A Fisherman Abode

I feel like I'm toying with the cosmic order posting about this particular exhibit out of order. Ahahah... After all, this exhibit is located right at the end of the trail one need to walk through at Shikoku Mura. Anyway, here's a fisherman's home for you!

A fisherman's house facing the Pacific should be sturdy and this house has a stone fence on the sea side serves as a windbreak and the narrow entryway is to minimise and keep out rain and wind.

This dwelling was in an isolated fishing village strung along the base of a cliff in the Izari region of Tokushima prefecture.

 Son making himself comfy while Mommy checking out the place.

Functioning to provide complete shelter in the frequently foul weather the area faced, the house has a low roof to reduce wind resistance and is covered with heavy tiles (hongawara).

The baked clay entrance and adjacent bamboo floors are designed for the return of the fisherman; dripping wet in their fishing gears.

The central or "Good Fortune Pillar" (daikoku bashira) is unusually massive. All lumber throughout the house was handshaped by adze.

The waters of Izari were once filled with yellowtails (buri) which is a much favoured eating fish. 

A sad reason for this house came to Shikoku Mura in its original condition was because the villagers had no funds to renovate their houses. The villagers in the community decided to increase their catch by buying a huge net like in commercial fisheries. After the net was bought, the yellowtail left the feeding ground of Izari and moved elsewhere. The villagers were saddled with huge debts that they could not pay off and the town went bankrupt leaving fishermen without funds to renovate their houses.

A Stone Bridge And A Stone Storehouse

More of Shikoku Mura exhibits. This time its the stone bridge and a stone storehouse.

The arched bridge was built in 1901 by Yonekichi and Yojiro and has a carp and a Chinese lion dog (karashishi) carved on the keystone. This is the only bridge in Japan to bear such design.
 

Traditional Japanese storehouses have mud clay walls finished with plaster. However, during the Meiji Period (1868 - 1912), brick contstruction for commercial buildings was promoted by the Government in Tokyo.This particular storehouse copies brick construction, substituting stone of a variety used for over 1,000 years in mausoleums. The floor inside was laid with brick.

Altogether, the storehouse is a rather interesting hybrid of East & West typical of Meiji period.

Judging from the storehouse, one can sense that a storehouse is waaaaay more important (seeing that it's clay/brick made) than a personal dwelling. After all, one's source of income are stored there. Got to protect those from the elements and from predators too (human and beast alike). No?

OLA: Finding the Center of Two Revolutions

at Authors' Ridge in Sleepy Hollow Cemetery, Concord, Massachusetts
where Emerson, Thoreau, Alcott, and Hawthorne lie together in eternal peace

Doug and Audrey treating us out to dinner
at historic  Colonial Inn in Concord, Massachusetts

We are fortunate that Doug (one of Bill’s HS bffs) and Audrey invited us to their beautiful home in Concord, Massachusetts. It was not part of our itinerary. They saw to it that not only did we have time to visit with them but also the chance to explore the city. Doug showed us how it became the center of two great American revolutions, the political revolution that resulted in American independence in 1776 and the literary revolution that influenced the mindset of the mid-1800s leading to the Civil War.

Doug and Bill at the Lexington marker

The Political Revolution

The Minutemen National Historical Park links the cities of Lexington and Concord, Massachusetts on a trail of significant events surrounding the start of the American Revolution. From our walk on the Boston Freedom Trail (please see last post) I learned that Paul Revere took a ride on the midnight of April 18, 1775 to warn the Concord militia of the impending arrival of British troops. The signal lantern from the Old North Church would tell what route the British troops will take: ‘one if by land, two if by sea’.

at the North bridge, where the 'shot heard round the world'
was fired on April 19, 1775

The British troops, numbering 700, proceeded to Lexington from Boston. Their mission was to retrieve the cannons purportedly being held in Concord.  At Lexington they quickly scuttled the rag-tag militia of the colonists. But around 400 minutemen (in a minute they can be ready for battle) were ready in Concord, having been warned by Paul Revere. At the North Bridge between the two cities, the ‘shot heard round the world’ was fired on April 19. 1775. The American Revolution had begun.

in honor of the minutemen at the North Bridge

The news quickly spread to the surrounding towns and the colonists’ ranks swelled to 20,000 in number. They quickly drove the British back to Boston and hounded them on their trail back. More than 250 British soldiers and less than 100 colonists lost their lives. The fighting then resumed in Boston and on June 1775, The Battle of Bunker Hill gave the colonists an astounding victory, pushing the British further back south. The cannons were not found for the colonists had moved them to another town.

John Adams and John Quincy Adams with their wives
at the lower level crypt of the First Unitarian Church  in Quincy, Massachusetts

First Unitarian Church in Quincy, Massachusetts

And we discovered that the Adams National Historic Site was at the Quincy Center Station of the Red Line, two stops before Braintree. The tombs of John Adams, second president and the one who took over from George Washington, and John Quincy Adams, the sixth president, together with their wives were lined up together at the lower level crypt of the First Unitarian Church in Quincy, Massachusetts.  They were the first father-son tandem who became presidents. Their orderly assumption of the powers to govern the USA after George Washington solidified the success of the Revolution.

The Literary Revolution

The political revolution was significant enough but after the victory, the newly independent Americans went through a renaissance. Concord, with Cambridge, to the southeast, and Salem, to the east, became the seat of excellence in education and literary works in the mid-1800s. The Author’s Ridge at Concord’s Sleepy Hollow Cemetery is where five great American writers lie together in eternal peace, next to each other. Visiting their homes also evoked wondrous feelings in the fledgling author that is me.

Walden Pond, where Thoreau stayed for 2 years living in simplicity

The following friends and neighbors were the Concord Quartet: Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803-1882, An American Scholar, Nature), the great essayist and philosopher, Henry David Thoreau (1817-1863, Walden, Civil Disobedience), the philosopher and naturalist, Amos Bronson Alcott (1799-1888), the educator, and Nathaniel Hawthorne (1804-1864, The Scarlet Letter, House of 7 Gables), the novelist. Together, they fanned the ideals of individual liberty and equality, heavily influencing the abolitionist sentiment in the North. They also greatly influenced Amos’ daughter Louisa May Alcott (1832-1888, Little Women) towards becoming a great author herself.

house of Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
also Washington's Headquarters during the American Revolution

In Cambridge, we visited Harvard University, an Ivy League school established in 1636. It was named after its first benefactor, John Harvard, who gave the school his entire collection of 400 books. Henry Wadsworth Longfellow (1807-1882) served as a professor there until he retired into fulltime writing. He was very happy that he was able to own and live in the House that Washington used as headquarters during the initial stages of the war. He made Paul Revere an icon with his poem, ‘Paul Revere’s Ride’.

The house is right beside the campus of Radcliffe, formerly a renowned university for women and now part of Harvard. I wanted to see the campus, just like Bill wanting to see Yale, because I had an undergraduate scholarship there, after completing, with honors, my HS scholarship from American School in the Philippines.  However, my mother could not raise enough funds for living expenses and felt it was just too far away. I went on to a scholarship in the University of the Philippines instead. 

 

the House of Seven Gables in Salem, Massachusetts

birthplace of Hawthorne in Salem, Massachusetts

In Salem, we were surprised to see not just museums, statues, and memorials of the Salem Witch Trials of 1692. We were also able to see Nathaniel Hawthorne’s birthplace in Salem which was relocated to a spot near the only living colonial home in North America, the House of Seven Gables. The house was also Hawthorne’s inspiration for his classic novel of the same name. The house is now listed under the National Register of Historic Places.

Doug, Audrey, and Mika with Bill and me at their Concord home

Our visit with the Millers turned out to be much more than a visit to an old friend. Doug drove us around, showing us how the city was really the center of the two revolutions, the political and the literary. Meanwhile Audrey kept us fully satisfied with the delicious Asian dishes she prepared from her lovely kitchen, showing me some great cooking tips.  We also had the opportunity to meet their lovely daughter, Mika who will give them their first grandson in a few weeks. Thank you, Doug and Audrey.

A Master's Home and A Place Where The Elders Can Retire

I've been going on and on about the exhibits in Shikoku Mura, haven't I? Bear with me. I just find them very interesting and felt it's a pity if I can't find a reason to put each of them in a post here.

A residence of Master Kume Tsuken, an intellect, inventor and entreprenuer which was built in the late 18th century. In his life, Master Kume helped develop the growth of salt making in Sakaide where his house was located. He also invented naval cannon, pistols and an air-circulating fan. 

When the house was disassembled for its move to Shikoku Mura, various navigational instruments and molds for casting cannons were found  in the attic. Interesting, eh?

Two homes and a work storage belonging to the Nakaishi family was the next exhibit that we saw. These buildings, like many of the exhibits in Shikoku Mura; came from Ochiudo Mura, a refuge village originally established by survivors of the vanquished Heike clan in the late 12th century. 

It was long a custom in the region to build  a smaller, extra house as a retirement retreat for family elders and this was the etiquette of the Nakaishi Family.

The houses are arranged side by side on a space saving narrow terrace just like it was in the mountains except for the fact that the ones in the mountains would have the back of the houses right against the slope.

Coming up next - an official storehouse, a granary, an arched bridge, a stone storehouse, a border guardhouse and lastly a fisherman's house. Not too long before I wrap up my lenghty posts on Shikoku Mura and move on to our visit to a really beatiful garden - the Ritsurin Koen.

A Break From Japanese Food

It was a visit to Huis Ten Bosch. A trip just for One Piece, as a birthday present for Raimie last year. We took a break from eating Japanese food and had fast food instead. Birthday boy was happy.

No meat. No chicken for us. Just fish. Fish burger was the meal of the day for us!

A lot of fellow Malaysians would keel over eating burgers in Japan because they won't get chilli sauce with the burgers. What???!!!! No free chilli sauce?! Horror! Who eats burgers without chilli sauce???!!! LOL

Raimie does. We do too!

Actually, our love affair with chilli sauce and pouring them on top of any kind of food is a pet peeve of mine. We eat pizza with chilli sauce. There are people asking for them when eating spaghetti bolognaise (like, you need it with that? Seriously?). Huge dollops needed when eating fried chicken or burgers. Or fried mee. Why of why? For me personally, chilli sauce masks the real taste of the food served. But hey! That's just me.

Pit Stop At Gift Shops

and this particular gift shop is for all things One Piece, over at Huis Ten Bosch. 

 Get your wallets and purse ready! Let's get ready to do some spending!

 

They have everything you probably want. Confectionaries, items of clothing, stationeries, toys and even stamps! Which we have to absolutely get

plus a postcard. We always make a point to send a postcard to ourselves at each different city we visited when we vacation. It makes nice souvenir for us. ^^

Fancy a snack?

Gotta love this sight. Waiting in line patiently to play that One Piece card game. And gotta love the fact that kids were courteous enough not to hog the machine and let others have a go at it too.

There's a One Piece restaurant too, selling all One Piece inspired menu. We didn't eat there though. We went elsewhere for our lunch.

WHICH WICH - Superior Sandwiches - Colorado Springs CO

A new sandwich shop in Colorado Springs.

Interesting concept - you pick the category of sandwich and the corresponding bag.  With a marker you mark what dressing, veggies, cheese, type bread, toasted? etc.

Take it to the counter pay for it and the day we were there 8 folks were working the 'line'.

There was an error on what we were charged, but this manager took care of it immediately and gave us a card all punched out for a free sandwich  Fantastic customer service!!

  We were so impressed we went back the next week with out of town grandaughter and her friend. 

 Which Wich

OLA: Walking the Freedom Trail in Boston!

Bill enjoying Cheers in Boston, hub of the TV Series by the same name
after  walking the Freedom Trail

map of Freedom Trail in Boston

But it wasn’t really a walk! Boston’s traffic jams and high parking prices made us leave our car at Braintree, about thirty miles south, to take the city subway’s Red Line. We got off at the Park Street Station on Beacon Hill. There we took the City View Trolley (I decided I could not walk the 2.5 mile trail), a Hop-on Hop-off bus service. The Trail is a unique constellation of 16 historic sites that surround the important events around the American Revolution against Great Britain.  Beacon Hill was Stops #7 and 8 of the 10-stop tour. We reserved it for the last before the subway ride back to our car.

the trail is marked like this on the sidewalks

At Stop #9 is the Boston Tea Party ship/museum. Darn…they were closed for renovation! Here’s how the story goes: the British government and the East India Company controlled all the tea imported into the colonies. On 12/16/1773, officials in Boston refused to return three shiploads of taxed tea to Britain. Colonists sneaked into the ship and threw them into the Boston Harbor, earning the name, the Boston Tea Party. In 1774 the British Parliament closed Boston's commerce until the East India Company could be repaid. Colonists responded by convening the First Continental Congress. In 1775 the war began.

inviting entrance to the Quincy Market 

statue of Paul Revere with the
Old North Church at the back

Stop #1 is a close look at Faneuil Hall and the Quincy Marketplace. Faneuil Hall has been a marketplace and a meeting hall since 1742. It was the site of stirring speeches by Samuel Adams and others calling for independence from Great Britain. Quincy Market is now a bustling place for diverse eateries so we had our lunch there! Next: Stop #2 for Paul Revere’s house, his statue, and the Old North Church. Revere was a silversmith who became famous for alerting Colonial militia in Lexington and Concord, just outside of Boston, of approaching British forces. Old North Church is the location from which the famous "One if by land, and two if by sea" signal is said to have been sent via lanterns at midnight of 4/18/1775.

Faneuil Hall with the statue of Sam Adams in front...

at the Bunker Hill Monument

The Bunker Hill Monument that commemorates the Battle of Bunker Hill is on Breed’s Hill at Stop #3. It was on Breed’s Hill where most of the fighting in the misnamed Battle of Bunker Hill actually took place. The Battle was the first major conflict between British and Patriot forces in the American Revolution, fought on 6/17/1775. The Patriots won! The 221 foot (67 m) granite obelisk has 294 steps to the top. In front of the obelisk is a statue of Col. William Prescott who, according to popular stories, coined the famous Revolutionary War phrase, "Don't fire until you see the whites of their eyes".

the USS Constitution and us!

The USS Constitution, fondly known as ‘Old Ironsides, is at Stop # 4 at the Charlestown Navy Shipyard.  The ship is still an active wooden-hulled, three-masted heavy frigate of the United States Navy. She is the world's oldest commissioned naval vessel afloat (since 1797), Constitution was one of six original frigates authorized for construction by the Naval Act of 1794 and the third constructed. She is most famous for being undefeated during the War of 1812 against Great Britain.

entrance to the Charlestown Shipyard

marker on the site of the Boston Massacre

Stop #5 is the site of the Boston Massacre, an incident on 3/5/1770 that foreshadowed the American Revolution by five years. British troops had been stationed in Boston since 1768 to protect crown-appointed colonial officials who were enforcing unpopular legislation. That fateful day, amid ongoing tense relations, a mob formed around a British sentry, who was subjected to verbal abuse and harassment. Eight additional soldiers came to support him but were also treated the same. So they fired into the crowd, without orders, instantly killing three and causing the death of two others later.  The Old State House, Old Meeting House, and an old corner bookstore are all near the site.

unmistakable edifice at the middle of Boston Commons

the fountain at Boston Commons
Massachusetts State House at the back

We were late in arriving at Stop #7, the Old Granary Burying Ground near Park Street Church where Paul Revere, Sam Adams, John Hancock, members of the Franklin family, and the five who were killed at the Boston Massacre are buried. But we were still able to take pictures from the sidewalk. Because of this, we had more time at Beacon Hill’s Boston Commons which has a carousel, a beautiful pond, a Civil War memorial, and a beautiful fountain from which one can see the gold dome of the Massachusetts State House gleaming. It is said that the Liberty Tree was a famous elm tree that stood near Boston Common where ten years before the Revolution, colonists staged the first act of defiance. Sigh…It was not listed with the other 16 sites.

markers in front of the Old Granary Burying Ground

beautiful purple flowers at the Pond

We were not able to visit the King’s Chapel and burying ground or the Copp’s hill burying ground both of which have plots of many historic figures of the time. But we were so glad to have found the time, at the end of the day, to have refreshing beer and iced tea at Cheers, the pub that was the subject of a TV series of the same name.  It was just opposite the lovely pond of the Boston Commons. We had so much fun taking photos at the bar and sending them through my smart phone to our son and sons-in-law. We also got carried away…buying each one a Cheers t-shirt for Father’s Day! 

the City View Trolley

even the Subway station at Park Street is historical.

The ‘walk’ through the most significant sites that ushered in the Revolution that became the model for other nations was indeed memorable. The Trail made this bit of American history come alive. But it was also tiring, even if we rode the Trolley because there was a lot of walking to and from the stops. Perhaps we should have done it in two days! If you ask us what the highlight of the tour was, Bill will say ‘Cheers!’!    I totally agree. So, until next week, cheers!