Tag: travel

Springtime in New York City

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Spring break arrived and we decided to visit some of our family in NYC. It was the first time we’ve gone together! I’m a bit late in posting our activities, but I made a goal to do so and get this blog active again!

To begin, we drove down because there was a little lack of planning in advance and there were no more bus tickets, heheh. We had some good advice about how to best get down into Brooklyn, and even still: harrowing. There was a lot going on on the roads, maybe because it was a weekday? In any case we’ve sworn off driving again and will next time plan our NYC excursion a little more thoughtfully (read: in advance).

It was honestly a lovely time to go down to NYC. Coming from Maine, it was still very adamantly WINTER, and as our drive progressed, we found that New York City was increasingly in the beautiful beginnings of SPRING! The plants were leafing out, the buds were emerging if not already blooming, and it was already warm just in time for our visit. Despite the hellacious driving situation, this aspect was refreshing.

After seeking refuge for the car in a public garage, we set out on foot on a completely spontaneous walking tour, self-guided. The reason we opted for a parking garage rather than street parking is that we did try street parking, but the system seemed like it did not work very well. I read at length about it beforehand and also tried to register a card, which the system kept refusing. But this did not deter us! Rather, we found a public garage and situated ourselves there, and it worked out well. We hopped out and ducked into a restaurant that was honestly rather meh, but we didn’t want to look forever since we were very hungry after all that driving. After refreshing ourselves in this way, we headed out again on foot. Our goal was merely to take in the sights. We stopped for some water in a Trader Joe’s, and we wandered further afield toward some of the more residential areas. There we found a lovely bookstore called Books are Magic, and in my excitement I bought a hat with the name upon it. After that quick stop, we made our way toward a natural observation area, we also stopped into what we learned as the Othmer Library, aka the Center for Brooklyn History on the second floor. The staff there was very kind and informative, which was appreciated. We got so see some cool historical aspects of the library and stop for the restroom and a spacious relaxation area. It was excellent, and you can also pick up some souvenirs there if you so choose.

After this stop we meandered to our final destination before meeting up with family after their work days. I believe we made our way to Shore Road Park and Overlook. It was quite a cool area that overlooked the Manhattan-facing shore of the Brooklyn area, with lots of terraced levels for walking and interconnected active areas like parks. People were out in great numbers, probably due to the fortuitous weather and the availability of these public spaces for exercise and family activities. I wasn’t sure how much fitness would or could be a priority in these dense metropolitan spaces, but I was happy to find that it was definitely possible and happening.

We headed over to grab the car after our ambulations and drop it off at a garage where our family members reside, and socialized for a bit. I don’t think I will ever quite become accustomed to the verticality of New York City living, but the view was quite a sight to behold from the fourteenth floor. From there, we went to a family dinner at Mekelburg’s. Mekelburg’s was cool – the decor was very red, very wild, and there were a lot of different foods to choose from. I had tacos, while others had sandwiches, and all of it was delicious. There was also an offer to write up a positive Google review of the restaurant and get a free dessert – I did and it was worth it. There was a market section in the front of the restaurant that people could drop into to get takeaway items like drinks, bread, prepared foods, etc. too, which was neat. There seemed to be some famous babka loaves that one of our group members bought a few of as we left.

We wrapped up our day and before we knew it, were on day two! We began by getting a coffee and riding a ferry nearby. This was one of the most relaxing experiences of the day I thought, and a good way to get around and appreciate the sights. I’d like to go back and ride several more ferries in the area – next time.

We arrived in what was historically a Polish neighborhood in Williamsburg, as we were told. We made a stop at the popular and crowded Peter Pan Donut Shop. I was elated as it has one of my favorites: strawberry sprinkle. :) Then we walked down to Bagel Point to get some other legitimate food groups outside of donuts. We took our packages to McCarren Park and ate them there. The park was lovely and provided ample opportunities for people watching. As I mentioned before the flowers were just beginning to bloom as well so it was a peaceful way to start the day.

We ended up walking back through the area to the subway and boarded it. We were en route to check out some of the more typically NYC sights. We arrived in Central Park. It was… quite humongous. Unless you’re picnicking or have some outdoor activities planned, it doesn’t make a ton of sense to go there, BUT it makes it an all the more important natural respite in the city in which you can do those things if you choose.

I required us to visit Kinokuniya, and we wandered Bryant Park just across from there as there was a market going on. We insisted from there to see the New York City Public Library, you know, the one that you see in ALL the movies or TV series with the lions out front. In part due to the excellent lions but also because we love books and all to do with them, which includes libraries. It was a popular location, and honestly it was for good reason: there was A LOT to see. There was a free museum exhibit downstairs that featured some high interest items having to do with New York, but also cultures across the globe.

We wandered the building after visiting the dark and cool exhibit. It was very clear that there was a lot of history in the building. Also, I wondered frequently where they sourced all the marble from to create the place. It must have required so many resources to build when it was first constructed.

We then went to see the classic Grand Central Station. It was cool. Stations are fascinating in that they are a nexus point for all manner of people coming from all these different areas; they are transitioning from some place they know to another they may know or not. I just finished reading Colorless Tsukuru Tazaki by Murakami Haruki, so stations have been on my mind. I really admired the them on the ceiling that featured constellations, and some of the circular windows, evoking a sense of the globe. It gave a real sense of travel.

As you can see above, we also got to see another classic NYC sight: Pershing Square. I took a picture for posterity, though we didn’t stop this visit; maybe next time. We wandered below and took an insanely long escalator for fun; don’t ask me where it is as I cannot explain! As you are riding it you feel that it is a ride into the infinite, and it may never end. Rest assured, it does.

One reason we didn’t stop anywhere else to snack was because on the way in we saw and heard about Los Tacos No. 1. We stopped in on the way out. My goodness, my husband and I love Mexican food. It was exactly the snack that we all needed. YUM! Can’t recommend enough. I was composed enough to take a picture of my food before eating it; sometimes this does not happen.

Our next stop – having had to part with our familial guide – was Koreatown. I cannot go anywhere without stopping in an Asian-town area of some sort. It is almost required. This is life with me. We were checking some things out and stumbled upon an alleyway of sorts (I’ve looked it up since and it’s Food Gallery 32). Within, I saw a boba spot and had to have some. If I see a boba spot, I will likely stop; this is just how it is. I have to say, this was refreshing and delicious after walking around in the heat. The alley featured some entertainment as well as some other places to pick up food and snacks.

From there we wanted to see the Nest and the Highline, and see them we did. It was brief as we were looking to meet up with some more family. On the Highline, I really liked some of the art installations. I especially enjoyed the pigeon. Next time I’d like to walk it a little longer.

The time had come to meet up with some more family, so we met with them at the West Village area. We stopped in to a hidden pub and then to Joe’s Pizza to get a slice! Joe’s apparently also appeared in a Spiderman movie, but I assure you this was not the theme of our trip. It hit the spot! We then got to check out the park at NYU – Washington Square Park. So many activities were happening here, I don’t even think I noticed them all. There was some skateboarding, socializing, protesting, weed sales — you name it and I think you could have probably found it happening in this park. That is just what I remember.

We were planning to go to Kenka, which seemed like an accurately kooky izakaya establishment, and believe me I wanted to go, but by the time we arrived it was full up. I recommended decibel, where I had been before with a friend, and we hit it at just the right time. There’s no reservations, you have to hang out until you’re called in a line, and we were so lucky to sit immediately. We were able to chat and have a nice dinner there.

We took the subway back to home base and relaxed into the night. We were going to leave the next day, so it was clear at this point our eventful journey was coming to an end. We were able to do so much in the space of a few days, and there was still so much left to do. I was left thinking how much it helps to have people around who know the city well so that you can go straight to the area you’d like to as efficiently as possible.

Sunday was a laidback morning and we were able to go with our family to Sundays in Brooklyn, a local brunch spot. As we walked around the area – on the way and back – I couldn’t help but admire all the murals I saw throughout the city. I snapped several pictures throughout in a hope to digitally immortalize the artwork.

If you order the S’mores latte, just FYI, it is not merely flavored as such, it is almost a full-on s’mores situation. I felt much a glutton after receiving such a fancy coffee, but it was delicious and did not regret it. After our fantastic breakfast – check it out above – we went to Ten Ichi Mart, a Japanese market in the neighborhood. It was incredibly nostalgic; I miss Japan a lot, so being around all the products was almost like being transported there again for just a moment. There were so many bleeding hearts plants in planters blooming that I had to stop a moment and finally take a picture. They’re so detailed and delicate, it is such a wonder that flowers exist in so many varieties!

In this way, we wrapped up our excursion and set ourselves for home. I am excited to try going again sometime soon; next time, I think we’ll try to book some transit in advance!

Shukkeien (縮景園)

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As promised long ago in the Hiroshima Voyage post series, here are some more photos of my trip to Shukkeien, the Chinese-style outdoor garden near the Hiroshima Prefectural Art Museum. I highly recommend it as a breath of fresh air from the usual aspects of city life. I was especially lucky to go during Spring, […]

Nagasaki Lantern Festival

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In early February every year, the city of Nagasaki hosts the aptly named Nagasaki Lantern Festival. It is the most colorful Lantern Festival I’ve seen to date, so I enjoyed it very much. And that is even with crowded streets and a cross-shaped, two-street Chinatown. The photos should give an overall vibe of the scene that met us here at this festival. :)

We started out at a smaller park area that served as a one of the smaller venues, featuring a parade of a lantern mikoshi and a Chinese acrobatic show. There were a lot of fun acts that we saw, among which included a many masked dance, where the performer changed face masks with the wave of her fan, juggling, plate-spinning, and a chair stacking acrobatic demo of balance! It was a pretty exciting way to kick off the festival.

The park also exposed us to many lanterns as an introduction of what was to come later. You really get an eyeful of color at this event, which was one of my favorite things about it!

During the day, the lanterns were impressive enough. As you can tell from some of the photos, the lanterns are huge! Some of them are taller than most of the people that wandered the area. It was like being in a paper zoo!

After taking in the show here at the smaller venue, we started walking over to the main venue area, based just outside of the Chinatown in Nagasaki. This Chinatown is a plus shape, and literally consists of two streets, but it is of historical import, being one of the first Chinatown areas in Japan.

As you can tell, it is very crowded there at this time. Though it makes navigating the brimming streets difficult, you get used to it temporarily. It is worth putting up with for the views that the area provides. Even in the light of day the sights are moving, as having a look at these creations is rare. The crowd itself becomes a sight as does the street, likely becoming more lively than it had been for months previous. Around this time we ducked the crowd temporarily by popping into one of the restaurants to have try champon, a Chinese noodle dish introduced through trade that has now been adopted by the culture here as a mainstay. We enjoyed a few other dishes too and it was very delicious! I don’t remember the name, but if you approach the Chinatown through the gate from the northwest side, coming from the shopping areas, you’ll see it. It’s the first major restaurant on the corner on the left.

And as the day progressed into night, things only got more impressive. The lanterns are naturally more dramatic at night, and being surrounded by them makes you feel transported to some other world.

The most interesting part of this display was indeed a sight that is visible at the main venue. Though I’m sure it has to do with some aspect of the event’s history and/or its Chinese roots – I can’t say for certain – a huge offering was set at the center of the lantern viewing area that looked like this:

Numerous pig heads were set out on platters in a glass-encased room, with attendants ever attending the candles to keep their flames alight. It was such a display that at first I wasn’t sure that I was seeing what I was seeing. Or perhaps I hoped it was an illusion… It was dramatic and somewhat startling to say it simply.

After viewing all the sights there we called it a night. We had seen most to all of what the festival had to offer and the next morning we planned to go to Gunkanjima, so we got somewhat of an early night. Passing by a temple on the way, we headed toward Cybac to attend our crowd-worn and sleepy minds and bodies. It was a great day.

Tsujunkyo Bridge (通潤橋)

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2014-08-30 08.52.56On the outskirts of Yamato town in Kumamoto prefecture, is a very old, very functional aqueduct bridge known as Tsujunkyo. Built in 1854, it is the largest aqueduct bridge made of stone in Japan! Most weekends the bridge demonstrates its irrigating success by spurting out massive amounts of water around 1 PM. I went in the morning on the way to Miyazaki last time, so I was unable to see the latter, but it was still an interesting experience I wanted to share. The area is full of natural scenery intertwined with agricultural lands, which provides visitors with yet another idyllic vision of Japan.

Hiroshima Voyage [Final Day]

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My last day is Hiroshima on a great note. The weather was sunny, but cool, and I set out early in the morning to hit the last three sights on my to-do list.  Out of all museums, I think I enjoy art museums the most, so I wanted to make time to see more diverse museums than I can usually find in Kumamoto. I had heard some rumors of some great collections that would be there during my scheduled voyage, so I decided to tackle them all before hopping on a shinkansen around noon to head back home.

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DSC_0818The first stop was close to my hotel, opening an hour earlier than the others, so naturally I headed there first. The Hiroshima Museum of Art in name, I found beautiful gardens surrounding an architecturally interesting building, which housed an impressive collection of paintings and sketches. They have four galleries presented in a timeline fashion: 1 – From Romanticism to Impressionism, 2 – Post-Impressionists and Neo-Impressionists, 3 – Fauvism and Picasso, and 4 – École de Paris. They also have a section called “The Annex” which houses special collections and exhibitions. I was honestly quite surprised that they had so many European paintings of note! (You’ll see what I mean if you check out the website.) This was the one particular museum that I didn’t research very much before coming, so I was pleasantly surprised even thought the entry fee was a little high. The special exhibitions at the time I went featured a variety of modern Japanese works, one which really appealed to me. It was a gallery of a man’s paintings of cats (and other aspects of life)! It really impressed me, but for some reason, now I’m unable to recover his name. If I find it, I’ll update the post immediately! :) The moral is, that I wasn’t sure anything would appeal to me in the annex, but it did! So I was happy about my venture in that section. One thing that could be improved – the museum could probably improve upon their English descriptions of the Japanese works. It’s quite good for all the other sections, but there are suddenly none in the annex, which is a bit surprising.

Next on my list was the Hiroshima Prefectural Art Museum, located right next to Shukkeien, for those who are interested. At the time I visited this museum, the main collection was one put together cooperatively by all the curators, featuring some of their favorite pieces. There was a lot of cool stuff there, but one particular piece of note – Salvador Dali’s Dream of Venus was there in large format. It was an undoubted favorite among visitors I think, and I spent a good amount of time sitting before it, pondering its depths. It was lucky that the museum wasn’t crowded on this day because the holidays had ended, giving me adequate time to move through at my own pace. The piece was fantastic, and the rest of the main exhibition didn’t let down either! As I proceeded through works by artists I didn’t know, I found myself adequately stimulated the entirety of my time there. So though I can’t speak to other exhibits presently housed there, my experience was a good one, with proper English descriptions (if I remember correctly).

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It’s a lovely walk over to the Higashiyama area. :)

The last stop on my route was Hiroshima MOCA – the Museum of Contemporary Art. This museum was different in all respects from those that preceded it – focusing on interactive art exhibitions rather than the usual. As is expected of a MOCA, the outside of the museum had plentiful sculpture surrounding it. What’s more is that the museum is in the middle of Higashiyama Park, so if you were to walk a little around the area I think you would benefit! The sakura was plentiful. The only thing is that the park and museum are a little ways away from the main sights you may be visiting.

As I mentioned, the main exhibit here focused on interactions with art, and it’s practical uses in the real world. There was so much to do here! Contrary to most art exhibits, it was encouraged that you touch and use some creations, featuring a puppet theater, a carriage creation, a library, and more.

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Apologies for the darkness of the shot… it seems slightly creepy in this light. Not altogether inaccurate, but more child-friendly than is visible here.

My favorite part was the handmade wooden stairwell that led down to the second half of the exhibit.

Once you reached the bottom of the stairs, there was a video project and several scale model recreations. All in all, I think I had good experiences across the board at art museums in Hiroshima. Though exhibits cycle, I think you’d be safe spending some time at any of the places I listed that appeals to you. It was a nice, laidback day that can be much-needed in your itinerary, depending on your other activities.

That’s all for Hiroshima you guys! I hope you’ve enjoyed it as much as I did. I think I’ll move on to local highlights next to give a bit of a break. I feel like maybe I should also offer a few more insights and information regarding the JET Program. So keep an eye out for what’s next!