== Bernie's brain backup of April 2009 ==
+=== Arpril 24th -- 1 megameter by train ====
+
+We left our comfortable hostel in Kyoto early in the morning for a second Shinkansen
+ride of 360Km, this time on the faster [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nozomi_%28train%29|Nozomi]].
+The one-way ticket was "just" 10,250円, equivalent to $105 or €80.
+
+{{Pictures/vacation/japan_2009/Hiroshima/00085.jpg|The A-Bomb peace memorial near the epicenter|maxwidth=480}}
+
+Unlike Kyoto, there aren't many sites of historic interest in Hiroshima because, quite
+unsurprisingly, every building in the city center is at most 64 years old.
+With [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hiroshima_Peace_Memorial|one notable exception]].
+Coming such a long way only to see a broken dome and a the surrounding
+[[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hiroshima_Peace_Memorial_Park|park]] might seem crazy,
+but it was definitely worth it. One of the most dramatic moments of human history
+happened right here not long ago, and survivors of about my father's age can give
+their first-hand testimony with the help of black and white photographs and melted
+items from the museum. After causing so much horror and observing its consequences,
+what did we do about it? We quickly built **thousands** of bombs much more
+destructive than [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Little_Boy|Little Boy]]. Smart indeed!
+
+As usual, I couldn't refrain from taking [[Pictures/vacation/japan_2009/Hiroshima|a load of photos]] here too.
+These probably can't deliver the pain in the chest one gets by visiting the museum,
+but might still be a little disturbing.
+
+In the afternoon, we returned to the Hiroshima station just in time to catch the 16:01
+Shinkansen for another 690Km ride to another location which will be revealed
+in due time. Don't miss the next amazing episode of Bernie's Adventures!
+
+{{Pictures/vacation/japan_2009/Hiroshima/00079.jpg|"Peace" written with origami cranes|maxwidth=480}}
+
+Also check the story behind the [[http://www.city.hiroshima.jp/shimin/heiwa/crane.html|millions of paper cranes]]
+sent from all over the world in memory of the little Sadako.
+
+=== April 23rd -- Kyoto last day ===
+
+We visited a few more places:
+
+ * Hmmm...
+
+=== April 22nd ===
+
+==== Food ====
+
+Eating in japan can a challenge for a vegetarian who also happens to dislike fish and crustaceans.
+The average menu has about 5% of veggie dishes, but many restaurants in tourist areas specialize
+in traditional food such as [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sushi|sushi]] and
+[[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tempura|tempura]]. Imitations of Italian kitchen are close to
+perfection, of course: in Tokyo, we had perfectly reasonable spaghetti with eggplants.
+
+Even with my options severely limited, I could still find several exquisite dishes.
+I quite like soups, including [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Miso_soup|miso shiru]],
+[[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ramen|ramen]] and others I ordered by pointing at the
+fake dish in the restaurant window without ever knowing their name.
+
+My favorite food so far is [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Omurice|Omurice]]. Yeah, perhaps
+it's not as sophisticated as the average Japanese recipe. Hmm... I guess learning to
+appreciate complex and delicate flavors takes some more time.
+
+{{Pictures/vacation/japan_2009/Kyoto/Ryoanji/00016.jpg|Omurice = omelet + rice|maxwidth=640}}
+
+As for beer, I still couldn't find one I like. The most popular ones, Asahi and Kirin,
+are just tasteless dry lagers. All the drafts I could find taste like Asahi too. The
+only good beers I had were at the [[http://www.deliriumcafe.jp/|Delirium Cafe]] in Tokyo,
+where I had a delicious [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pauwel_Kwak|Kwak]] followed by a
+cherry flavored [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kriek|Kriek]]. Too bad we had to stop at
+just two to make sure we could find the way back to the hostel :-)
+
+Now I'm looking for a place where I could taste vegetarian [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sukiyaki|sukiyaki]],
+the favorite food of [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ataru_Moroboshi#Ataru_Moroboshi|Ataru Moroboshi]].
+
+=== April 21st ====
+
+==== Great temples everywhere ====
+
+Yesterday was rainy, but it didn't stop us from biking around and visiting quite a lot of stuff:
+
+ * the [[Pictures/vacation/japan_2009/Kyoto/Ninnaji|Ninnaji temple]];
+ * the [[Pictures/vacation/japan_2009/Kyoto/Ryoanji|Ryoanji temple]], with its puzzling rock zen garden;
+ * the [[Pictures/vacation/japan_2009/Kyoto/Kinkakuji|Kinkakuji temple]] (aka golden temple);
+ * the [[Pictures/vacation/japan_2009/Kyoto/NijojoCastle|Nijojo castle]], which is actually two castles for the price of one;
+ * a quick tour of the [[Pictures/vacation/japan_2009/Kyoto/KyotoDowntown|Kyoto downtown]];
+ * the [[http://www.kyotomm.com/international/english/|International Manga Museum]] was closed already. Grrr....
+
+{{Pictures/vacation/japan_2009/Kyoto/Kinkakuji/00012.jpg|the golden temple of Kinkakuji|maxwidth=800}}
+
+==== x264 goodness ====
+
+I re-encoded all videos from MJPEG, the crappy native format of my Canon camera, to x264 (aka MPEG4).
+Firefox 3.1/3.5 still doesn't grok it with the ##video## tag, but I didn't have a
+[[http://theora.org/|Theora]] encoder installed.
+
+=== April 20th ===
+
+==== Best hostel ever ====
+
+The [[Pictures/vacation/japan_2009/Kyoto/UtanoHostel|Utano hostel]] in Kyoto would rival many
+five star hotels I've seen. Sorry I couldn't take any photos in the [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Onsen | Onsen]].
+
+{{Pictures/vacation/japan_2009/Kyoto/UtanoHostel/00005.jpg|the hostel provides a traditional goan too|maxwidth=800}}
+
+==== Impressive station ====
+
+The [[Pictures/vacation/japan_2009/Kyoto/ShinKyoto|Kyoto station]] is an impressive modern building,
+worth a visit by itself.
+
+{{Pictures/vacation/japan_2009/Kyoto/ShinKyoto/00015.jpg|Anime characters by Osamu Tezuka|maxwidth=640}}
+
+==== Shinkansen tour ====
+
+In a jounery report, the details of transportation are usually left out as uninteresting.
+Except if one takes the fastest train in the world! We took the
+[[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/T%C5%8Dkaid%C5%8D_Shinkansen|Tokaido Shinkansen]] line from Odawara to Kyoto,
+riding on a [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/700_Series_Shinkansen|700-series]] train for the
+[[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hikari_%28Shinkansen%29|Hikari]] service (not the faster
+[[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nozomi_%28train%29|Nozomi]], but still very impressive).
+
+The ticket cost a whopping 11240 yen per person, and I'm not even getting a
+[[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Galaxy_Express_999|machine body]] with it! ;-)
+
+See [[Pictures/vacation/japan_2009/Shinkansen|the the photos]] and don't miss the
+[[Pictures/vacation/japan_2009/Shinkansen/00009-x264.avi|pass-through]] and the
+[[Pictures/vacation/japan_2009/Shinkansen/00011-x264.avi|on-board]] videos.
+
+{{Pictures/vacation/japan_2009/Shinkansen/00006.jpg|Shinkansen|maxwidth=800}}
+
+
+=== April 19th - Hakone day 2 ===
+
+{{Pictures/vacation/japan_2009/Hakone/FujiSanBernieSan.jpg|The Fuji-san (left) with Bernie-san (right)|maxwidth=1024}}
+
+We took the suggested touristic itinerary around the Hakone mountains which employs all sorts
+of transportation means: bus, cable train, rope way, cruise boat and bus again.
+
+Along the way, we could see the volcanic sulfuric vents and pools, the Ashi lake with its breathtaking
+view of the Fuji-san, the ancient cedar avenue, the old post, the detached palace gardens and the
+beautiful [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shinto_shrine|shinto jinja shrine]] of with its
+[[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Torii|torii]] diving in the lake.
+
+Of course, I took plenty of [[Pictures/vacation/japan_2009/Hakone/Trip|photos of the Hakone trip]].
+
+=== April 18th - Hakone ===
+
+{{Pictures/vacation/japan_2009/Hakone/Hostel/00008.jpg|Our japanese style room at the Senkyoro YH|maxwidth=1024}}
+
+We arrived in a small town near [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hakone,_Kanagawa|Hakone]]. I'll publish photos later.
+
+**Update**: [[Pictures/vacation/japan_2009/Hakone|photos of the hostel]] are now available.
+
+
+=== April 17th - Ghibli museum in Mitaka, Ginza ===
+
+{{Pictures/vacation/japan_2009/GhibliMuseum/00005.jpg|Robot from the ancient city of Laputa|maxwidth=800}}
+
+The museum was actually a bit of a disappointment, but maybe just because I had my expectations so high.
+Cameras weren't allowed inside, so I only took [[Pictures/vacation/japan_2009/GhibliMuseum|few photos]].
+
+In the afternoon, we walked around the shiny neighborhood of [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ginza|Ginza]].
+See the [[Pictures/vacation/japan_2009/Tokyo/Ginza|photos]].
+
+=== April 16th - Fish Market, Gardens, Tower of Tokyo, Temple ===
+
+{{Pictures/vacation/japan_2009/Tokyo/Tsukiji_Fish_Market/00013.jpg | Tsukiji Fish Market |maxwidth=800}}
+
+We had a very intense day where we visited a lot of places all around central Tokyo:
+
+ * [[Pictures/vacation/japan_2009/Tokyo/Tsukiji_Fish_Market | Tsukiji Fish Market]] ([[http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e3021.html|Japan Guide]])
+ * [[Pictures/vacation/japan_2009/Tokyo/Hama_Rikyu_Gardens | Hama Rikyu Gardens]] ([[http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e3025.html||Japan Guide]])
+ * [[Pictures/vacation/japan_2009/Tokyo/Zojoji | Zojo-ji Temple]] ([[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zojoji|Wikipedia]])
+ * [[Pictures/vacation/japan_2009/Tokyo/Tokyo_Tower | Tokyo Tower]] ([[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tokyo_Tower|Wikipedia]])
+ * [[Pictures/vacation/japan_2009/Tokyo/Reiyukai_Temple | Reiyukai Temple]] ([[http://www.reiyukai.org/|official web site]])
+ * [[Pictures/vacation/japan_2009/Tokyo/Imperial_Palace_Gardens | Imperial Palace Gardens]] ([[http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e3017.html|Japan Guide]])
+ * [[Pictures/vacation/japan_2009/Tokyo/Edo_Museum | Edo-Tokyo Museum]], which was already closed.
+ We'll try again when we come back to Tokyo ([[http://www.edo-tokyo-museum.or.jp/english | official web site]])
+
+NOTE: photos still being uploaded, gomen nasai!
+
+Seeing so many beautiful things at such a high frequency might make one's head spin.
+In fact, this evening I've been dangerously close to faint in an [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Onsen | Onsen]],
+which was really scary because I had never lost consciousness before. I had walked all day with very little
+food and drink, which might have been part of the problem, but diving in thermal water for a long time has
+certainly triggered it. What a [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gaijin | gaijin]] who can't even take some
+hot water!
+
+{{Pictures/vacation/japan_2009/Tokyo/Zojoji/1.00011.jpg | Zojo-ji temple (left), Tokyo Tower (center), Bernie (right) |maxwidth=800}}
+
+=== April 15th - Skyscrapers everywhere ===
+
+Compared to Tokyo, every other city I had visited would seem dirty, old, boring and disorganized.
+I can't find the words to describe my amazement walking around this amazing city full of wonders.
+
+{{Pictures/vacation/japan_2009/Tokyo/Roppongi/TokyoMidtown/00023.jpg|Tokyo Midtown Gardenside seen from the Galleria building|maxwidth=800}}
+
+Photos for today:
+ * [[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]].
+ * [[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]])
+ * [[Pictures/vacation/japan_2009/Tokyo/Pachinko|Pachinko]] -- Popular Japanese slot machines
+
+**Update**: now finished uploading the photos
+
+=== April 14th - Arrival in Tokyo ===
+
+{{Pictures/vacation/japan_2009/Tokyo/Sensoji_Temple/00081.jpg|The way to the Sensoji temple in Asakusa|maxwidth=800}}
+
+I couldn't resist grabbing a super-cheap round trip to japan, a place I've always wanted
+to visit. By "always", I mean: since when I was in kindergarten, watching great series
+like [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Steel_Jeeg|SteelJeeg]] and [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mazinger_Z|MazingerZ]] on TV.
+My dad accepted to accompany me in this trip even though he wasn't particularly fond of Japan. Until now, that is!
+
+The first day was simply amazing, but I'm way to tired to tell a lot about it.
+The [[Pictures/vacation/japan_2009/Tokyo|many photos and videos]] that I'm still uploading will hopefully serve
+documenting this long day appropriately.
+
+NOTE: if you can't watch the videos embedded in the wiki, get yourself a recent browser featuring HTML5 or
+send me a patch adding support for old-style HTML video embedding.
+
=== Negligent ===
Yes, I've neglected to update this blog for a few months. This isn't because I had nothing
* 2009 Apr: Attended a meeting/miniconf in [[Pictures/conf/Bolzano2009|Bolzano]] with WalterBender
I am currently back in Florence, trying to find a way back in the US.
-
-
-=== Tue, April 14th - Tokyo ===
-
-I couldn't resist grabbing a super-cheap round trip to japan, a place I've always wanted
-to visit. By "always", I mean: since when I was in kindergarten, watching great series
-like [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Steel_Jeeg|SteelJeeg]] and [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mazinger_Z|MazingerZ]] on TV.
-My dad accepted to accompany me in this trip even though he wasn't particularly fond of Japan. Until now, that is!
-
-The first day was simply amazing, but I'm way to tired to tell a lot about it.
-The [[Pictures/vacation/japan_2009/Tokyo/Tuesday_April_14|photos and videos]] I'm still uploading hopefully
-document it appropriately.
-
-NOTE: if you can't watch the videos in the wiki, get a recent browser featuring HTML5 or send me a patch
-to add support for old-style HTML video embedding.
projects / wiki.git / blobdiff