BonVivant

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).

I had some leftover black lentils. Rest of the spread: blood sausage, Mettwurst, beetroot-walnut spread, natto, smoked sprats. --------------- Soft tofu with seaweed Roe and salmon (quinoa underneath) I'm particularly fond of roe.

I go to the big city Düsseldorf every few moths or so to replenish Japanese and Korean ingredients, to the market and visit a local brewery restaurant each time. Before going I check the weekly menus on breweries' websites, the day special is the reason for my visit to a certain brewery when in town. This time I went to one of my firm favourites, Zum Schlüssel. On to my second Altbier (middle). Day special was wonderfully crispy potato fritters (with smoked salmon). From the menu of weekly specials: belly pork with Sauerkraut and mash. I could stay here all day but I had to get things done after 5 beers. The amount stated is the amount you pay. Unassuming on the outside, quite big and beautiful inside. Need to get there early to get your favourite table. Soon the regulars (mostly pensioners) and workers nearby will arrive and sit at their favourite tables. My favourite table (and other introverts' also). The time is usually on the reservation card but as it was still early they put the cards there to keep you from occupying the tables. They were removed when more people arrived. Today's special (potato fritters with smoked salmon and herbed cream) Schwemme is an area in the front or side part of a brewery restaurant where you have a quick beer or two and usually drink it standing. Other photos: It's warm enough to have palm trees this far north. Specific parking for this type of bikes. I'm a sucker for some old things and tech. Line under Luxus reads "made in W(est) Germany". Locals and tourists alike enjoy going out to eat and drink. So many cafes and eating/drinking places in town. Like many big cities elsewhere, this one has its share of problems and challenges. Seems every time I'm in town I see more people in destitute situations. Cover I think every town in Germany has a Birkenstock shop. Street musician Could be his next watch I always buy charcuterie from their trailer at the market. Only saw this today. Will check it out next time. Looks like a "vintage" photo but it's just a gloomy day. New life for an old bike A shop that sells only Easter things. Easter is next week. Some people don't mind paying this price for an early treat. (Mid April is the official start of the season.) A wonderful potato stall at this market. There are a lot more on the other side. Potatoes from all over the place. I've bought new stuff to try a bunch of time. Like them both Now at my favourite bakery. Both types of shio koji I buy miso from different Japanese/Korean shops. Dropped by Schumacher brewery for one last beer before heading back to the bus terminal. OK. ONE drink... Some of the things I bought. I like the seasoned seaweed left of the photo. Brought only 1 bag home from Amami, happy to find it at a Japanese shop here. Maggi produces soy sauce in Vietnam. I've never seen it till now.

Udon noodles/mushrooms/prawns. Udon/tofu/doenjang (a type of Korean fermented soy bean paste) ------------ Raclette toastie Oats with a mix of various nuts and seeds (takes seconds to pulse in a FP). ----------------- Bucatini/meatballs/creamy dill sauce. ---------------------- For my latest marmalade I used Limon Rosso from Valencia. Limon Rosso is aromatic but nothing like bergamot, which is just aMAzing. Yellow like regular lemons on the inside. Very juicy. Have been eating this lately. Very sweet and bright orange flesh. Will buy again in the autumn. Here it was at the farm Has been "trending" since antiquity. This is Spitzkohl ("pointed" cabbage) as seen in the field. I like the purple version more but it's only available in autumn.

My breakfast. Roe and natto. This hotel's breakfasts didn't have any fruit. I guess because fruits are expensive here. I got my own apples and kakis (persimmons). I love fruits and need them. These apples were like 2 bucks each. Kaki cost minimum 4 bucks each. The city has a transport service (vans) for non driving tourists so they can still visit other villages and tourist spots in the area. Perfect for us who don't drive. The vans have certain routes and fixed departures so it's not like a taxi kind of service. The tourist information office has brochures and one English speaking employee who could help us decide which excursions to take. Once again, the drivers were all elderly men. For today's excursion we visited Asagiri Kogen. This area is known for its dairy farms and nice views of Mt. Fuji. Heavily overcast when we arrived but the sun did come out briefly near the end. Sweet potatoes are the most common kind grown here, specifically purple. Purple sweet potato everything. Small-scale production and home-grown produce for sale. People in small/remote towns and villages rely upon these (hobby) farmers. There's a small simple restaurants in this tourist spot. We got meatball and pork stir-fry. Both came with cabbage (a popular vegetable in Japan, just like in Europe). Other photos taken today: Notice the hat? Traffic cones also look like Fuji here. Basically, anything cone shape is Fuji. Fujinomia yakisoba. Fuji hat again. This sign tells you when the kakis are at their sweetest. There are several types, one of which I have only seen for the first time (second photo below). Information about the producer(s) and how you can order directly from them. Dinner was shabu-shabu (savoury broth fondue). You choose a set of meat type and amount, all the vegetables and other bits are unlimited (get them yourselves at the buffet). 2 new beers today. The beer in a big metal bottle came from Fujiyoshida, where many iconic photos of Fuji are taken. Fujiyoshida is a lot more developed and crowded, with faster direct rail link from the capital. It also has its own udon soup that's only made and sold there. Fujiyoshida is on our list for future Japan visits.

Some of the breakfast items did change every day but I still brought my own stuff. Got a pair of roe sacs and this was the first half. Push the nose to cross. The biggest torii (a gate before the entrance of a Shinto shine) I have ever seen. A person passing directly under it for scale. This temple in Fujinomiya is an important one. All the Fuji climbers come here right before starting their (spiritual) journey. The temple is also popular with wedding photo photographers. We encountered these photo sessions a bunch of times during our week long stay. Fuji is visible from many spots in this small town. And through buildings. This was seen from inside the informative Mt. Fuji World Heritage Centre. Zoomed in all the way. Not much snow yet in October. The symbol of Japan and one of my top favourite countries! Finally made this dream of seeing Fuji this close come true. There's an area right across the street from the shrine where you can try the local yakisoba from different shops. All the tourists come here after visiting the shrine and of course we did the same. There are several different types of yakisoba in Japan but here it's officially called "Fujinomiya yakisoba". The noodles are nice and chewy. This noodle dish needs to meet certain criteria to be called Fujinomia-style, such as texture/how the noodles are made/water from Mt. Fuji/flavouring ingredients etc. The dish is only made in this town (Fujinomiya). We tried 2 versions from 2 shops. One had tiny dried shrimp in it. Shaved ice and ice cream are also popular snacks. Tinned (sea)food section in a good supermarket a short walk from our hotel. It's near impossible to eat a terrible meal in this country but spam is still popular everywhere and not just in the far-flung southern archipelagos. (All yours!) Interesting "burgers". Some kind of stir-fried meat and vegetable in the middle, the rice disks on top and bottom and to be held using sheets of nori. This burger is more interesting. Prawn burgers with pollack roe in the mayo sauce. I would go for it, too bad there wasn't any other sauce with pollack roe (I just don't like mayo). How about ramen in a tomato broth with grated cheese? Speaking of ramen, that's what we ate. Fujinomiya does have a craft brewery. Unfortunately, the tap room at their brew pub was closed (temporarily) so we couldn't drink any of their beers on tap. We got their IPA at a supermarket for daily drinking. On the first trip to Japan it was harder to find craft beers and quality was more misses than hits. But now things have changed a lot. Japanese craft beers are easier to find and quality seem to have improved as well.

Indonesian shrimp paste. Sweet and very shrimp-y, needs to soften with boiling water before using. I add some fish sauce and acidity as I find it too sweet. These go in a soup broth, eaten with noodles and green vegetables. -------------- Spicy octopus tentacles in the style of "ali nazik" (Turkish smokey aubergine pulp with yoghurt and lamb mince). I tore the bread into smaller pieces (they are bigger than a dinner plate). One of the best and rarest Cantillon beers.

Final hours on Amami, now at the airport waiting for our departure. The original idea (at the time of planning) was to head west to Taiwan (again), but the partner wanted to see Mt. Fuji. Something we have talked about for years. Let's hope someone does not decide to attack Taiwan any time soon cuz we still have many things to eat and see there. After a connecting flight in Kagoshima we arrived at Haneda. The employees at the train station were most efficient and helpful. An elderly employee came to each waiting person or group in the long queue asking questions and writing everything down on her printed notepad, speaking fluent English. She had an iPad with which she checked train timetables and connections. She tore off the sheet, which you would give to the ticket counter person, who also spoke fluently. Everything was fast and efficient. I'm always amazed every time, as if it's my first time visiting the country. Inefficiency, incompetence, uncleanliness are my top 3 arch nemesis. Japan is the place where we truly enjoy every moment and every thing as tourists. On our first ever trip to Japan we got a 3 week first class rail pass. This time we needed to take a few short train rides so no pass and only second class seats. N700 is an older Shinkansen but still spacious and has lots of leg room. We had our backs to Mt. Fuji side the entire ride. And when we exited the train.... Mt. Fuji was in my face! There were a few people waiting on the platform who immediately moved aside so this tourist could make a photo of Mt. Fuji! Finally, this was our final place to visit on this trip, Fujinomiya. It's a small town, one of the small towns and villages closest to Mt. Fuji. Thing is, now we also want to visit all those small towns and villages in the future to see Fuji from all angles! It's been a very long day travelling. Only had time to find somewhere to eat dinner and then rest. Restaurants were just starting to open now. The server arrived later, but for now our food was brought by this robot. The sink. Yeah, and...? It had a built-in hand dryer. I've seen it a couple of times before, it's not so prevalent. I like it. Works very well and saves space, too. The food. Omelette in dashi.

Back to Kuninao beach in Yamato village to swim for the last time. Sweeping vistas of the sea and mountains can be seen from this viewpoint, which was empty in October. There are more benches like these behind me, you have an idea just how busy it can get in high season (summer). Below is Kuninao beach and Yamato village. We did some light walking and spent the afternoon swimming. Last meal on Amami. This abura somen (oil somen) is the soupiest yet. Usually there's just a little dashi/broth. Some snacks earlier Interesting blooms by the roadside. Hand-painted noodle shop sign (behind printed characters) Brand new Honda DAX with custom built baggage rack. The DAX made a comeback last year after 4 decades or so. DAX was popular in the 70's and 80's. Saying goodbye to the island's only craft beer bar and brewery. After this trip we have decided to make the southern islands a priority from now on. Being here is like going back in time, nothing exciting ever happens, people are chill and friendly, food is nice and it's a lot more like the food in other Asian countries but also Japanese. Quiet streets and villages, most people are farmers and fishers. Islanders are healthy and still working way past their retirement age, even more (working) elderly people on southern islands than in "mainland Japan" that we have seen. The islands are sparsely populated, have own cultures and languages. It definitely feels different here. We enjoyed the holiday so much. And of course we have plans to visit other islands in this "other Japan" in the future.

Potatoes and chickpeas with pistachio-parsley sauce. Hot-smoked salmon. Still drinking some very old sour beer from my "cellar". ------ Smoked sprats from Latvia. Huevo de atun (dried tuna roe) from Murcia. A spread: beetroot, walnuts, ground flax seeds. ------ Moroccan "pancakes" (from a Moroccan bakery) Moroccan fried flatbread (from the same Moroccan bakery) In the middle is Turkish tandir flatbread with spicy pepper paste and mince (from Turkish shop with tandir ovens)

We took the bus to the mangrove park about an hour away. 2 lone trees at high tide seen from the bus. At the mangrove park now. We were the only 2 foreigners there and immediately they sent an English-speaking guide just for us. How nice of them. Our kayaks. I mentioned to the guide the mangrove on Iriomote island (an island closer to Okinawa than here) was quite different. The guide has been there too. He said Iriomote had a different kind of mangrove, indeed. So many small crabs running about on the mud here. The are so fast you see them then you don't. After the kayaking tour we walked up to the observation platform for this view. I was busy switching cameras for a moment and when I looked again something entered the frame. It was a lone wild boar. He crossed over to the other side of the mangrove. Showed some park employees the photos and they made them smile. They have never seen one themselves. There's a wild boar population in the mangrove. We actually missed the tour by 5 minutes and had some time to kill. It was exactly lunch time. Top menu item at the mangrove's restaurant: local tuna sashimi bowl. Btw, bowl dishes are not "trendy" in Japan. There are many kinds of bowl food there, which usually have the word "don" in the name. Stir-fried pork belly with vegetables. Vinegared seaweed in a little aluminium dish and some other things. This item is also popular: seaweed and onion tempura. Some other photos back in Naze town. Lots of these old land line phone still around. Some are still plugged in. The box below still has a phone directory in it. Combi lock that turns left/right. How I like it, too. (Saw this same sign on a drink trailer on Madeira.) This scooter has 3 wheels and a cover. Probably belongs to a handicapped person. Kabocha flavoured tofu. Simply sea water, according to the translation app. Characters on the right side said something about usage. A restaurant. (Most are open for lunch, then a mid afternoon break, and open again from 6pm.) Another restaurant, also not open until 6pm. Our dinner today. Mackerel. An iceberg salad. There's rice underneath the omelette. Gyoza and 2 pieces of fried chicken wings on the other plate. Then we crossed over the other side of the street to the craft beer bar for a couple of rounds of IPAs before going back to our lodging.

These last days on Amami were relaxing. Today we took a mini bus to a village and walked from there, for at least an hour, uphill and in the moist heat to Ohama beach. The trail down to the beach was well shaded and easy but I was afraid of snakes. These nasty creatures could attack you from a tree branch, a place you don't usually pay attention to. These bulbs look a bit like onions, don't they. We snacked on some assorted pastries purchased from a village shop before the walk to the beach. Full of Japanese tourists in the summer but in October we had it to ourselves. Golden hour back in Naze (Amami's biggest town). This car park and its parking system. A new use for old tins. Taco rice kits. I tried taco rice on an island in Okinawa. Couldn't stand the smell of the jarred salsa. A fishmonger in the neighbourhood. We bought dinner from them a few times on the way back from the beer bar. In a restaurant you get a few slices of big clam sashimi. Strawberry conch Islanders eat kimchi but this version without chillies is also an option. Just wanted to try it for a change. Next time get kimchi again. Squid sashimi 2 rounds of beer at the bar earlier. And back in the room later. They called this pineapple beer sour ale but I think it's a very nice New England IPA.

(3 different meals) Squash cooked in dashi Tofu with seaweed (drenched in soy sauce) Roe that's been marinated in dashi. (From Japanese supermarket in Germany) And the rest: raw Sauerkraut, "king trumpet" mushrooms, natto, seaweed soup. Squash/pumpkin used in the dashi braise --- I like these noodles. Soft tofu, whelks in a duck yolk sauce. ----- Pumpernickel with Gruyere A different type of pumpernickel with Mett (a pork product)

Amami grain miso (survived the long trip home) Once the food is cooked and whilst still warm, add the grain miso and bonito flakes. Mix well but not too long or the "miso" would turn pasty. Cooking instructions from the guesthouse owner-cook. Soft tofu-ginger soup with aosa seaweed from Amami/Kikaijima. -------- Meal 2: Soft tofu, grated duck yolks. To be stirred into the sauce. Barley ------------- Meal 3: Fish without chips. 3 fat cloves of garlic in the yoghurt-caper sauce. And a salad

(Firstly, finally done uploading all the photos from this trip to a new image hosting site. I got a surprise last week when I was about to resume posting to this topic. Imgur photo storage site has changed owners and is now no longer supports albums, plus other new annoyances. So, here I am, starting all over again.) ------------------------------- We had wanted to visit the ethno museum but it was either not open so early or closed that day. We had fun checking out the stilt-houses outside. They are part of the museum exhibits. I regretted so much we never made it back to the museum. The guesthouse where we stayed in the first week of the holiday whose owner/cook used to be a science teacher, he is adamant that the first people who came to Amami were tribal Indonesians. And that some styles of stilt-house are similar to those somewhere in Indonesia. However, officially, it's still unclear from where the first arrivals came. This is a storehouse on stilts. For storing grains and food. High up away from rodents and the elements. Flow of air also prevents moisture accumulation thus excellent for storing foodstuffs. No nails are used in the construction of this type of stilt-house. They can be disassembled quickly in case of a fire or natural disaster. And of course, they must be able to withstand the frequent typhoons. That's the floor with an entrance. A ladder is removed so you can't climb up. This stilt-house is quite spacious consisting of multiple connecting rooms. The kitchen The interior There was a bus stop nearby so we decided to go to a beach village a little farther up the coast. We killed a few minutes checking out this vegetable shop only steps from the bus stop. The owner wasn't there, if you bought something you just put the coins in a little piggy bank. Meanwhile, the supermarket self-checkouts here at home stealing is becoming a big problem. I do like winged beans. Should eat them more often. After riding the "bus" for 20 minutes or so we reached Yamato village. It's small but has a few important cultural events. There's that stilt-house again, on every cover in the village. Quiet village life My quick snack. Shaved ice with green tea and adzuki bean paste. The young owner couldn't stop laughing! She had never seen tourists from "the West" here. Pulled out her phone wanting to make a photo of us (but we politely declined). We chatted for a long time using a translation app. Encounters with friendly, warm islanders were one of the highlights of the trip. Yamato village has a beach and just 1 place to eat. The informal beach shack is run by a friendly English speaking Japanese (bohemian) pair. The menu is very short and most simple. Chicken with home-made curry (only found out it was "curry" when the food was brought to us). Chicken is the only meat they cook and curry is the only spice they make themselves. Unfortunately, my system can't process curry and the spices in it (also no coconut milk/cream) so I had to scrape it all off (and eventually stopped eating, the partner ate my leftovers). The shack has no door, rustic (very uncomfortable) furniture. The open kitchen They have many chickens. The problem is they crap everywhere and there's a smell. We took the bus so this is where we got/on off. (Photos of beach another time.) Back in Naze centre later. Many beers at the craft beer bar before heading back for dinner. Pineapple NEIPA ("New England IPA) was more like an alcoholic juice rather than beer. Excellent. IIRC, they didn't charge me for this second or third glass of the NEIPA because it was too foamy. So thick I was invited to look round the tiny brewery just on the other side of the glass wall. One of the employees acted as a translator. Actually, they had no idea about NEIPA until I mentioned the pineapple beer tasted like it. Asked if they had bottles but the beer was just ready to be tapped when I got to the bar. They filled 2 bottles directly from the tank for me to take away! Dinner at a local restaurant again. Tuna sashimi. Garlicky, spicy prawns. Gyoza Stir-fried pork (more onions, though). We enjoyed eating on these southern islands. Sometimes you forget that you are not somewhere in SE Asia because some of the dishes are similar. (FYI, Japan's southern islands had traded and had contact with China and other cultures in the region. The culture and food here is a blend of all of that.) Found a restaurant supply shop in my neighbourhood. Very simple, the stuff sold there is not of very high quality or known brands. Spotted very few of these smoking establishments on this trip. Smoking inside is one of the top reasons Japan is only my unofficial number one favourite country (to visit). Happy to say we didn't have any problem with indoor smoking on this trip. Japan is suddenly getting much, much closer to the number one spot on my list! (Maybe next trip it will be official...) This clamp on the steering bar is probably for holding an umbrella. About 98% of bikes on Kikaijima are unlocked. Here on Amami it's probably 50%. And elsewhere in Japan 0%.