Trajan’s Market

Today, we kicked around Trajan’s Market in Rome. Sort of like the world’s first mall, this massive place housed about 150 shops. The architecture of the building is lovely. I was a little nervous on the high parts, looking down over the archeological ruins. I mean, the Romans were great builders, but the wall keeping me from falling down a million feet was 2000 years old!!!!

We also noticed while at the market that seagulls have overtaken Rome. They eat the other birds and are very aggressive. Our guide (later in the day) said they got used to having all the historical sites to themselves and now they want them back! It used to be cats in Rome, but now it's seagulls!!

Switching to Melinda's Italian Adventure!

 So, after a long season of Covid, we are taking a long-awaited trip to Italy (summer 2022). I am hoping to be able to add photos and things from that trip here. Not quite Japan, but still pretty cool. :)

Leaving Japan and arriving home

Well, it has been a long time since my last post.  In mid-July Sam and I left Tokyo for Italy and then Turkey and then Oklahoma. From Oklahoma we (along with Graham and my brother--really my brother did all the driving) drove to North Carolina.  We have been back for weeks, but been busy with school and school and school!

Sam and I disregarded the "put all your electronic devices away" announcement on the plane in order to photograph our final view of Japan. It was a beautiful day--very, very hard to leave on such a day.  And our final view of the beautiful island of Honshu was spectacular. Here is Mount Fuji on a clear day from far above:

 

I will try to post a few photos from our journey home soon.

More Five o'clock chimes in Tokyo

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cPdkwu-HciY

This next one is really pretty. It is evidently a winter chime because Tokyo is already dark (at 5) and you can see the Tokyo Tower lit up.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vbRJucd1CG4&NR=1

 A little more distant but still pretty:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=icjcvKeC4xQ&NR=1

The 5:00 chimes

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DNWHX9ZJa60&feature=related

The bells chime...for me!

Every evening at 5:00 bells chime all over Tokyo to mark the hour. And, if you are at the park in Omotesando at 6:00 the temple guardians mark the hour with gongs.  We have enjoyed the chimes and gongs all year until now.  It seems that every chime signals that the minutes of our Asian tour are melting away and it's almost time to leave.  While we are all very excited to be coming home, it is also very sad to leave the friends we have made here and all the special places we have come to enjoy over the last year.  Tonight we are taking friends to one of our Turkish restaurants (Friday is belly dancer night).  Tomorrow we will resume packing.  I am also not looking forward to unpacking all the boxes when they come!  Graham leaves first. He will leave for Oklahoma next Thursday. Then the following Thursday Sam and I will follow, taking a detour in Italy and Istanbul before heading to Oklahoma to retrieve the car and lizard and drive home.  It's too bad we can't hop on a bullet train and not have to worry about driving so far!  But, on the other hand, it will be nice to be back in the land of clothing that does not fit too snugly. :)

Undokai

All the Japanese schools hold something called Undokai each year. This is "sports day." The stores sell caps that are red on one side and white on the other and the school is divided into red and white teams to compete in various things such as races, dancing, and an even where one child is held on the shoulders of two other children and the child on top tries to push another child on top of someone's shoulders off onto the ground.  There is also an even where the children race giant bouncy balls--maybe 8 or 9 feet in diameter.  Sam's team, the white team, won this year and he was very happy.  I have several videos of undokai to post.