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! 

Tropical storm woes

Barely into the hurricane season, the Tampa Bay area has been slammed with the most rain we have had in a long time by Tropical Storm Debby.  So far, this area has experienced the worst part of the storm.


At the moment, we are in Tropical Storm Warning/Watch mode, in and out of tornado watches/warnings and severe thunderstorm watches/warnings have become normal.  The forecast calls for a couple more days of more of the same and we have already had 10-15 inches of rain throughout the area.


The photo comes from our local cable news channel, Bay News 9, who have provided awesome 24/7 coverage of the storm.  Bayshore Boulevard is virtually unrecognizable . . . they describe it as "non-existent" . . . I'd hate to live in that area right now!  I've posted photos of that area before . . . this is what it looks like on a normal day . . .

Many areas of Tampa are flooded, making a drive in traffic a nightmare!  There are stalled vehicles all over the place!  I wonder how many people are having a "mental health day" from work?

This photo comes from WFLA Channel 8, a local network affiliate . . .

Tropical Storm Debby looming, before the flooding.

Although the weather service has deemed Tropical Storm Debby unimpressive, those living in the Tampa Bay area will disagree!  

Normal life has been majorly disrupted!  How about the owners of this home?  OMG it is one of my nightmares with all the trees on our property!

Photo source:  Bay News 9

Even the local gators are enroute to safety . . . at least this one is using the crosswalk!

Photo source:  Bay News 9

For more photos . . . click here

Last night's sleep was intermittent . . . I kept waking up to the sound of fierce winds whipping through the trees with the heaviest rainfall I've experienced in a long time.  We slept with the television fixed on the 24/7 storm coverage.

With the storm stalled out in the Gulf pounding areas of Florida, there are many more stories yet to be told.  Let's pray that it weakens and goes away soon!

This is just the beginning of hurricane season . . . the one reason I hate living in Florida!

A Home That Used To Sit 1,000 Metres Above Sea Level

can be found at Shikoku Mura, donated by Eitaro Shimoki. The house's original location was at the highest point of the mountain village of Itchuson Kijiya, 1,000 metres above sea level.

In the entrance-work area are a clay threshing floor and a mortar for hulling wheat and barley. The clay oven  and pot was used for boiling a teburous root to make konnyaku.

Talking about hulling, here's a hut with a water driven mortar for hulling rice. Cool, right?

Such device was still used in Shikoku to hull rice up to the 1950s! By the way, it's a pity that we somehow missed taking photos of the interior (and the mortar inside) of this hut. Ah well...

By the way, have you read my rather rambling posts on a few other exhibits in Shikoku Mura?
A few homes here and here. A place where they made sugar and drink tea here. Paper was made here. The path you can take to walk around the open-air museum here. Lighthouses and the keeper's home here.