them just stopped in front of us and laughed, then made a "you are so tall gesture" to the partner. They laughed again when we said "2 metres" (6'4"+). Lake Tanuki is one of the spots to see Mt. Fuji "double diamond". The placed is packed with people and photography enthusiasts in late April/August. English texts: "Around 20 April and 20 August every year, the sun rising from the top of Mt. Fuji shines like a diamond. It is more beautiful in April because the air is clearer". A small shrine facing the lake. The guard cat: "thou shall not pass!" A dozen men and their fishing rigs at the lake. The tip of Fuji was not visible. Saw someone with a big camera waiting for the clouds to move. They remained like this for hours. A small lenticular cloud was forming on top of Fuji. It happens often enough, and quite massive sometimes. Now you can see that lenticular cloud a bit better here. Natto every morning. Fujinomiya-style yakisoba is not well known in Japan, unlike other types of yakisoba. If you do an image search for "yakisoba" you'll see many big chunks of meat and other colourful stuff in it. Way too much meat in everything "Japanese", really. Mine had a couple of very thin slices of belly pork, the other plate was the same but with one extra ingredient, tiny dried shrimp. The only noodle shop that was still open this late afternoon. Many people come here to try yakisoba from different shops at this "yakisoba centre". After ordering you get a paper cup for this. Some snacks we ate during the walk at the lake earlier. (Natural/unflavoured purple sweet potato crisps far left and cooked purple sweet potatoes far right.) Fujinomiya gets lots of day trippers who come to visit the shrine and Mt. Fuji world heritage centre. These tiles are seen on roads that lead to those places. Noodles on a cover? It does exist. More new beers to try.

(Several different meals, consumed on different days. A nostalgia trip back to childhood for the partner. We are atheists.) Oats and various fruits, nuts, dark chocolate. Deep green pistachios come from Iran. North Sea shrimp on Pumpernickel. Eggs with smokey aubergine (left), sweet squash as a spread (right). Pumpernickel and cheese ---------- Mini cheese fondue Some cold cuts (not for dipping in cheese) Bread for the fondue Not for dipping in cheese ------------ Good jamón. Cold water rosé shrimp from Norway. How I usually eat the shrimp: with some quark and greens Just my usual Pacific oysters ----------------- Don't like sweets but can't have enough of Turkish baklava. Got 2 coffee drip filter thingies on my last day in Ha Noi (circa 2004/05). --------------- Sometimes a meal consists of just one thing. These are flat oysters (Ostrea edulis).