X-Git-Url: https://codewiz.org/gitweb?p=wiki.git;a=blobdiff_plain;f=blog%2F2009%2FApril;h=78f6277c7177d75ea5a6a599812039aa3a03c4ea;hp=3282bba5e55e66dbebdb964735f3834d084fdf74;hb=83e54ccc73100024f37337d27661fab3c82b0661;hpb=04d69677527b0d5b44adea0f8559109bdca4f11d diff --git a/blog/2009/April b/blog/2009/April deleted file mode 100644 index 3282bba..0000000 --- a/blog/2009/April +++ /dev/null @@ -1,215 +0,0 @@ -== Bernie's brain backup of April 2009 == - -=== Arpril 24th -- 1M meters 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. - -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 nearby memorial - -In the afternoon, we returned to the Hiroshima station to take the 16:01 Shinkansen, -and traveled in no time for another 690Km to another location which will be revealed -in due time. Don't miss the next amazing episode of Bernie's Adventures! - -=== 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 -to talk about. In fact, these months were quite intense, with a lot of notable events, including: - - * 2009 Jan: Visited the [[Pictures/vacation/EastCoast2008|East Coast]] with Silvia - * 2009 Jan: Attended the [[Pictures/conf/XOCamp2009|XO Camp 2]] - * 2009 Feb: Attended the [[Pictures/conf/Fosdem2009|Fosdem 2009]] with a few friends from Italy and SugarLabs colleagues - * 2009 Feb: Visited - [[Pictures/vacation/brussels_riga_stokholm_2009/Brussels | Brussels]], - [[Pictures/vacation/brussels_riga_stokholm_2009/Riga | Riga]] and - [[Pictures/vacation/brussels_riga_stokholm_2009 | Stockholm]] with Tommaso - * 2009 Mar: Organized a small revival of [[SystemShockBBS]] with a few original users - * 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. diff --git a/blog/2009/April b/blog/2009/April new file mode 120000 index 0000000..78f6277 --- /dev/null +++ b/blog/2009/April @@ -0,0 +1 @@ +04 \ No newline at end of file