1 == Bernie's brain dump as of April 2009 ==
3 === April 30th: Departure ===
5 ==== My father's photos ====
7 Throughout our journey, my father also took [[Pictures/vacation/japan_2009/From_Alberto|plenty of shots]]
10 ==== How to spend 8 hours in Paris ====
12 Our flight from Narita arrived at Charles de Gaulle at 4AM, and the connecting
13 flight to Florence was at 1PM. Could we spend all this time sitting in the terminal?
15 No way! My camera's battery was gone, but my father took some photos of [[Pictures/vacation/japan_2009/From_Alberto/Paris]].
18 ==== GEEK UPDATE: A productive flight ====
20 On the flight back to Europe, I spent some time hacking on [[GeekiGeeki]] to add little goodies such as
22 * a grid view for photos;
23 * automatic generation of human-readable link tags from wiki URLs;
24 * a common parser for argument lists such as "foo|bar=1|baz=3";
25 * the ability to specify css style for links and inline objects, which I'm using to produce
26 floating thumbnails on the side of pages without resorting to HTML
28 These new features will make my wiki markup even lighter than before.
29 Moreover, these additions actually resulted in further //simplification//
30 of the codebase rather than code bloat. Way to go!
33 git diff --stat v3.0..HEAD geekigeeki.py
34 geekigeeki.py | 709 ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++-----------------------------
35 1 files changed, 352 insertions(+), 357 deletions(-)
38 If you notice any regressions in the output, please report them to me.
39 I'm hoping to release 4.0 soon.
41 Tags: [[tags/stuff_that_matters]] [[tags/!bloat]] [[tags/as_simple_as_possible]] [[tags/but_no_simpler]]
44 ==== Last day in Tokyo ====
46 We gathered all our left energies for a //tour de force// of a bunch of touristic
47 locations highly recommended in our guide:
49 * The [[Pictures/vacation/japan_2009/Tokyo_Again/Edo_Museum]], along with a wonderful
50 temporary special exhibition of [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Osamu_Tezuka]].
51 * The [[Pictures/vacation/japan_2009/Tokyo_Again/Ameyoko]] markets
52 * The [[Pictures/vacation/japan_2009/Tokyo_Again/Ueno_Zoo]]
53 * The Narita airport :-(
55 === April 29th: Back to Tokyo ===
59 After one last tour of the [[Pictures/vacation/japan_2009/Nikko/town]], we left from Nikko in
60 with a low-cost private line (2h40, but only 1100 Yen all the way to Asakusa).
62 We had just one evening and half of the next day to spend in Tokyo, so we quickly dropped
63 our luggage to the [[http://www.tokyo-ih.jp/en/index.html|Tokyo International Youth Hostel]],
64 a sort of nazi camp with a great view on the 18th floor of a high-rise building in Iidabashi.
68 Because there was a strict curfew at 11PM, we had to take the metro during the rush
69 hour ([[Pictures/vacation/japan_2009/Tokyo_Again/metro|photos and videos]]) to reach
70 the [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Akihabara|Electric Town]] ([[Pictures/vacation/japan_2009/Tokyo_Again/Akihabara|photos]]).
76 {{Pictures/vacation/japan_2009/Nikko/waterfalls_tour/00038.jpg|maxwidth=640|class=thumbright|The Yutaki Waterfalls}}
78 Pictures of our day-long [[Pictures/vacation/japan_2009/Nikko/waterfalls_tour]] are now online.
79 Our friendly guide, the Buddhist monk whose name I forgot, answered many of our pending questions
80 about Japanese traditions and religion. Hiking through these sacred mountains and woods was an
83 TODO: assemble a good video from all the scenes I took along the way
85 ==== Nikko Temple Area ====
86 In the afternoon, we went to visit the [[Pictures/vacation/japan_2009/Nikko/world_heritage_site]].
87 One would expect to grow bored of Shinto and Buddhist temples after seeing many of them
88 all over Japan, but visiting the Nikko temple area was once again an extraordinary experience.
89 And I could finally spot a few [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Miko]]s too!
91 {{Pictures/vacation/japan_2009/Nikko/world_heritage_site/00096.jpg|maxwidth=640}}
95 ==== Afternoon: travel to Nikko ====
97 Nikko is in an adjacent valley east of Nagano on the Japanese alps. Unfortunately, no train lines
98 and buses connect them directly, so we had to take an expensive -- yet very fast -- Shinkansen
99 detour all the way down to Saitama and then northbound again.
101 Once at the station, we immediately realized it was a good deal, after all.
102 This mountain town overflows with temples, world heritage sites and statues of Buddah
103 spread in an extremely beautiful natural environment with many great falls, ancient woods
104 and hot springs where even wild monkeys take an onsen.
106 Our [[http://www.nikkoparklodge.com/|hostel]] is ran by Zen monks and serves an unforgettable
107 vegan dinner with seit. In the evening, we exchanged excited stories with a family of Italian tourists from Milan who had
108 chosen to travel by car rather than by train to save money and gather access to places unreachable
109 by public transport. Quite a smart idea for groups of 3-4 people who aren't afraid of driving
112 Surprisingly, one of the monks speaks perfect English. He told us that he lived in California
113 for some time. An explanation worthy of the plot of a very bad 007 movie, where locals
114 always happen to speak English somehow, saving James from the embarrassing need of resorting
115 to silly gestures in order to get his stupid Vodka Martini the way he likes it.
117 Tomorrow, of course after our morning yoga and vegan breakfast, we're going on a day long
118 guided hiking tour with the monks, which sounds really cool.
122 {{Pictures/vacation/japan_2009/Nikko/00026.jpg|Ouch!|maxwidth=640}}
124 ==== Morning: Zenko-ji ====
126 In the morning, we tried again to visit the [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zenk%C5%8D-ji|Zenko-ji]].
127 Even on a Monday, the queue was not much shorter. A nice volunteer guide advised us that
128 the pilgrims where queuing just to touch a wooden pole with an inscription on it that was
129 right in front of the temple, and we could skip aside if we weren't interested. So we did.
131 We still had to queue for half an hour inside the temple to reach the secret chamber where
132 we would get the rare opportunity to see the hidden Buddha, visible only once every seven
133 years. Quite a lucky combination! I was impressed by the devotion of the people around me.
134 The spiritual side of Japanese people does not seem to clash at all with their high-tech lifestyle.
136 Behind the temple, we were led down a narrow staircase to a dark and twisty corridor beneath
137 the temple. We had to walk in the pitch black obscurity, touching the walls in search of a
138 metal key of enlightenment. I could finally get hold of the key and turn it, but the most
139 enlightening part of this experience was hearing the crowd of tourists apologizing for bumping
140 into each other all the time ;-)
142 I only have outdoors [[Pictures/vacation/japan_2009/Nagano/Zenko-ji|photos]] becuase taking
143 pictures inside was strictly forbidden. A monk yelled at me just for fiddling too much with
144 my camera, which was quite surprising, considering how tolerant Japanese people usually are
145 towards our ignorance of their culture.
147 {{Pictures/vacation/japan_2009/Nagano/Zenko-ji/00186.jpg|The sacred inscription we can't read, let alone understand|maxwidth=800}}
149 === April 26th: Matsumoto again ===
151 ==== Back to Matsumoto ====
153 Our [[Pictures/vacation/japan_2009/Nagano/Shimizuya_Ryokan|ryokan in Nagano]] was simply great.
154 Everything was traditional Japanese-style, including the room, the onsen and the breakfast.
156 We tried to visit the [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zenk%C5%8D-ji|Zenko-ji]] right next to our
157 ryokan, but we spotted a really long queue of pilgrims at the entrance, so we went back to the
158 station to visit the [[http://localhost/wiki/Pictures/vacation/japan_2009/Matsumoto/Castle|Matsumoto Castle]],
159 one of Japan's top 3 castles ([[Pictures/vacation/japan_2009/Matsumoto/Castle|photos]]). The adjacent
160 museum was also great ([[Pictures/vacation/japan_2009/Matsumoto/Museum|photos]]). On our way back, we've found
161 a peculiar [[Pictures/vacation/japan_2009/Nagano/dancing_kids|dancing show]] with cute little girls and their
164 Apparently, by leaving Nagano we missed some kind of prayer or event held by Tibetan monks at the
165 [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zenk%C5%8D-ji|Zenko-ji]]. Too bad, it might have been a good chance
166 to show some support for the Tibetan cause. Go, Tibet, Go!!
168 {{Pictures/vacation/japan_2009/Matsumoto/Castle/00147.jpg|Soooo conventiinal!|maxwidth=640}}
169 {{Pictures/vacation/japan_2009/Matsumoto/Castle/00108.jpg|Scary, uh?|maxwidth=640}}
171 === April 25th: Matsumoto ===
173 Yesterday, we arrived on a rainy night to the mountain town of Matsumoto, where a lady with a car
174 took us from the station to a cozy [[Pictures/vacation/japan_2009/Matsumoto/family_hostel|family held hostell]].
175 The next day was rainy, so instead of going right to the famous [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Matsumoto_Castle|Matsumoto Castle]],
176 we spent the best part of the day at the [[Pictures/vacation/japan_2009/Matsumoto/Station|station]] and
177 with some dumb [[Pictures/vacation/japan_2009/Matsumoto/Shopping|shopping]].
179 In the evening, we headed to [[http://wikitravel.org/en/Nagano|Nagano]], a city famous for the
180 1998 winter olimpics and for an ancient [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zenk%C5%8D-ji|buddhist temple]].
182 {{Pictures/vacation/japan_2009/Nagano/Shimizuya_Ryokan/00053.jpg|All sorts of accommodations come with good wi-fi, including traditional ryokans|maxwidth=800}}
184 === April 24th -- over 1 [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Megametre|megameter]] by train ====
186 **UPDATE**: the report for [[blog/2009/April#kyoto-higashiyama|April 21st]] is now available!
188 We left our comfortable hostel in Kyoto early in the morning for a second Shinkansen
189 ride of 360Km, this time on the faster [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nozomi_%28train%29|Nozomi]].
190 The one-way ticket was "just" 10,250円, equivalent to $105 or €80.
192 {{Pictures/vacation/japan_2009/Hiroshima/00085.jpg|The A-Bomb peace memorial near the epicenter|maxwidth=480}}
194 Unlike Kyoto, there aren't many sites of historic interest in Hiroshima because, quite
195 unsurprisingly, every building in the city center is at most 64 years old.
196 With [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hiroshima_Peace_Memorial|one notable exception]].
197 Coming such a long way only to see a broken dome and a the surrounding
198 [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hiroshima_Peace_Memorial_Park|park]] might seem crazy,
199 but it was definitely worth it. One of the most dramatic moments of human history
200 happened right here not long ago, and survivors of about my father's age can give
201 their first-hand testimony with the help of black and white photographs and melted
202 items from the museum. After causing so much horror and observing its consequences,
203 what did we do about it? We quickly built **thousands** of bombs much more
204 destructive than [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Little_Boy|Little Boy]]. Smart move.
206 As usual, I couldn't refrain from taking [[Pictures/vacation/japan_2009/Hiroshima|a load of photos]] here too.
207 These probably can't deliver the pain in the chest one gets by visiting the museum,
208 but might still be a little disturbing.
210 In the afternoon, we returned to the Hiroshima station just in time to catch the 16:01
211 Shinkansen for another 690Km ride to another location which will be revealed
212 in due time. Don't miss the next amazing episode of Bernie's Adventures!
214 {{Pictures/vacation/japan_2009/Hiroshima/00079.jpg|"Peace" written with origami cranes|maxwidth=640}}
216 Also check the story behind the [[http://www.city.hiroshima.jp/shimin/heiwa/crane.html|millions of paper cranes]]
217 sent from all over the world in memory of the little Sadako.
219 === April 23rd -- Last day in Kyoto ===
221 ==== Morning: Arashiyama by bike ====
223 In the morning of this sunny day, we biked to a few locations on the
226 * [[Pictures/vacation/japan_2009/Kyoto/Dakakuji|Dakakuji]], an active Shingon Buddhist temple
227 * [[Pictures/vacation/japan_2009/Kyoto/Tenryuji|Tenryuji]], another beautiful Buddhist temple with a beautiful Zen garden, next to a bamboo forest
228 * [[Pictures/vacation/japan_2009/Kyoto/Monkey_Park|Monkey Park]], a place where you can closely observe and interact with [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Macaque|Japanese macaques]].
230 {{Pictures/vacation/japan_2009/Kyoto/Monkey_Park/00028.jpg|see no evil, hear no evil, speak no English|maxwidth=800}}
232 ==== Evening: a city I did not like ====
234 At last, I've found a place I actually didn't like much in Japan!
235 The first impression of Osaka's central station was that it was old and
236 dirty. Of course one could still eat on the floor, and coming from
237 [[Pictures/vacation/japan_2009/Kyoto/Shin_Kyoto|Kyoto's station]] might
238 have compromised my judgement. There was big crowd of busy people
239 everywhere, and if //you// bump into someone, //they// don't apologize
242 Our copy of the Lonely Planet highly recommended [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/D%C5%8Dtonbori|Dotonbori]]
243 at night for its "Blade Runner views", so we headed there. They must have watched
244 a version of the movie with bad special fx, because all I could observe in
245 Dotonbori was a narrow street sided by neon signs of restaurants and pachinkos.
246 Just above average, imho, and certainly not worth the time and the price of the
247 train ticket. Unless you're a moth, perhaps.
249 {{http://www.codewiz.org/wiki/Pictures/vacation/japan_2009/Osaka/00003.jpg|The Osaka central station|maxwidth=800}}
251 We granted our guide a second chance and choosing their highest rated
252 restaurant in Dotombori, one specialized in [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Udon|udon]].
253 There was no English menu and the only food I could order was a chest of cold
254 spaghetti on a bamboo crate with no sauce but a cup of soy sauce, also cold of course,
255 in which one could dip them separately. Or so I understood: the waiters were extremely
256 kind but wouldn't speak English, which created even more confusion. //Dulcis in fundo//,
257 the bill was much higher than usual and they wouldn't take credit cards.
259 We rushed back to the metro to Shin-Osaka, JR train to Kyoto, local train to
260 Arashiyama, where our bikes were still waiting for us for the ride back home.
265 ==== Kyoto Higashiyama ====
267 Today we walked along the east side of Kyoto, north to south:
269 * [[Pictures/vacation/japan_2009/Kyoto/Ginkakuji|Ginkakuji]] -- rock garden with a view point;
270 * [[Pictures/vacation/japan_2009/Kyoto/Eikando|Eikando]] ([[http://www.eikando.or.jp/English/index_eng.htm|home page]]) -- an active Buddhist temple
271 * [[Pictures/vacation/japan_2009/Kyoto/Chion-in|Chion-in]] -- huge temple with the largest bell in Japan
272 * [[Pictures/vacation/japan_2009/Kyoto/Sennen-zaka|Sennen-zaka]] -- a trendy touristic way with maikos (aka geishas);
273 * [[Pictures/vacation/japan_2009/Kyoto/Jishu-jinja|Jishu-jinja]] -- a temple hanging on a cliff with an impressive scaffolding;
274 * [[Pictures/vacation/japan_2009/Kyoto/Fushimiinari-taisha|Fushimiinari-taisha]] -- The multi-torii tunnel. My #1 favorite shrine!!!
276 {{Pictures/vacation/japan_2009/Kyoto/Chion-in/00056.jpg|The huge bell of Chion-in|maxwidth=800}}
280 Eating in japan can a challenge for a vegetarian who also happens to dislike fish and crustaceans.
281 The average menu has about 5% of veggie dishes, but many restaurants in tourist areas specialize
282 in traditional food such as [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sushi|sushi]] and
283 [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tempura|tempura]]. Imitations of Italian kitchen are close to
284 perfection, of course: in Tokyo, we had perfectly reasonable spaghetti with eggplants.
286 Even with my options severely limited, I could still find several exquisite dishes.
287 I quite like soups, including [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Miso_soup|miso shiru]],
288 [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ramen|ramen]] and others I ordered by pointing at the
289 fake dish in the restaurant window without ever knowing their name.
291 My favorite food so far is [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Omurice|Omurice]]. Yeah, perhaps
292 it's not as sophisticated as the average Japanese recipe. Hmm... I guess learning to
293 appreciate complex and delicate flavors takes some more time.
295 {{Pictures/vacation/japan_2009/Kyoto/Ryoanji/00016.jpg|Omurice = omelet + rice|maxwidth=640}}
297 As for beer, I still couldn't find one I like. The most popular ones, Asahi and Kirin,
298 are just tasteless dry lagers. All the drafts I could find taste like Asahi too. The
299 only good beers I had were at the [[http://www.deliriumcafe.jp/|Delirium Cafe]] in Tokyo,
300 where I had a delicious [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pauwel_Kwak|Kwak]] followed by a
301 cherry flavored [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kriek|Kriek]]. Too bad we had to stop at
302 just two to make sure we could find the way back to the hostel :-)
304 Now I'm looking for a place where I could taste vegetarian [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sukiyaki|sukiyaki]],
305 the favorite food of [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ataru_Moroboshi#Ataru_Moroboshi|Ataru Moroboshi]].
309 ==== Great temples everywhere ====
311 Yesterday was rainy, but it didn't stop us from biking around and visiting quite a lot of stuff:
313 * the [[Pictures/vacation/japan_2009/Kyoto/Ninnaji|Ninnaji temple]];
314 * the [[Pictures/vacation/japan_2009/Kyoto/Ryoanji|Ryoanji temple]], with its puzzling rock zen garden;
315 * the [[Pictures/vacation/japan_2009/Kyoto/Kinkakuji|Kinkakuji temple]] (aka golden temple);
316 * the [[Pictures/vacation/japan_2009/Kyoto/Nijojo_Castle|Nijojo castle]], which is actually two castles for the price of one;
317 * a quick tour of the [[Pictures/vacation/japan_2009/Kyoto/Kyoto_downtown|Kyoto downtown]];
318 * the [[http://www.kyotomm.com/international/english/|International Manga Museum]] was closed already. Grrr....
320 {{Pictures/vacation/japan_2009/Kyoto/Kinkakuji/00012.jpg|the golden temple of Kinkakuji|maxwidth=800}}
322 ==== x264 goodness ====
324 I re-encoded all videos from MJPEG, the crappy native format of my Canon camera, to x264 (aka MPEG4).
325 Firefox 3.1/3.5 still doesn't grok it with the ##video## tag, but I didn't have a
326 [[http://theora.org/|Theora]] encoder installed.
330 ==== Best hostel ever ====
332 The [[Pictures/vacation/japan_2009/Kyoto/Utano_Hostel|Utano hostel]] in Kyoto would rival many
333 five star hotels I've seen. Sorry I couldn't take any photos in the [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Onsen | Onsen]].
335 {{Pictures/vacation/japan_2009/Kyoto/Utano_Hostel/00005.jpg|the hostel provides a traditional goan too|maxwidth=800}}
337 ==== Impressive station ====
339 The [[Pictures/vacation/japan_2009/Kyoto/Shin_Kyoto|Kyoto station]] is an impressive modern building,
340 worth a visit by itself.
342 {{Pictures/vacation/japan_2009/Kyoto/Shin_Kyoto/00015.jpg|Anime characters by Osamu Tezuka|maxwidth=640}}
344 ==== Shinkansen tour ====
346 In a jounery report, the details of transportation are usually left out as uninteresting.
347 Except if one takes the fastest train in the world! We took the
348 [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/T%C5%8Dkaid%C5%8D_Shinkansen|Tokaido Shinkansen]] line from Odawara to Kyoto,
349 riding on a [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/700_Series_Shinkansen|700-series]] train for the
350 [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hikari_%28Shinkansen%29|Hikari]] service (not the faster
351 [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nozomi_%28train%29|Nozomi]], but still very impressive).
353 The ticket cost a whopping 11240 yen per person, and I'm not even getting a
354 [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Galaxy_Express_999|machine body]] with it! ;-)
356 See [[Pictures/vacation/japan_2009/Shinkansen|the the photos]] and don't miss the
357 [[Pictures/vacation/japan_2009/Shinkansen/00009-x264.avi|pass-through]] and the
358 [[Pictures/vacation/japan_2009/Shinkansen/00011-x264.avi|on-board]] videos.
360 {{Pictures/vacation/japan_2009/Shinkansen/00006.jpg|Shinkansen|maxwidth=800}}
363 === April 19th - Hakone day 2 ===
365 {{Pictures/vacation/japan_2009/Hakone/FujiSanBernieSan.jpg|The Fuji-san (left) with Bernie-san (right)|maxwidth=1024}}
367 We took the suggested touristic itinerary around the Hakone mountains which employs all sorts
368 of transportation means: bus, cable train, rope way, cruise boat and bus again.
370 Along the way, we could see the volcanic sulfuric vents and pools, the Ashi lake with its breathtaking
371 view of the Fuji-san, the ancient cedar avenue, the old post, the detached palace gardens and the
372 beautiful [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shinto_shrine|shinto jinja shrine]] of with its
373 [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Torii|torii]] diving in the lake.
375 Of course, I took plenty of [[Pictures/vacation/japan_2009/Hakone/Trip|photos of the Hakone trip]].
377 === April 18th - Hakone ===
379 {{Pictures/vacation/japan_2009/Hakone/Hostel/00008.jpg|Our japanese style room at the Senkyoro YH|maxwidth=1024}}
381 We arrived in a small town near [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hakone,_Kanagawa|Hakone]]. I'll publish photos later.
383 **Update**: [[Pictures/vacation/japan_2009/Hakone|photos of the hostel]] are now available.
386 === April 17th - Ghibli museum in Mitaka, Ginza ===
388 {{Pictures/vacation/japan_2009/GhibliMuseum/00005.jpg|Robot from the ancient city of Laputa|maxwidth=800}}
390 The museum was actually a bit of a disappointment, but maybe just because I had my expectations so high.
391 Cameras weren't allowed inside, so I only took [[Pictures/vacation/japan_2009/GhibliMuseum|few photos]].
393 In the afternoon, we walked around the shiny neighborhood of [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ginza|Ginza]].
394 See the [[Pictures/vacation/japan_2009/Tokyo/Ginza|photos]].
396 === April 16th - Fish Market, Gardens, Tower of Tokyo, Temple ===
398 {{Pictures/vacation/japan_2009/Tokyo/Tsukiji_Fish_Market/00013.jpg | Tsukiji Fish Market |maxwidth=800}}
400 We had a very intense day where we visited a lot of places all around central Tokyo:
402 * [[Pictures/vacation/japan_2009/Tokyo/Tsukiji_Fish_Market | Tsukiji Fish Market]] ([[http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e3021.html|Japan Guide]])
403 * [[Pictures/vacation/japan_2009/Tokyo/Hama_Rikyu_Gardens | Hama Rikyu Gardens]] ([[http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e3025.html||Japan Guide]])
404 * [[Pictures/vacation/japan_2009/Tokyo/Zojoji | Zojo-ji Temple]] ([[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zojoji|Wikipedia]])
405 * [[Pictures/vacation/japan_2009/Tokyo/Tokyo_Tower | Tokyo Tower]] ([[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tokyo_Tower|Wikipedia]])
406 * [[Pictures/vacation/japan_2009/Tokyo/Reiyukai_Temple | Reiyukai Temple]] ([[http://www.reiyukai.org/|official web site]])
407 * [[Pictures/vacation/japan_2009/Tokyo/Imperial_Palace_Gardens | Imperial Palace Gardens]] ([[http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e3017.html|Japan Guide]])
408 * [[Pictures/vacation/japan_2009/Tokyo/Edo_Museum | Edo-Tokyo Museum]], which was already closed.
409 We'll try again when we come back to Tokyo ([[http://www.edo-tokyo-museum.or.jp/english | official web site]])
411 NOTE: photos still being uploaded, gomen nasai!
413 Seeing so many beautiful things at such a high frequency might make one's head spin.
414 In fact, this evening I've been dangerously close to faint in an [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Onsen | Onsen]],
415 which was really scary because I had never lost consciousness before. I had walked all day with very little
416 food and drink, which might have been part of the problem, but diving in thermal water for a long time has
417 certainly triggered it. What a [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gaijin | gaijin]] who can't even take some
420 {{Pictures/vacation/japan_2009/Tokyo/Zojoji/1.00011.jpg | Zojo-ji temple (left), Tokyo Tower (center), Bernie (right) |maxwidth=800}}
422 === April 15th - Skyscrapers everywhere ===
424 Compared to Tokyo, every other city I had visited would seem dirty, old, boring and disorganized.
425 I can't find the words to describe my amazement walking around this amazing city full of wonders.
427 {{Pictures/vacation/japan_2009/Tokyo/Roppongi/TokyoMidtown/00023.jpg|Tokyo Midtown Gardenside seen from the Galleria building|maxwidth=800}}
430 * [[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]].
431 * [[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]])
432 * [[Pictures/vacation/japan_2009/Tokyo/Pachinko|Pachinko]] -- Popular Japanese slot machines
434 **Update**: now finished uploading the photos
436 === April 14th - Arrival in Tokyo ===
438 {{Pictures/vacation/japan_2009/Tokyo/Sensoji_Temple/00081.jpg|The way to the Sensoji temple in Asakusa|maxwidth=800}}
440 I couldn't resist grabbing a super-cheap round trip to japan, a place I've always wanted
441 to visit. By "always", I mean: since when I was in kindergarten, watching great series
442 like [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Steel_Jeeg|SteelJeeg]] and [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mazinger_Z|MazingerZ]] on TV.
443 My dad accepted to accompany me in this trip even though he wasn't particularly fond of Japan. Until now, that is!
445 The first day was simply amazing, but I'm way to tired to tell a lot about it.
446 The [[Pictures/vacation/japan_2009/Tokyo|many photos and videos]] that I'm still uploading will hopefully serve
447 documenting this long day appropriately.
449 NOTE: if you can't watch the videos embedded in the wiki, get yourself a recent browser featuring HTML5 or
450 send me a patch adding support for old-style HTML video embedding.
454 Yes, I've neglected to update this blog for a few months. This isn't because I had nothing
455 to talk about. In fact, these months were quite intense, with a lot of notable events, including:
457 * 2009 Jan: Visited the [[Pictures/vacation/EastCoast2008|East Coast]] with Silvia
458 * 2009 Jan: Attended the [[Pictures/conf/XOCamp2009|XO Camp 2]]
459 * 2009 Feb: Attended the [[Pictures/conf/Fosdem2009|Fosdem 2009]] with a few friends from Italy and SugarLabs colleagues
461 [[Pictures/vacation/brussels_riga_stokholm_2009/Brussels | Brussels]],
462 [[Pictures/vacation/brussels_riga_stokholm_2009/Riga | Riga]] and
463 [[Pictures/vacation/brussels_riga_stokholm_2009 | Stockholm]] with Tommaso
464 * 2009 Mar: Organized a small revival of [[SystemShockBBS]] with a few original users
465 * 2009 Apr: Attended a meeting/miniconf in [[Pictures/conf/Bolzano2009|Bolzano]] with WalterBender
467 I am currently back in Florence, trying to find a way back in the US.