1 == Bernie's brain backup of April 2009 ==
3 === Arpril 24th -- 1M meters by train ====
5 We left our comfortable hostel in Kyoto early in the morning for a second Shinkansen
6 ride of 360Km, this time on the faster [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nozomi_%28train%29|Nozomi]].
7 The one-way ticket was "just" 10,250円, equivalent to $105 or €80.
9 Unlike Kyoto, there aren't many sites of historic interest in Hiroshima because, quite
10 unsurprisingly, every building in the city center is at most 64 years old.
11 With [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hiroshima_Peace_Memorial|one notable exception]].
12 Coming such a long way only to see a broken dome and a nearby memorial
14 In the afternoon, we returned to the Hiroshima station to take the 16:01 Shinkansen,
15 and traveled in no time for another 690Km to another location which will be revealed
16 in due time. Don't miss the next amazing episode of Bernie's Adventures!
18 === April 23rd -- Kyoto last day ===
20 We visited a few more places:
28 Eating in japan can a challenge for a vegetarian who also happens to dislike fish and crustaceans.
29 The average menu has about 5% of veggie dishes, but many restaurants in tourist areas specialize
30 in traditional food such as [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sushi|sushi]] and
31 [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tempura|tempura]]. Imitations of Italian kitchen are close to
32 perfection, of course: in Tokyo, we had perfectly reasonable spaghetti with eggplants.
34 Even with my options severely limited, I could still find several exquisite dishes.
35 I quite like soups, including [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Miso_soup|miso shiru]],
36 [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ramen|ramen]] and others I ordered by pointing at the
37 fake dish in the restaurant window without ever knowing their name.
39 My favorite food so far is [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Omurice|Omurice]]. Yeah, perhaps
40 it's not as sophisticated as the average Japanese recipe. Hmm... I guess learning to
41 appreciate complex and delicate flavors takes some more time.
43 {{Pictures/vacation/japan_2009/Kyoto/Ryoanji/00016.jpg|Omurice = omelet + rice|maxwidth=640}}
45 As for beer, I still couldn't find one I like. The most popular ones, Asahi and Kirin,
46 are just tasteless dry lagers. All the drafts I could find taste like Asahi too. The
47 only good beers I had were at the [[http://www.deliriumcafe.jp/|Delirium Cafe]] in Tokyo,
48 where I had a delicious [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pauwel_Kwak|Kwak]] followed by a
49 cherry flavored [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kriek|Kriek]]. Too bad we had to stop at
50 just two to make sure we could find the way back to the hostel :-)
52 Now I'm looking for a place where I could taste vegetarian [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sukiyaki|sukiyaki]],
53 the favorite food of [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ataru_Moroboshi#Ataru_Moroboshi|Ataru Moroboshi]].
57 ==== Great temples everywhere ====
59 Yesterday was rainy, but it didn't stop us from biking around and visiting quite a lot of stuff:
61 * the [[Pictures/vacation/japan_2009/Kyoto/Ninnaji|Ninnaji temple]];
62 * the [[Pictures/vacation/japan_2009/Kyoto/Ryoanji|Ryoanji temple]], with its puzzling rock zen garden;
63 * the [[Pictures/vacation/japan_2009/Kyoto/Kinkakuji|Kinkakuji temple]] (aka golden temple);
64 * the [[Pictures/vacation/japan_2009/Kyoto/NijojoCastle|Nijojo castle]], which is actually two castles for the price of one;
65 * a quick tour of the [[Pictures/vacation/japan_2009/Kyoto/KyotoDowntown|Kyoto downtown]];
66 * the [[http://www.kyotomm.com/international/english/|International Manga Museum]] was closed already. Grrr....
68 {{Pictures/vacation/japan_2009/Kyoto/Kinkakuji/00012.jpg|the golden temple of Kinkakuji|maxwidth=800}}
70 ==== x264 goodness ====
72 I re-encoded all videos from MJPEG, the crappy native format of my Canon camera, to x264 (aka MPEG4).
73 Firefox 3.1/3.5 still doesn't grok it with the ##video## tag, but I didn't have a
74 [[http://theora.org/|Theora]] encoder installed.
78 ==== Best hostel ever ====
80 The [[Pictures/vacation/japan_2009/Kyoto/UtanoHostel|Utano hostel]] in Kyoto would rival many
81 five star hotels I've seen. Sorry I couldn't take any photos in the [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Onsen | Onsen]].
83 {{Pictures/vacation/japan_2009/Kyoto/UtanoHostel/00005.jpg|the hostel provides a traditional goan too|maxwidth=800}}
85 ==== Impressive station ====
87 The [[Pictures/vacation/japan_2009/Kyoto/ShinKyoto|Kyoto station]] is an impressive modern building,
88 worth a visit by itself.
90 {{Pictures/vacation/japan_2009/Kyoto/ShinKyoto/00015.jpg|Anime characters by Osamu Tezuka|maxwidth=640}}
92 ==== Shinkansen tour ====
94 In a jounery report, the details of transportation are usually left out as uninteresting.
95 Except if one takes the fastest train in the world! We took the
96 [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/T%C5%8Dkaid%C5%8D_Shinkansen|Tokaido Shinkansen]] line from Odawara to Kyoto,
97 riding on a [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/700_Series_Shinkansen|700-series]] train for the
98 [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hikari_%28Shinkansen%29|Hikari]] service (not the faster
99 [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nozomi_%28train%29|Nozomi]], but still very impressive).
101 The ticket cost a whopping 11240 yen per person, and I'm not even getting a
102 [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Galaxy_Express_999|machine body]] with it! ;-)
104 See [[Pictures/vacation/japan_2009/Shinkansen|the the photos]] and don't miss the
105 [[Pictures/vacation/japan_2009/Shinkansen/00009-x264.avi|pass-through]] and the
106 [[Pictures/vacation/japan_2009/Shinkansen/00011-x264.avi|on-board]] videos.
108 {{Pictures/vacation/japan_2009/Shinkansen/00006.jpg|Shinkansen|maxwidth=800}}
111 === April 19th - Hakone day 2 ===
113 {{Pictures/vacation/japan_2009/Hakone/FujiSanBernieSan.jpg|The Fuji-san (left) with Bernie-san (right)|maxwidth=1024}}
115 We took the suggested touristic itinerary around the Hakone mountains which employs all sorts
116 of transportation means: bus, cable train, rope way, cruise boat and bus again.
118 Along the way, we could see the volcanic sulfuric vents and pools, the Ashi lake with its breathtaking
119 view of the Fuji-san, the ancient cedar avenue, the old post, the detached palace gardens and the
120 beautiful [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shinto_shrine|shinto jinja shrine]] of with its
121 [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Torii|torii]] diving in the lake.
123 Of course, I took plenty of [[Pictures/vacation/japan_2009/Hakone/Trip|photos of the Hakone trip]].
125 === April 18th - Hakone ===
127 {{Pictures/vacation/japan_2009/Hakone/Hostel/00008.jpg|Our japanese style room at the Senkyoro YH|maxwidth=1024}}
129 We arrived in a small town near [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hakone,_Kanagawa|Hakone]]. I'll publish photos later.
131 **Update**: [[Pictures/vacation/japan_2009/Hakone|photos of the hostel]] are now available.
134 === April 17th - Ghibli museum in Mitaka, Ginza ===
136 {{Pictures/vacation/japan_2009/GhibliMuseum/00005.jpg|Robot from the ancient city of Laputa|maxwidth=800}}
138 The museum was actually a bit of a disappointment, but maybe just because I had my expectations so high.
139 Cameras weren't allowed inside, so I only took [[Pictures/vacation/japan_2009/GhibliMuseum|few photos]].
141 In the afternoon, we walked around the shiny neighborhood of [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ginza|Ginza]].
142 See the [[Pictures/vacation/japan_2009/Tokyo/Ginza|photos]].
144 === April 16th - Fish Market, Gardens, Tower of Tokyo, Temple ===
146 {{Pictures/vacation/japan_2009/Tokyo/Tsukiji_Fish_Market/00013.jpg | Tsukiji Fish Market |maxwidth=800}}
148 We had a very intense day where we visited a lot of places all around central Tokyo:
150 * [[Pictures/vacation/japan_2009/Tokyo/Tsukiji_Fish_Market | Tsukiji Fish Market]] ([[http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e3021.html|Japan Guide]])
151 * [[Pictures/vacation/japan_2009/Tokyo/Hama_Rikyu_Gardens | Hama Rikyu Gardens]] ([[http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e3025.html||Japan Guide]])
152 * [[Pictures/vacation/japan_2009/Tokyo/Zojoji | Zojo-ji Temple]] ([[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zojoji|Wikipedia]])
153 * [[Pictures/vacation/japan_2009/Tokyo/Tokyo_Tower | Tokyo Tower]] ([[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tokyo_Tower|Wikipedia]])
154 * [[Pictures/vacation/japan_2009/Tokyo/Reiyukai_Temple | Reiyukai Temple]] ([[http://www.reiyukai.org/|official web site]])
155 * [[Pictures/vacation/japan_2009/Tokyo/Imperial_Palace_Gardens | Imperial Palace Gardens]] ([[http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e3017.html|Japan Guide]])
156 * [[Pictures/vacation/japan_2009/Tokyo/Edo_Museum | Edo-Tokyo Museum]], which was already closed.
157 We'll try again when we come back to Tokyo ([[http://www.edo-tokyo-museum.or.jp/english | official web site]])
159 NOTE: photos still being uploaded, gomen nasai!
161 Seeing so many beautiful things at such a high frequency might make one's head spin.
162 In fact, this evening I've been dangerously close to faint in an [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Onsen | Onsen]],
163 which was really scary because I had never lost consciousness before. I had walked all day with very little
164 food and drink, which might have been part of the problem, but diving in thermal water for a long time has
165 certainly triggered it. What a [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gaijin | gaijin]] who can't even take some
168 {{Pictures/vacation/japan_2009/Tokyo/Zojoji/1.00011.jpg | Zojo-ji temple (left), Tokyo Tower (center), Bernie (right) |maxwidth=800}}
170 === April 15th - Skyscrapers everywhere ===
172 Compared to Tokyo, every other city I had visited would seem dirty, old, boring and disorganized.
173 I can't find the words to describe my amazement walking around this amazing city full of wonders.
175 {{Pictures/vacation/japan_2009/Tokyo/Roppongi/TokyoMidtown/00023.jpg|Tokyo Midtown Gardenside seen from the Galleria building|maxwidth=800}}
178 * [[Pictures/vacation/japan_2009/Tokyo/Shinjuku|Shinju-ku]] -- The district of the [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tokyo_Metropolitan_Government_Building|Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building]].
179 * [[Pictures/vacation/japan_2009/Tokyo/Roppongi|Roppongi]] -- A rich district hosting modern art museums (Art Triangle) and night life ([[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roppongi|Wikipedia]])
180 * [[Pictures/vacation/japan_2009/Tokyo/Pachinko|Pachinko]] -- Popular Japanese slot machines
182 **Update**: now finished uploading the photos
184 === April 14th - Arrival in Tokyo ===
186 {{Pictures/vacation/japan_2009/Tokyo/Sensoji_Temple/00081.jpg|The way to the Sensoji temple in Asakusa|maxwidth=800}}
188 I couldn't resist grabbing a super-cheap round trip to japan, a place I've always wanted
189 to visit. By "always", I mean: since when I was in kindergarten, watching great series
190 like [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Steel_Jeeg|SteelJeeg]] and [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mazinger_Z|MazingerZ]] on TV.
191 My dad accepted to accompany me in this trip even though he wasn't particularly fond of Japan. Until now, that is!
193 The first day was simply amazing, but I'm way to tired to tell a lot about it.
194 The [[Pictures/vacation/japan_2009/Tokyo|many photos and videos]] that I'm still uploading will hopefully serve
195 documenting this long day appropriately.
197 NOTE: if you can't watch the videos embedded in the wiki, get yourself a recent browser featuring HTML5 or
198 send me a patch adding support for old-style HTML video embedding.
202 Yes, I've neglected to update this blog for a few months. This isn't because I had nothing
203 to talk about. In fact, these months were quite intense, with a lot of notable events, including:
205 * 2009 Jan: Visited the [[Pictures/vacation/EastCoast2008|East Coast]] with Silvia
206 * 2009 Jan: Attended the [[Pictures/conf/XOCamp2009|XO Camp 2]]
207 * 2009 Feb: Attended the [[Pictures/conf/Fosdem2009|Fosdem 2009]] with a few friends from Italy and SugarLabs colleagues
209 [[Pictures/vacation/brussels_riga_stokholm_2009/Brussels | Brussels]],
210 [[Pictures/vacation/brussels_riga_stokholm_2009/Riga | Riga]] and
211 [[Pictures/vacation/brussels_riga_stokholm_2009 | Stockholm]] with Tommaso
212 * 2009 Mar: Organized a small revival of [[SystemShockBBS]] with a few original users
213 * 2009 Apr: Attended a meeting/miniconf in [[Pictures/conf/Bolzano2009|Bolzano]] with WalterBender
215 I am currently back in Florence, trying to find a way back in the US.