Kyoto to home

We have five Euros left each at Rome airport, but nothing to spend it on. All the bike mags are in Italian, but there's a Playboy on display for only €3.50, and most importantly, the words are in English. Meanwhile, Pauline spots a nice block of chocolate, but needs my €5. The things I do!

I watch The King's Speech on the plane and wonder what everyone's raving about. Certainly a good movie, but very simple and linear - seems more like a PR job for the Royal Family.

A bit of a worry flying into Japan given the recent events. I ask the captain to circle the Osaka runway a couple of times to check it out. There don't seem to be any cracks, nor is it glowing brighter than the runway lights, so I give him the ok to land.

We touch down after two hours sleep. Monday's not going to be very productive so we head for a decent coffee to give us a boost. The moving walkways sense our presence, play soothing music and whisper to us in Japanese. Yes, we've arrived in the land of high technology. I'm looking forward to going to the loo and being told if my sciatica's going to flare up tomorrow.

Suitably caffeinated we manage to just comprehend the Japanese rail system, and after an express train from the airport through Osaka to Kyoto and two station changes later find ourselves exiting the subway not far from our excellent Eco & Tec hotel, and yes they have wifi - just as well as the cafes and restaurants don't.

Our orientation walk towards the Heianjingu temple is an eye-opener.


Yes we're on the eastern side of town where a lot of the temples are, but I'm struck by just how quiet and beautiful it is. Do the trees really grow like this on their own?


It's rush hour, but where's all the traffic? Then it clicks - everyone's on bicycles! I was expecting Kyoto to be a typical modern Asian city like Hong Kong - chock full of cars as status symbols of success. But Kyoto has evolved to the next stage where cycling infrastructure is ever-present, and everyone, young and old, male and female, students and businessmen chooses a bicycle as the best way to get around. We can learn something from this!


Dodging the showers on Tuesday morning we head off to the Kiyomizudera temple to the south east. But where to have breakfast? I spot what looks like a restaurant. Pauline's dubious but follows me in, and we're ushered in to a little booth with tatami mat floors and cushions at low tables. Magic! Food's excellent too - beautifully presented with exquisite service. You don't actually mind paying a premium for quality.


No surprise seeing hordes of school children in their sailor suit uniforms, but unexpected was the number of women in kimonos - not sure if it's just our proximity to the temples, Kyoto, or a special day, but it's certainly welcome.


Kiyomizudera is a beautiful Buddhist temple in beautiful surroundings, and it seems every school kid in Kyoto is here. Apparently it's very auspicious to plunge your head into an urn of burning incense and waft it over your face. I tried, but couldn't elbow my way through.


Magic walking through the gardens. You can just feel the stress of jet lag, insufficient sleep, tired feet and travel weariness seep away while you immerse yourself in the exquisite layout and soothing flowing water.


Same same but different. In Italy you look up a little cobbled lane to see someone on a bike, and a statue or Tuscan tower. In Kyoto you see someone on a bike and a temple or shrine.

Dinner and we really don't feel like going out to a restaurant. Our hotel has cooking facilities, so a quick trip to a nearby 7-11 sees us with a couple of instant heat meals and a half bottle of a Californian red. Excellent! Yes, food's expensive, but it's still possible to eat economically on the odd occasion. You'll even find the occasional McDonalds if you're desperate. I popped in to check out the whale burgers but it can't have been the season. Hopefully it never is.

Wednesday 18 May - our last full day sightseeing! Is the trip really coming to an end this quickly? Seems like only a couple of weeks ago we were excitedly heading off for Hong Kong.


First stop is the moated Nijo castle on the west side of town.


In the grounds I find an answer to my question as to why Japanese trees grow so exquisitely. They have a helping hand!


A stroll through the palace gardens and I start thinking of redoing the garden at home. Perhaps a moat would be good too - to keep the Mormons and cold-calling salesmen at bay.


Seemed to work for the Japanese emperors.

My walking shoes are on their last legs, but we haven't finished yet. A hike to the north-west via the Path of Philosophy aims us at Ginkakuji temple, another sublime Japanese offering to weary tourists.


Just off the Path there's a little shrine where we commune with our Asian zodiac equivalents. The forthright, tenacious, intense, meticulous, charismatic, sensitive, intellectual, industrious, charming, eloquent, sociable, artistic, and shrewd rat for Pauline.


The inventor, motivator, improviser, quick-witted, inquisitive, flexible, innovative, problem solver, self-assured, sociable, artistic, polite, dignified, competitive, objective, factual, intellectual monkey for me. Sounds about right!


No surprises - Ginkakuji and its grounds are beautiful,


including the large sand sculptures and textured surfaces that must have taken for ever to make.


I'd come across a snake in Tuscany, but it slithered off into the undergrowth before I could get a good look. On our way back from Ginkakuji snakes were the last thing on my mind as I stepped over a branch lying on the path. Then it moved and made its way to a tree while a bunch of Japanese gasped and wondered why this stupid 外国人 was tempting fate.


My nephew John and wife Yayoi had recommended we try Okonomi-yaki - Japanese pancakes, and conveniently our visitor guide brochure gives us 10% off at Hanatanuki restaurant which specialises in them. I'm sitting down to a seafood Okonomi-yaki while Pauline scored the Tanuki-yaki topped with spring onions. Both definitely recommended, as is Japanese beer.

We have time for a bit of souvenir shopping in our travels. A nice wall hanging? I'll have that! Teapot and mugs? I'll have that - developed a taste for properly made green tea. A kamikaze (divine wind) headband? I'll have that! Just right for cycling in Auckland, though Pauline thinks it better refers to my ability to clear a room. That's a forthright rat comment if ever I heard one.

Thursday morning and we're due at Osaka Kix in the afternoon. Just time to squeeze in another garden and temple!


This time it's nearby Heianjingu, and we're pleased we made the effort.


Even more so if I'd been able to tickle one of these giant carp out of the water, but I might have had a bit of a problem getting it back through NZ Biosecurity.


We retrace our steps through the rail network to get to the airport, only to find our scheduled flight doesn't exist! Another flight leaves three hours later, and we have no choice but to hang around the airport rather than spend another half day sight-seeing. Come on AirNZ - all it would have taken was an email or txt message to warn us ahead of time - but there was no communication at all.

So, impressions of Japan, or to be precise, the people and temples of Kyoto, which is a world away from industrial Japan. Basically we had a great time and can't fault it. The people were friendly, service respectful and excellent, the city uncongested and full of bicycles, almost no graffiti, and the temples and gardens stunning. There's a bit of culture shock in not comprehending the spoken or written language, but there are sufficient signs and instructions in English to get around. Given an opportunity we'll definitely be back.

The flight home is uneventful, and we step out into a cool Auckland autumn day, with just a few clouds around. Not a tornado in sight - it's good to be home.

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

Rome and the Vatican

Remember the broody she-wolf that suckled Romulus and Remus? The twins founded a little village, but bickering led to fratricide, leaving Romulus to take full credit for Rome's establishment.


Images abound, this one in topiary.

700 years later the Roman Empire was on its way to world domination under Julius Caesar and remained a potent force for 500 years. Coupled with Renaissance art and the home of the Holy See, there's a lot to take in!

Our high speed train from Florence gets us to Stazione Termini mid-afternoon, then it's on the metro to Spagna, the nearest stop to our Hotel Panda. We tumble out of the station blinking in the bright sunlight and wonder why all these people are hanging about on the steps.


Then we check the map. Ah - it's the Spanish Steps - the longest and widest steps in Europe - built to link the Spanish Embassy with the Vatican. It all becomes clear.


Thursday and we set out to explore the old part of town. First stop is the magnificent Trevi fountain. A huge 25m high Baroque facade fronts a massive pool with water cascading into it. Now driven by recirculating pumps, the location is actually the terminating point of the Acqua Vergine, one or Rome's ancient aqueducts (so named as Roman engineers found its source with the help of a virgin...)


No surprises about this one. Tucked just to the east of the Roman Forum is the Colosseum, an engineering marvel. Built around 70AD it was the entertainment spot of ancient Rome, holding 50,000 people.


An elaborate set of winches hauled actors, convicts, gladiators, props or wild animals up onto the stage, which was covered with sand to reduce slippage and soak up the blood. One of the more bizarre uses was for theatrical executions, where the hero of the story - played by a condemned convict - was killed in one of various gruesome but mythologically authentic ways, such as being mauled by beasts or burned to death.


Back at our hotel room and by standing by the door and holding my mouth the right way I can just pick up a wireless signal. The iPad's proving its worth for Internet access, mail, and of course news from home.

We have to switch hotels on Friday morning, so we're off to San Pietrino in the Prati district close to the Vatican.


After checking in, our walking tour takes us to the Pantheon (from the Greek for "every god"), a huge domed structure fronted by an impressive portico, and perhaps the best preserved of all of ancient Rome's buildings.

Originally dedicated to the Roman gods, it was taken over by the church in 600AD, at which time the "pagan filth" was removed. I wonder idly whether it might now be timely to return it to its original purpose, with a cross, a star of David, a Buddha, a Hindu god, a Chinese god, and an Islamic prayer mat facing Mecca spread around its interior circumference. Might do a lot for reconciliation and the promotion of religious tolerance.


You're looking at the steps of Pompey's theatre in Largo Argentina. Significance? Beware the Ides of March! Julius Caesar didn't, and he was murdered here in 44BC.


Rounding a corner brings us back to the 21st century with a jolt - the Ducati Cafe materialises in front of us, but they're just closing up and we're too late for a coffee. The merchandise is outrageously priced too. Nice idea though, and yes there were some nice Ducatis parked outside.


The Tiber splits briefly at Isola Tiberina, now the site of a hospital. The ruins of the old Ponte Rotto, ancient Rome's first stone bridge, are still standing.


Saturday morning, our last full day in Rome, and we're booked in for the Vatican. But breakfast comes first, and to conserve our last few Euros we buy some bread, cheese and prosciutto from the deli of a local supermarket and camp out in the middle of a roundabout. It's a very pleasant spot in the coolth of the morning, and we're pleased to see a few locals doing the same thing.


The queue for Vatican tickets is quite substantial, especially tedious when shuffling forward at a snail's pace in the hot sun. Fortunately we'd taken advice to prebook over the Internet, but it isn't immediately obvious where the entrance is. Finally discovered around the back of the city, and we make our way in to feast on the treasures the Catholic Church has acquired over the last two thousand years.


Fortunately it's not all Christian iconography. Past Popes collected heathen works to demonstrate the transition from paganism to Christianity, and there are many fine Roman statues on display. Sadly one of the early Popes was offended at the amount of nudity, and many artworks and statues have had fig leaves strategically applied, which has destroyed their beauty and the artist's intent.


Somewhat macabre is an Egyptian mummy, perfectly preserved. Many other Egyptian artifacts reconfirm it was a good idea not to go to Egypt itself in these troubled times.


Nor is everything from antiquity. Out in the central piazza is a modern copper orb with interesting dissections visible close up.


But it's really Michelangelo's work in the Sistine Chapel everyone comes to see. Photography's not allowed, but many were ignoring the signs, including some using flash, which is a pretty substantial giveaway. I managed to surreptitiously sneak this shot without anyone noticing, but was later lining up a nice shot of Judgement Day behind the alter when I got a tap on the shoulder. Oops!


A special exhibition of Faberge eggs caught our eye on the way out. Well worth a look.


And quite extraordinary is the double concentric spiral staircase that cantilevers out from the walls. I'm not sure if it was meant as a work of engineering art, but it comes pretty close to me.

Sunday morning and it's time to leave Rome and Italy. After a couple of changes the metro delivers us to Fiumicino Airport where we have our final frustrations with Italian organisation. We'd seen a T-shirt on sale listing the definition of heaven and hell based on each European country's strengths and weaknesses, and while heaven is run by the Germans, hell is run by the Italians. I can see why.

The simple act of ordering a couple of sandwiches and coffees requires prior knowledge of which queue to stand in, memory in Italian of what to order, then two queues with one receipt to actually collect the items. All of this at the airport where surly staff grump in Italian at ignorant passengers for not knowing the process!

Passport control has 10 booths, of which only two are manned. The queues lengthen and lengthen as passengers bulge through security screening, and those panic-stricken because they're late for their flight or find too late they're in the wrong queue beg to be let through. Bedlam!

But despite Italians' organisational skills, their aggressive driving (Lonely Planet warns that the best way for a tourist to cross the road is to join a group of nuns), and the embarrassment of their Prime Minister's bunga bunga parties, the locals have a lot going for them. Their design skills, their style, their presentation, their food and their wine make up for it all in spades.

We're glad we've seen Rome, with the Colosseum and the Sistine Chapel obvious highlights, but the Eternal City probably won't get another visit. Florence and Tuscany, on the other hand, can be revisited multiple times, and will be the starting point for our next Europe trip, one that takes in Venice before heading further north.

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

Tuscany stage 3 - Chianti and Florence

We're really lucky with the weather - it's been beautifully sunny for the last few days, and this Sunday morning is no exception. It's the sort of morning that makes you want to hop on a bike and do the Coromandel loop.

As we head for Greve in Chianti it looks like most of the Florentine bikers are doing the Chianti loop. Big bikes, mostly Ducatis, Aprilias, Moto Guzzis and BMWs rumble past and disappear in a flash into the next corner. Hmm - my next visit to Tuscany might choose a different mode of transport!


Mostly rolling countryside, and being Chianti country vineyards predominate, with a few olive groves interspersed. We stop for lunch in Greve, then drive on to Fiesole, a hilltop town northeast of Florence popular with the locals for its cooler air and great views.


Certainly a nice spot, but we need to press on and return our little Punto to the airport. It's a bit of a challenge finding a gas station, then operating the self service pumps, and then finding the correct entrance to the airport and Hertz, but we finally get there and hand over the Punto no worse for wear than when we started. Probably better.


The airport bus gets us quickly into the centre of Florence, then it's an easy walk to Hotel Cestelli, not far from the Ponte Vecchio, which is the first stop on our orientation walk. It's a beautiful old bridge, and now home to most of Florence's jewellers. Fortunately the Germans didn't destroy it during their retreat - all the other bridges across the Arno were blown.


We catch Michaelangelo's David in the late afternoon sun, and discover we're a few minutes late for Uffizi tickets. Since it's closed on Monday we'll just have to queue up early on Tuesday.


The cathedral is open though, and it really is beautiful in its pink, green and white marble. It's quite spare inside, but the dome looks interesting. We resolve to come back for a dome tour when the crowds have dissipated.


Wandering the streets of Florence is a delight. Big open piazzas with central monuments are linked by narrow cobbled lanes, many with specialty shops and eateries tucked within, or spilling out onto the footpath.


Stylish Florentines walk, cycle or ride their Vespas up and down, with relatively few cars - only local residents can bring their cars into the heart of town, as many tourists have discovered after receiving a €150 fine.


We hit the Bardini and Boboli gardens - Florence's lungs on the south side of the Arno.


Great views looking back to the heart of town. Lots of opportunities for window shopping - jewellery and leather look attractive - but we'll keep our buying decisions till later.

Tuesday morning and we try and beat the Uffizi queues by arriving five minutes before opening. We're a bit slow - it takes nearly an hour before we reach the ticket office. Once inside we rush to the most popular rooms - Botticelli's Venus in particular, then take a more leisurely amble through the remainder. The Botticellis are certainly magnificent, as are many other Renaissance works by Raphael, Michaelangelo, da Vinci and Titian. But it's a smallish Rembrandt glowing in a corner that really takes my eye.

A recurring theme, along with the crucifixion, is a poor lad tied to a tree and shot with arrows. Piercing his arms, legs and neck you'd be convinced they were the cause of his death. Apparently not. Saint Sebastian was nursed back to health, continued to harangue the Romans, and was eventually clubbed to death in 288. One could argue he's a slow learner.


Out on the cafetaria balcony is a dwarf riding a sea creature - someone might be able to help with the attribution. Inside the gallery there's also a double-sided painting of him. The story goes that a sculptor was taking the piss out of a painter for failing to render in three dimensions. The artist painted the dwarf both before the hunt and after (dead hare included), proving that painting can include the time dimension. Touché!


The Uffizi also affords fine views of the Arno, with the Ponte Vecchio in full splendor.


Out on the street it's easy to be fooled by these marble statues. Toss a euro into the bucket and they magically come to life, much to the surprise of unsuspecting tourists nearby.


They say that if you stroke the boar's nose you'll be sure to return to Florence. And who wouldn't want to? I'm enjoying my second time here as much as my first. We even have time to indulge in a bit of shopping. Well, you can't come to Florence and not buy leather and jewellery can you?

Wednesday is our last day - time to head to Rome - but we have a morning up our sleeve. First stop is the Duomo's dome, both for a close-up of the artwork, and the magnificent views. Just a small matter of 463 steep stone steps to negotiate as we wind our way up between the two concentric inner and outer domes.


What you don't get a good appreciation for from the cathedral floor are the dark scenes from hell at the base of the dome. Hapless non-believers are dragged down into the pit to be clubbed, consumed by beasts, or to have fiery lances inserted in bodily orifices. You have to give these artists credit for a good imagination.


Out in the open air and away from the coercive messages it's a great view over Florence.

We just have time to take in a special exhibition before we dash to the station. In the Strozzi Gallery not far from our hotel we're treated to works by Picasso, Miro, and Dali. I've always been a fan of these artists, and it was very special to see then exhibited together, with the relationships between the artists explained. Picasso's work, particularly his social commentaries leading to his Guernica paintings, are particularly powerful.

Sitting on the train as we pull away gives us a chance to reflect on our last three days. This attractive city, its art, its history, its architecture, its shops and its compact size all come together to make it one of the highlights of our trip. It truly is compelling - get here one day, and if you can, rub the boar's snout and come back for a second visit.

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad