Kyoto

Kyoto was the imperial capital of Japan for over a thousand years and history is evident on every street corner. The city is dotted with palaces, castles, temples and shrines and is often considered the cultural seat of Japan.

We arrived in Kyoto just ahead of tropical storm Lipi and it rained the entire time we were there.  Although we didn't do justice to all the historical sights, we bravely battled the elements to visit a few special spots.

Here we are at Nijo Castle, the home of the Tokugawa Shogunate.  The most fascinating feature of this castle are the "nightingale" floorboards, which "whistle" every time anyone steps on it. Frankly, I thought is just sounded like regular creaking. Just think of it as the earliest known form of a burglar alarm system :)

We spent quite a lot of time at Nishiki Market, the Kitchen of Kyoto, because there were so many interesting ingredients, cooked food and tempting desserts. And also plenty of shade to keep us dry!  I ended up buying two special Japanese kitchen knives for my sister and I to try out our Iron Chef skills.

The Gion district is a historical area dating back from the Middle Ages, which is now more well known as the home of the geisha.  In spite of the inclement weather, we were very fortunate to spot a geisha leaving her home on the way to work.  While she was protective of her privacy, I couldn't pass up the photo opportunity.  Happy to have witnessed yet another cultural icon of Japan.

Bento Heaven

After just 2 days in the seaside town of Atami, we city girls decided we'd had enough of the countryside and took the first Shinkansen (bullet train) to Tokyo.  After wandering around Shinjuku and Harajuku for half a day while filling up on Starbucks coffee and green tea lattes in between, we headed back to Tokyo Station where this lovely photo was taken.

Once inside the station, we were looking for somewhere to eat when we stumbled into basement 1 of the Daimaru store and discovered BENTO HEAVEN!

..

From appetisers...

...to sushi bentos

From salads...

...to croquettes and all manner of fried meatballs

Not forgetting the sashimi bentos....

...and tempting tempura

This dizzying display of delicious delights left us speechless and it took several rounds of surveying and sampling before we finally decided on what to pack for dinner.  All three of us agreed that it was definitely the highlight of the day and worth making a day trip into Tokyo for.

Atami

The seaside town of Atami, in Shizuoka prefecture is situated 70 miles away from Tokyo.  This quiet little town gave me my first experience of Japan.  The town is famous for its onsen (hot springs), seafood delicacies and Museum of Art.

View of the bay from Atami Castle, which was more like a viewing platform than a real castle

If there is one thing that stands out in Atami, its the proliferation of "kiam hoo" (salted fish) shops.  Everywhere we turned, there stood yet another dried seafood shop.  However, I must give credit to the high standards of cleanliness in Japan.  While we saw them often, we didn't smell them at all.  In fact, I was often awed by the creative displays and packaging for dried fish.  

This beautiful dish on my first night in Atami led me to conclude that "you ain't had sushi until you've had sushi in Japan".  It's incomparable to any sushi I'd ever eaten.  Each mouthful is just bursting with fresh fish goodness and the rice is only a vehicle to transport the heavenly morsels.  The hint of wasabi (horseradish paste) is just enough to add the requisite bite.  Simply divine!

I will never forget this meal as long as I live.  Fresh tuna belly over a bed of rice and miso soup.  Clean, fresh, melt-in-your-mouth tuna is to die for.  I kid you not.  Unbelievably delicious! And it only cost USD9 in a delightful little "mom & pop" eatery called Treasures of the Sea.

No meal is ever complete without dessert and we girls were very fortunate to stumble upon a lovely shop that served the best creme brule custard (green tea flavour of course!), mochi with red beans and yuzu (a cross between orange & lemon) jelly.  They served free green tea so we kept returning every day for the sweet treats.

And last but not least, allow me to introduce you to my two lovely travel companions, Julina Halim (in green) and Li Ki (in red).  This photo was taken at the tranquil tea garden of the Atami Museum of Art.

Flowery Delights

Mum and Dad made their annual pilgrimage to Singapore to visit me in early May and I finally had an excuse to visit Gardens by the Bay.  Took a day off on 11 May to celebrate an early Mother's Day with mum (and dad).  We girls were in raptures over the flowers, while dad was awestruck by the amazing architectural feat.

Kudos to Singapore for really making this a world-class attraction - for both locals and tourists alike.  For those of us who fight a constant battle with the sweltering heat of tropics, being able to spend a few hours in a temperate climate with gardens filled with daffodils, lilies, tulips, camellias and roses galore is almost heaven on earth.

Well Done Singapore!!

Happy Mother's Day to my Mummy

Family portrait in the English Garden

Floral delights flown in from Holland for a special spring exhibition

Amazing architecture and hanging gardens in the Cloud Dome

Just call me Scarlett o' Hara



"Gone with the Wind" is one of my favourite movies which started my fascination with the American Civil War (1861 - 1865)  So on this trip to the South, Julie and I decided to stay overnight at one of the most beautiful plantations on the River Road in Mississippi - Oak Alley Plantation.  Two rows of centuries-old oak trees line the way up to a magnificent mansion, built by a rich Creole sugar king named Jacques Roman for his wife Celina Roman in 1837.  After seeing the beautiful antebellum house with my own eyes, I am pretty convinced that the set of "Tara" - Scarlett o' Hara's home - was modelled on Oak Alley.

 

I also came upon a delightful surprise in the form of Andre Jacob, a civil war historian, who has set up a replica of a Confederate camp on the grounds of Oak Alley.  In 20 spellbinding minutes, Andre told us the story of the capture of New Orleans and the major battles that took place around Louisiana in the early days of the Civil War. General Richard Taylor.  General Benjamin Butler.  President Abraham Lincoln.  Such magnificent tales. Music to the ears of history buffs like me.

Aunty Jo Jo with Andre Jacob, who has set up camp on the grounds of Oak Alley

 

Replica of a Confederate General's tent