I received dripped soup.
One package makes one cup of soup.
The system is the same as making a coffee: just pour hot water.
It tasted good.
This is dashi (seaweed and bonito stock).
Beauty and Healthy Day
I returned from Canada; surely I over ate.
I made a glass of juice (carrots, apple, parsley and lemon.
Hopefully, this will cleanse my body.
In the afternoon, I went to beauty salon and a bodywork.
It was a maintenance day.
Tonight, the rainbow bridge is lighted in rainbow colour. Lucky.
Short Trip to Canada (Day 5)
Last breakfast in Canada.
Took a ferry (BC Ferries) to Vancouver.
Time to return for Tokyo. Boo hoo
On the plane, I enjoyed food and movies (Absolutely Fabulous, Eye in the Sky and War Dogs).
Refreshment: Tomato Juice
Lunch: smoked salmon, salad, grilled AAA beef tenderloin, fresh fruit, chocolate cake and ice cream.
Light Meal Before Landing: Ravioli
I’m back in Tokyo…
I wish I could stay longer.
Short Trip to Canada (Day 4)
I woke up and found a card…
I opened a door as it says…
Yeah! Thank you Santa!
Stocking can always make us happy.
It’s time to leave Banff; but, finally I had a nice clear day.
I could clearly see Canadian Rockies.
I didn’t know that I had this view from my room till now…departure…
On the way to the Calgary airport, I could observe numerous mountains clearly.
Cascade Mountain
Overlooking Banff
Rundle Mountain
Due to the angle, it looks like a caterpillar…?
Ha Ling Peak
The pointy mountain on the right.
Three mountains at far left are Three Sisters.
Three Sisters
Rohido Mountain
It’s trapezoid/trapezium topped mountain.
Mt. Yamnuska
The end of Canadian Rockies.
It looks like a Gyoza (dumpling).
It was fun to hunt for mountains.
I became thirsty after hunting for mountans.
At the Calgary Airport, I enjoyed detox cold press juice, Jugo Juice Max Vege.
It looks vege, but it is easy to drink and delicious.
Time to head for Victoria.
Sayonara Banff!
I thought I can take a nap on the plane.
However, I enjoyed watching Canadian Rockies.
I could clearly see them from plane!
Aren’t they gorgeous?
Started decending.
Konnichiwa Victoria.
First, went to the Butchart Gardens for afternoon tea (lunch).
After afternoon tea, visited few gardens.
Sunken Garden
Japanese Garden
Italian Garden
Then left for the Parliament Building.
The Parliament Building is nicely decorated for Christmas.
Tonight’s’ hotel, the Grand Pacific Hotel is just next to the Parliament Building.
Hotel room is cozy.
And their hospitality is sweet.
A hotel staff visited my room to extend me a warm Merry Christmas, a greeting card and Christmas cookies!
So sweet!
After freshen up, went out for a seafood dinner.
Salmon was cooked on a board of cedar (perhaps, to get smoked aroma…?) and vegetables were hiding under a board.
I’m glad that I came during Christmas because a town itself dresses up for Christmas and everybody is in a good spirit wishing for everybody’s happiness.
Merry Christmas!
Short Trip to Canada (Day 3)
Today is the day for Canadian Rockies hunting.
Eat well, prepare well.
First, went to the Banff National Park to see the Bow Fall.
However, it’s cold and snowing; it’s difficult to find a fall itself in the photo.
It’s at left side of photo.
Then, visited the Surprise Corner where we could take a nice photo of our hotel, Fairmont Banff Springs Hotel.
Today I also enjoyed a nice walk in snow at Johnston Canyon.
I walked for 1.3 km to lower falls.
I admired nature in many ways.
Water is frozen; and it’s in nice blue.
Limestone
This is lower falls; it’s just amazing.
Water is so blue…
This is a good photo spot for Morant’s Curve if I manage to catch a train.
We had lunch at Fairmont Chateau Louise.
This hotel is located just in front of Lake Louise.
Lake Loise is overlooked by Victoria Glaicer.
During the winter, Lake Loise become a skate link.
I had lunch at LAGO..
After lunch, it was time for exercise.
I wear snowshoes to go to Paint Lake.
It was a long way to the lake.
Peyto Lake.
I manage to see Rockies as well.
It was worth walking there.
Bow Lake
It’s covered by snow; I cannot tell it’s a lake or great plain.
Crowfoot Glacier
The glaicier is in a shape of crowfoot.
Castle Mountain
The shape of mountains are in shape of castle…?
Vermilion Lake
This lake will turn into red with sunset.
Today, it remained in WHITE.
The last spot is observation point overlooking Banff.
There is a group of Big Horn Sheep and the Sulfur Mountain.
There is a natural hot spring at the Sulfur Mountain.
Unfortunately, I don’t have time to try it this time; therefore, I bought a packet of this to try the Banff Hot Spring at home.
It is Christmas Eve.
I had turkey and Christmas desserts for dinner.
By the way, Marilyn Monroe stayed in this hotel and this is the proof.
She took a film of “A River of No Return” here in Banff.
I’m glad that I’m spending my Christmas here.
I wish you Merry Christmas!
Short Trip to Canada (Day 2)
Sun rises rate in Vancouver at 8:10 am; could it be due to its high latitude?
I enjoyed viewing Vancouver from the hotel observation restaurant.
Unfortunately, it’s raining, but it’s okay because I will move to Banff for the main activities, visiting Canadian Rockies.
While waiting for the boarding time, I enjoyed a nice cup of French Vanilla at Tim Hortons (Canadian Coffee Shops that is not available in Japan).
Just nice, it’s boarding time!
Wow, it’s snowing in Calgary.
Touched down…
The luggage turn table is so cute!
It’s snowing and -6C outside; because of snow, there were few accidents causing a heavy traffic.
It took us three hours to reach Banff.
Checked-in at the Fairmont Banff Springs Hotel; it’s like a castle.
The place is nicely decorated for Christmas.
It was fun to walk around the premises.
I also had a nice Alberta Beef with Canadian red wine (Cedar Creek) and Ice Wine (Pilliteri) for dinner.
Now I will rest in nice room.
Zzzzzz
Short Trip to Canada (Day 1)
I’m in Vancouver now; I’ll write about my short trip to Canada.
First, I started enjoying my trip shopping cosmetics at Narita Airport.
It’s Year-End and I just cleared old make-ups from my make-up box.
Unfortunately, I couldn’t get an eye shadow that I was eyeing on because it was sold out.
However, according to a sales person, I might be able to get it at other places such as duty free shops at other countries or department stores in Tokyo. Ahhhhh
I didn’t get the one I wanted, but I managed to get others and very happy about it. fufufu
This is my first time to travel by Air Canada.
It is nice! Absolutely nice!
A seat and facilities are nice, it’s totally flat and look at a headphone!
I watched few movies with it.
Movies are Anthropoid (I didn’t know that Czech people had a hard time during WWII) and Mogan (British-American Science Fiction Horror movie).
Food and drinks are good.
I tried Canadian wine: Peninsula Ridge VQA, Cabernet Shiraz, Canada.
It’s nice!
Appetizer was smoked tuna.
Main dish was sautéed chicken.
Fresh fruit and cheese (I was convinced to have cheese. Canadian cheese are nice!)
And cheese cake for dessert.
Then, I had seafood paelia for breakfast.
After 9 hours of flight, I landed Vancouver!
I just had breakfast on the flight, but due to the delay of arrival, it’s time for our lunch… we went to lunch…
Lunch was at the nice dining place, the Granville Island Hotel.
It’s nice cod…if I were hungry, I would enjoy it more.
After lunch, went to Granville Island Market.
Market always excites me!
Then went to the Totem Pole Park in the Stanley Park to admire the Downtown Vancouver.
I could view Canada Place (this building was the Canada Pavilion for the World Expo), floating Gas Station (a gas station for yachts and flying boats) and high-rising buildings at the city of Vancouver.
Can you find a flying boat?
Floating Gas Starion Cheveron.
Canada Place
Totem Poles
Tonight, Staying at the Empire Landmark Hotel.
After settling down in a room, I went to a nearby supermarket.
Actually, it’s not an ordinal my supermarket…because it’s the Whole Foods Market…
I bought those for myself… because this supermarket emphasize on health and beauty.
This supermarkets sell beauty products as well.
I’ve been eating all day, but it became time for dinner.
A restaurant is located on 42F of the hotel and it rotates.
I can see whole Vancouver from this restaurant.
Nice panorama Vancouver views and candle light dinner are absolutely romantic, but it aren’t help me to take photos of food.
You might not see it, but these are delicious.
If you are looking for a place to dine in Vancouver, you should consider here.
I had a long day by spending the same day twice.
It’s time for me to go to bed.
Oyasuminasai.
Today’s Findings
Today I spotted this experimental project (Ha:mo) at Marinouchi, Tokyo.
This is an eco car (low CO2 emission, saving energy and saving space) developed by Toyota.
Ha:mo shared system is currently experimented at Tokyo and Grenoble, France.
It is ideal for ride and drop concept to be used at cities and sightseeings.
Designated car parks for Ha:mo are available at office, shopping, hospital, etc.
I wonder how’s the ride like..?
At Tokyo Station, I had a bowl of tendon at Keyaki, Tokyo Station Kitchen Street for lunch.
And I had a Santa cup cake at Fairycake, Tokyo Station for dessert.
It’s so cute!
For dinner, I had my favorite Big Mac!
There isn’t any MacDonalds in my area so it’s nice to have it once in a while.
I’m full and still tired from yesterday; I plan to go to bed early tonight. Zzzzzz
Golf @ Satsuki Golf Club Kanuma Course
I played golf yesterday (on 19 December 2016).
I usually go to golf by car, but this time, we took train.
It’s our Year-End golf and we plan to have Year-Emd party with drinks after the game.
The game starts at 9:30 am; therefore, I took 7:42 train (Kegon 1).
This train goes all the way to Nikko where there is a nice shrine named Nikko Toshogu.
One day I will introduce Nikko when I visit there.
The weather was very nice (sunny, warm and no wind), perfect for a golf game.
However, my game wasn’t good; I just couldn’t hit right.
After nine was better, after lunch.
I had Genghis Khan (lamb) for lunch and it was nice.
Other than my game, everything was nice: golf course, weather, food, bath, fee (my friend had a special discount) and Year-End Party food.
It was just my game… boo hoo
Interesting Sunday from Wine Tasting to Ichiran Tonkotsu Ramen
I went to Roppongi Midtown (shopping complex) to buy thermal shirts at Uniqlo.
Before I do some shopping, I thought it’s better to get a point card.
I was informed that it takes one hour to prepare a point card cum credit card (free annual membership with benefits).
Fortunately or unfortunately, there is a free and charged wine tasting area.
While waiting for my point card to get ready, I tried a ship of numerous wines…
And nice (charged) wines.
This is a glass of Corton Clos Du Roi 2010 (USD 80 per bottle).
and Chateau Mouton Rothschild 2013 (USD 430 per bottle).
The price for tasting these two wines (20 mil each) and a pair of wine glasses to bring back for USD 30.
It was fun.
Did I go to Uniqlo? No…decided to go for dinner.
I found a nice Ramen shop: Ichiran.
It’s been there, but I’ve never tried this one.
After buying a ticket from the vending machine (not much of choice, either simple ramen with char siu (sliced of porks) and negi (leeks) for JPY 710/USD 7.1 or with hanjuku tamago (half boiled egg) for JPY 910/USD 9.1), I had to wait to be assisted.
According to a board, the store was full house.
Then, I was led to my cubicle and asked to fill up how I want my Ramen to be prepared: strength of flavor, oiliness, amount of garlic, with or without leeks, with or without char siu, secret recipe spicy sauce, hardness of noodle and any additional request such as more garlics and secret spicy sauce for additional cost.
This is how my cubicle looks like.
A half boiled egg was served first.
It’s hard to see a store staff over a cloth curtain, but after serving my Ramen, wooden curtain was closed to give me a total privacy. hahaha
If you like Tonkotsu Ramen (thick pork flavoured Ramen), Ichiran is highly recommended.
If you like a spicy ramen, you can request secret recipe spicy sauce to level 10 for free.
I tried 1/2 for a beginner.
This Ramen is very gooooooood!
sonokotchi 