Japanese Surgeon's Daily Life

The British Museum

　　At first, We were going to walk to the British Museum from King's Cross Station while sightseeing, but as the rain got heavy, we took a taxi. It was the first time to get on a taxi in London and I could use my contactless card for payment. It was very handy and helpful for tourists.
　　By the way, I was surprised to know that the admission charge was free. I wondered how they managed to raise money to administer the Museum. I was thankful to the authorities for free admission, but some people seemed to just drop in at the Museum to get out of the rain. Anyone can easily enter, i.e. it meant congestion.
　　My purpose was to take a close look at the Rosetta Stone. I learned this stone and the archeologists' struggle to decipher ancient letters on it through the world history class in my high school days. I got an adventurous spirit in archeology or the stone stirred up my imaginations of ancient times. I decided to visit the British Museum some day at that time. After 50 years since, I was able to see the stone at a few feet away. Where was the Rosetta Stone in the vast museum? Actually, it was placed just in front of the entrance, which saved a world of trouble, you know, as I needn't try to search for it. To my regret, however, Hieroglyph, the ancient Egyptian language, was carved on the highest part of the stone, and I was a little short to look at it in the crowd. The museum housed a huge amount of exhibits. I'd like to visit it again.

(Vocabulary)
decipher 〈手書きの文字など〉 を判読する, 〈意味・気持ちなど〉 を読み取る; 〈暗号など〉 を解読する

　キングスクロス駅から市内見物をしながら大英博物館まで歩くつもりだったが、雨が酷くなりタクシーを利用した。ロンドンで初めてタクシーを使ったが、ここでもコンタクトレスカードが使えた。このシステムは実に有り難い。
　さて、大英博物館であるが、驚いたのは入場無料と言うこと。維持管理費はどのように捻出しているのだろうか？無料なのは有り難いが、雨宿りで入っている人も多いような気がした。誰でも入れる、すなわち混雑。
　ここへ立ち寄った理由は、ロゼッタストーンの実物を見たかったこと。高校時代に世界史の授業でこの石の存在を知ったが、書かれてあるヒエログリフ文字の解読にまつわる話には考古学へのロマンを感じた。この石が広い博物館の中のどこにあるのか、探すまでもなく、最初に入った部屋の真正面に置かれていた。残念なことに、ヒエログリフは三種類の文字のうち一番上に書かれていて、じっくり見るには身長が足りなかった。何はともあれ、ここには数多くの展示物があり、また訪れたいと思う。

At King's Cross Station

　　Getting off the tube and going up to the ground, I saw a huge Buckingham Palace-like building in front of us. Was that King's Cross Station? or was it a little smaller one on the right side? Having been introduced to the station by a nearby person, we headed for the station. The King's Cross Station was bustling. The electric timetable board showed several places which I'd known, some of them were places which I'd like to visit. I wished that I had been able to visit them someday. My wanderlust was rearing up.
　　We shared a table with a person who looked like a businessperson to take brunch on the second floor where we could view the entrance hall of the station. This station was the scene of the station from the nine and three forth platform from which Harry Potter departed for the School of Witchcraft and Wizardry in the novel of "Harry Potter" written by J.K.Rowling. I knew of the Harry Potter Shop at King's Cross Station, and searched the ground floor from upstairs, and found a crowd of people at my left hand. We approached the site and found a long line of visitors to the shop. A shop person told me that it took about an hour to get in the shop, and I gave up seeing the goods inside the shop. Additionally, I found a funny setting on the wall of the shop.
　　A shopping cart, half of which was cut away, was set on the wall, making the cart look as if it was penetrating into the wall. It was the scene when Harry went into the wall on the platform in the movie. Lots of visitors were lining up to take pictures on the set. I was afraid that it took more than an hour to reach the set, and we gave up. I just thought that I could visit the set late at night, but the cart apparently was put away into the shop during their closed hours. That was very practical. They'd like to avoid the situation that lots of people get together around there in the night.

(Vocabulary)
bustling（場所がたくさんの人で）ごった返している;〈場所が〉にぎわった, 活気に満ちた[＋bustling with]
wanderlust 放浪願望, 旅へのあこがれ
rear up 〈問題などが〉頭をもたげる

　地上に出てビックリ。大きな宮殿がある。駅併設のホテルか？それともこちらがキングスクロス駅か？横に立っていた人に確認して向かって右側のキングスクロス駅に向かった。駅の中はごった返していた。案内板を見ると多くの目的地が書いてある。半分くらい既知の地名だった。あちこち行ってみたいなあと、また放浪癖が頭をもたげてきた。
　ビジネスマン風の男性一人が使っていたテーブルに相席させてもらってここでブランチ。この駅はハリーポッターが魔法学校に出発する駅で、出発する９と３／４番ホームがあるとされた駅。小説にちなんでハリーポッターショップがあるらしい。食事をしながら眺めると地上階の向かって左の方に人だかりが見える。食後、向かってみると、やはり目的の場所だった。
　ショッピングカートは前半分が切断され、あたかも壁に突き刺さっているかのようだった。映画の一シーンだ。写真を撮ろうかと思ったが、１時間くらいは待たねばならないようだったので諦めた。夜来れば良いのではないかと思ったが、セットは夜は片付けるらしい。夜中に人が集まることを避けたいのだろう。

Go To London By National Rail

　　We went to London by National Rail for sightseeing on the 14th. I used the same line five years ago. You might feel funny, but I was upset when I got my ticket at that time. To tell the truth, I had a trying time to communicate with a local at Stratford-upon-Avon, so I was afraid that I couldn't get a ticket. This time, however, I didn't feel any anxiety. I didn't know why, but I was able to get a ticket without being asked to repeat myself at the ticket booth.
　　We searched Paddington Station for the famous bear "Paddington", but in vain. He was moved to another site from where he was five years ago. Anyway, I tried today's second challenge, getting on the tube next. After elaborate observation of the local people, I waved my contactless card over the card reader on the ticket barrier. It was my first time to use it on the tube, but I was able to pass the barrier successfully. I felt as if I had a limitless moving power. This system was easy to use and really handy.
　　The destination was King's Cross Station and its nine and three forth platform.

(Vocabulary)
ticket barrier （英）改札口
repeat oneself 　同じことを繰り返して言う／行う

パディントン駅の熊（写真の女性は次女）
https://kumo.typepad.jp/weblog/2018/10/paddington-station.html

英語通じず
https://kumo.typepad.jp/weblog/2018/10/parking-violation.html

　今日はロンドン市内を観光する。こんなことを書くと笑われそうだが、５年前にオックスフォードからパディントン駅までの列車の切符を買ったとき、かなり緊張した。実はその前日に、ストラトフォードアポンエーボンで駐車違反をしてしまい、その係員の言葉がサッパリ理解できなかったので、果たしてうまく切符を購入できるか心配だったのだ。が、今回は難なく切符をゲットできた。ほっとした。
　パディントン駅では有名な熊を探したが、５年前に居た場所にはおらず、見つけられず。気を取り直し、今日の二つ目のチャレンジへ。それは地下鉄に乗ること。オックスフォードでバスに乗るときに試したコンタクトレスカードを改札で機械にかざした。地下鉄で使うのは初めてだったが、地元の人たちの様子を観察してから使ってみた。何の問題もなく使えた。本当に便利だ。これでどこでも行ける。
　そしてその行き先はキングスクロス駅！　あの９と３／４番ホーム、、、

The Perch

　　I visited "The Perch", which Ten-noh picked up in his memoir 30 years ago, with my wife and daughter. There were some willow trees in its garden and I asked a waiter how old those trees were. He told us that the trees were said to be 700 years old and the pub was 800 years old, though the pub itself caught fire three times in its life and had been rebuilt accordingly. I was amazed at its long history. The pub seemed to be renovated lately and they should stay at the same site in the next 800 years. Amazing resolution! As soon as I got into the pub, I found a poem on the wall, at the bottom of which the signature of Samuel Johnson was written. I knew his name only and the poem was new to me. It was a little hard to understand promptly for me, and I took its picture just for future reference. At that time, a waiter gave me their napkin on which the poem was printed. Now, I fully understood its full sentence and I'll add its Japanese translation and the picture of the napkin at the bottom of this entry. I agree with his thought from the bottom of my heart.
　　I've almost forgotten to refer to today's dinner. I ordered the dish of mackerel and the suggested white wine and local beer. We ate raw salmon at a Japanese restaurant called "Edamame" in the downtown of Oxford for lunch, and it was really nice. Surprisingly for me, the U.K. can apparently get fresh sea food. My only experience of European sea food is in Freiburg in Germany. People in Oxford might be angry if I compare the U.K. surrounded by sea with inland Freiburg. This mackerel was also delicious and went well with the wine. The U.K. is surrounded by the sea and the salmon is imported from nearby Norway to Japan and so, my tongue is quite at home with Norwegian salmon. There's no way that sea food in the U.K. tastes bad.
　　By the way, it's very hot and muggy this season in Japan, but in Oxford, it was a little chilly. A comfortable breeze made me feel happy like being on top of the world. I wondered how many people had spent their joyful hours here for these 800 years. The words of Samuel Johnson penetrated deeper into me.

(Vocabulary)
just for future reference 後学のために
mackerel サバ
inland 内陸の
at home 慣れている

Edamame　枝豆
https://www.edamame.co.uk/home

人間が考え出したものの中で、いい居酒屋や旅籠ほど幸福を生み出せるものはあるまい。
　　　　　　　　　　　　　サミュエル・ジョンソン(18世紀イギリスの文豪)

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　天皇陛下が良かったと書かれているパブ、Perchへ娘も一緒にやってきた。ウェイターに尋ねると目の前の木の年齢は７００年程度と言われているとのこと。店は８００年くらいでその間に数回火事になり立て直しているとのこと。その伝統に驚く。最近改装して次の800年もここで頑張るという。店に入ると壁に文豪サミュエル・ジョンソンの言葉が書かれていた。意味はすぐにはつかめず、後で調べようと思ってメモ代わりに写真を撮ろうとすると、ウエイターからその詩が印刷されているナプキンをもらった。難解な文ではあったが、日本語の翻訳も書いておく。まさに同感。

　書き忘れるところだった。今日の夕食はサバ料理にワインと地ビール。昼には「えだまめ」という日本料理店でサーモンの刺身を食べたが、新鮮で美味しかった。意外だったがイギリスは新鮮な魚が手に入るようだ。僕のヨーロッパの経験はあとはドイツのフライブルクなので、内陸の街フライブルクと比較してはオックスフォードの住人に叱られるかもしれない。周りは海だし、サーモンは日本にもノルウェー産が輸入されている。イギリスのサーモンがまずいわけはない。

　それはともかく、日本だとこの時期、蒸し蒸しとした不快な気候だがここではむしろ肌寒いくらいの心地よい風が吹いている。最高の気分。800年前から一体どれほどの人たちがここでくつろいだのだろうか。サミュエル・ジョンソンの言葉が心に染み入る。

Wandering On Streets

　　It was refreshing to roam through the streets of Oxford which had elements of the medieval era. Not only the busy "High Street", but serene alleys between brick walls were also wonderful. Viewing the historic buildings and recalling the bygone days are the best part of travel for me.
　　E-scooters which I often saw on the streets are available for anyone? Or, do they require a driver's license to get on? I asked my daughter how to use them, but she strictly told me not to ride on them, because she had often given treatments for seriously injured patients due to traffic accidents associated with e-scooters. I followed her advice. When in Oxford, do as my daughter says.(grin)
　　The hotel which I stayed in five years ago was a 20 minute walk from the city center. This visit, however, I booked another hotel which was further away from the downtown to save the hotel fee. I had to get on the bus to move to the city center and it cost ￡2. Luckily, I was able to use my contact-less card and it was really helpful. I didn't use the oyster card five years ago. It was like a Suica card or something in Japan, but I didn't know how to use it. It was super-helpful that I was able to use the same card as I use in Japan as the oyster card.
　　There are several kinds of prepaid transportation cards, but they are limited in domestic use. For sightseers from overseas, should we introduce the contact-less system for their convenience. By traveling abroad, you can sometimes understand your own country more precisely.

(Vocabulary)
the best part of sth ～の醍醐味

市内散策

　中世の街並みが多く残るオックスフォードの散策はとても楽しい。賑やかなハイストリートもよいが石の壁に囲まれた静かな裏通りも素晴らしい。数百年も前に築かれた建物を見ながら往時を思い起こすのは散策の醍醐味。

　街中で時折見かけた電動キックボード、免許が必要なのだろうか？娘に尋ねると事故が多いから絶対に乗るなと厳命が下った。イギリスでは娘に従う方が良いだろう。（笑）

　５年前に泊まったホテルは中心部から徒歩だと２０分ほど。今回は経費を抑えるためにやや離れたホテルを取った。そのため中心部まではバス料金２ポンドが必要なのだが、コンタクトレスカードが使えて実に便利だった。５年前、オイスターカードの存在は知っていても使わなかった。日本で言うスイカのようなものだが、使い方が良くわからなかったから。日本で日頃使っているカードをそのままオイスターカードの代わりに出来るという便利さは有り難かった。

　日本にも運賃支払用のカードはいろいろあるが、限られた日数しか滞在しない外国人観光客のために日本もこのようなシステムを導入する必要があるのでは無いか？  外国を旅すると自国のことが返って良くわかることがある。

Merton College

　　Leaving my wife who wanted to browse around souvenir shops downtown, my daughter and I dropped in at Merton College which I had visited five years ago. Common tourists had to pay the admission fee at the gate, but we were allowed free admittance thanks to her ID. Then she went to a dress hire shop to receive a Degree Day Ceremony outfit, leaving me in Merton College. I felt she really fitted in with Oxford. Born in a small town in Japan and now graduating from the world's most prestigious university, I admired my young hopeful.
　　Ten-noh spent two years in this college in his 20's. I knew from his memoir that Andrew Irvine was a student of Oxford University, who got lost along with George Mallory on Mount Everest. I found his monument and paid a ten-second silence to him. Then I found a memorial tablet of previous wardens. The name of the warden who had taken care of young Ten-noh was on the tablet. Forty years have passed since Ten-noh had belonged to this college, and they became a page of history.
　　On the way to Merton College, my daughter asked me about Cecil Rhodes whose statue was set in Oriel College. I was surprised at its existence in this glorious university. According to my daughter, the pros and cons of the dismantlement of the statue became a controversial social problem. I explained his wrongdoings as follows:
　　Africans faced a huge calamity especially after the exploration by Livingstone in the time of Queen Victoria in the latter half of 19th century. Cecil Rhodes was the main player along with the father of Winston Churchill to hit the devastating blow to Africans. He arrogantly founded a country whose name was from him, Rhodesia. This country is now called Zimbabwe. Its political turmoil is continuing even now. He collected lots of money and resources from Africa at the cost of local people's lives. His act might have been beneficial for the U.K., but putting him in perspective, he was simply the villain of today's instability of African nations. Oxford University should sever the relationship with him. She was listening to me with no defiance.
　　After I left Merton College, I found myself in front of Oriel College on the High Street, the busiest street being packed with tourists in Oxford City. Looking up, I found the statue of Cecil Rhodes. Here of all places! My camera wouldn't identify the letters on the statue and I didn't take pictures. In return, I'll show you two pictures from the net. His statue at the most conspicuous place of the college,,,how stupid! I was lost for words.

(Vocabulary)
browse [自] (店内を) ぶらぶら見て歩く, ひやかす
fit in with 溶け込んでいる
my young hopeful 前途有望な娘
villain 悪党、悪人；＜問題などの＞元凶
with no defiance 神妙に
Here of all places! よりによってこんな場所で(他にもあるだろうに)


　土産物店をぶらぶらするというカミさんを残して、５年前にも立ち寄ったマートンカレッジを訪問した。ここでも通常なら料金を払う必要があるのだが、娘がＩＤを提示してフリーパス。僕を中へ入れてくれた後、娘は貸衣装屋へ行った。学位授与式に使う衣装を予約しているのだとか。当たり前だが、オックスフォードの街に溶け込んでいる。頼もしくなったものだ。

　ここは陛下が二年間過ごされたコレッジ。陛下の本で知ったある登山家の慰霊碑を見たかった。慰霊碑に１０秒ほどの黙祷をして、教会に入ると陛下が何度も世話になったと書かれている学長が銘板に乗っていて、歴史になっていた。陛下の留学から４０年近くになるのだから当たり前かもしれないが、自分も歴史の流れの中に居ることを改めて痛感した。

　マートンカレッジへ向かう途中で、娘がセシル・ローズについて尋ねてきた。Oriel Collegeに銅像があって撤去するかどうかもめているとか。セシル・ローズについて最近調べたばかりだったからかなり詳しく説明した。１９世紀後半、ビクトリア女王の時代、David Livingstoneの探検以降、アフリカは悲惨な目に合ってきたこと、セシル・ローズは傲慢にも自分の名を冠した国を造り、その国は今はジンバブエとなったが、いまだに政治的混乱の中にある。ウインストン・チャーチルの親父と結託しての悪行は枚挙に暇がない。日本も被害者だった。イギリスに富をもたらしたという点でイギリスにとっては功労者かもしれないが、一般的には極悪人である。オックスフォード大学に資金面で貢献したのだろうが、こんな奴とは手を切るべき、、、娘は珍しく神妙に僕の話を聞いていた。少しは尊敬してくれたろうか？（笑）

　マートンカレッジを出てからorioleへ行ってみた。オックスフォード市内で最も賑やかな通りに面した場所に彼の銅像があった。驚いた。下の写真はネット上で探したもの。

Christ Church College

　　After giving them a parting wave, we headed for Christ Church College, which was one of the tourist destinations in Oxford. The main purpose of my wife might be visiting a gift shop associated with "Alice's Adventures in Wonderland" , which was written by a professor in Christ Church College.
　　Be that as it may, it was past admission hours, but by my daughter showing her Id card, we were allowed to enter the college. Some tourists were staring at us jealously. I admired my daughter's present status and felt proud of her.
　　We walked along the tour course and entered the hall where the students have meals. When I entered this hall last time, its majesty surprised me and it deprived me of my carefulness, just overwhelmed me in other words, so I looked at the interior details this time. I saw lots of painted portraits. I was able to identify one of them as the portrait of John Locke. He seemed to have belonged to this college. Knowing that, I asked my daughter why she didn't choose Christ Church not Pembroke College. She answered that most students of this college were posh and she didn't like such an atmosphere. I understood her feelings, as she had always been modest in Japan. The memoir of Ten-noh helped me understand her college life in Oxford at the same time.
　　When I entered the hall, the prep for dinner had just started. It was the reason the sightseers were stopped from entering. The tables on the raised platform were called the "high table" and teachers and postgraduates are designated to be seated there. My daughter had been seated at the high table a few times to adjust the number of members at the high table.

(Vocabulary)
Be that as it may それはともかく、
majesty [U] 雄大さ, 壮麗さ

　New Collegeのあと、クライストチャーチコレッジを観光した。近くにある「不思議の国のアリス」ゆかりの店に行きたいとカミさんが言うもので、クライストチャーチの方がついでかも。
　それはともかく、観光客の受入時刻は過ぎていたが、受付で娘が自分のＩＤカードを提示すると何の問題もなく通してくれた。時間切れで入られない人たちの羨望のまなざしが印象的だった。娘の成長を有り難く思い、また誇らしく感じた。
　まずはホールへ向かった。学生たちが食事を取る場所である。前回訪問時にはその荘厳さに圧倒され注意力を失い、ただただ驚いただけだった。今回は掲げられている絵画に注目した。そしてジョン・ロックの肖像画を見つけた。このコレッジで暮らしていたという。
　娘にこのコレッジを選べば良かったのにと話すと、ここの学生はposhな人が多くて自分には合っていないとのこと。今回は陛下の留学記のお陰で大学のシステムが少しわかっているのでいろいろと得ることが多い。
　ちょうど学生達の食事の準備が始まったところだった。そのために一般観光客は入場不可となったのだろう。一段高いところにあるテーブルがハイテーブルと呼ばれ、教官クラスが着席する。一部大学院生も人数調整の必要からテーブルに呼ばれるそうだが、なんと娘も座ったことがあるという。凄い経験だなと我が娘ながらその成長に驚く。

New College

　　A married couple of a psychiatrist and a family doctor- the emeritus and emerita professor of Oxford University, who kindly assisted my daughter with her life in Oxford and her learning in Oxford University, guided us around the New College where they had spent their student days. "New" is attached to its name, but this college isn't new and has a long history. As for this college, Ten-noh devoted a full two pages to the background of its foundation. It implies the significance of the college.
　　With them, we were allowed to enter every space in the college. With my daughter's translation and my knowledge about medieval Europe, I enjoyed their guidance and the scenes of every corner of the New College.
　　I read "La Peste" - the pest - by Albert Camus last year. I wanted to know how the pandemic had been in the medieval era. I knew from the memoir of Ten-noh that the pest pandemic was the background of the foundation of the New College. This college was located at the northern end of Oxford Old City which had been surrounded by stone walls. Its wall had various devices to repel the enemy.

　娘がお世話になった名誉教授ご夫妻にご自身が在籍したニューカレッジを案内していただいた。一般には立ち入ることの出来ない場所も案内していただき有意義な時間を持てた。NEWとなっているがその歴史は古く、天皇陛下もこのカレッジを特に取りあげ、留学記の中に書かれている。
　去年だったと思うが、カミュのペストを読んだ。中世のパンデミックがどのようなものだったのか気になったので。そのペストがこのカレッジ誕生の遠因となっていたことに驚いた。このカレッジは城壁に囲まれたオックスフォードの北端に位置しており、敵を跳ね返すための攻撃用の設備が点在していた。まるでお城であった。

(Vocabulary)
emeritus 《男性の名誉職に用い，「名誉…」を意味する》
emerita 《女性の名誉職に用い，「名誉…」を意味する》

Thames Path

　　I wondered what way Ten-noh reached the pub in his 20's. It was past 7 o'clock p.m., but I walked around the pub to find the way. It didn't take much time to find the gate to the Thames Path. The gate was equipped with a shabby-looking but firm door, but I saw two joggers opening the door and getting onto the path. Anyone would be allowed to enter the path. I didn't know the necessity of the door, but when I stepped into it, I understood. The path was a part of a meadow and I saw a few cows grazing. To tell the truth, I unintentionally found the other side door after a few days and I'll write about it later.

　陛下はどのようなルートでここへ到達されたのだろう。到着後、１９時を回っていたがまだ日が高いうちに周辺を歩いた。そして見つけた。陛下が自転車で走られたであろうテムズ川沿いの小道。ここには扉があったがジョギングをする二人が何のためらいもなく扉を開けて入っていったので誰でも入れるのだろう。なぜ扉があるか？中を覗いてすぐにわかった。牛が放牧されていた。実は後日、この道の反対側の入口を見ることができた。ブラブラしていたら偶然に。後日書く。

(Vocabulary)
necessity 必要(性)
graze 〈家畜が〉生草を食べる;〈家畜〉に生草を食べさせる,〈土地〉を牧草地として使う

https://www.thetroutoxford.co.uk/#/

The Thames

　　It's the Thames that flew in front of us. If you put something on its surface, it will drift away to London. On the upstream you can see a lock gate. There seems to be several locks on the Thames and I was able to see some of them. I'll write about them later. Ten-noh wrote about several rock bridges and I'd like to visit some of them but the time was short.

　目の前に流れているのはテムズ川。ここにボート浮かべればロンドンに到達する。上流側には閘門が見える。テムズ川上流には閘門が何カ所もあるらしく、のんびりと川に沿って散策したいものだ、、、。テムズの中世の水運を研究された陛下の本には散策された石橋のことも書かれているのだが、今回は見て回る時間が無さそうだ。

https://www.thetroutoxford.co.uk/#/

The Trout Inn 2

　　The internal details of the pub were great and its atmosphere was also relaxing, but we chose an outdoor table to enjoy the scene. At first, I ordered one of the local beers of Camden pale ale, which reminded me of the scene of Chipping Campden where I drove a rental car with my second daughter five years ago. Taking a close look at the picture, however, I found the difference in spelling. This beer was brewed at Camden town in London not the Cotswolds, but it was OK. My heart was full with the fact that my wife and I were with my youngest daughter who had successfully finished all the courses of Oxford University which has long been acknowledged as No.1 in the world. I was so overwhelmed with emotion that I forgot the name of our dishes.

　室内の装飾も見事だったが風景を楽しみたいため外の席を選んだ。
　まずは地元のカムデンビール　エールタイプのビールを選択　まずはイッパイ！
このビールを選んだのは、５年前に次女とドライブしたイングランド・グロスターシャー州のコッツウォルズにある小さなマーケットタウン、チッピング・カムデンを思い出したから。良く見ると綴りが違うし、後で調べると全然関係なかった、、、(^_^;)　ロンドンのカムデンタウンで造られていた。まあ、ＯＫ。世界ナンバー１の大学を卒業した娘とここに居るだけで何も言うことなし。写真のような料理をオーダーしたのだが、料理名はサッパリ忘れてしまった。

https://www.thetroutoxford.co.uk/#/

 

The Trout Inn 1

　　I reached The Trout Inn in the end by my daughter's car. It was about 30 minutes from the city center of Oxford. I knew this pub from the memoir of Japanese Ten-noh who had studied water transport by the Thames nearly 40 years ago. He apparently came here with his guard by bicycle. Having read his memoir, I was eager to have dinner at this pub.
　　I'll show you its external appearance below. I wondered how old this building was. I should have questioned someone about that, but the waiters looked busy. A few hundreds years or more, I thought.

　娘の運転する車でついにやってきたパブ、Trout Inn。市内から３０分。天皇陛下は留学中、警護官と共に自転車でテムズ川沿いを走って立ち寄ったという。留学記を読んでいてなんとしてもここで食事をしたかった。
　まずは建物外観の写真をＵＰする。一体どれくらいの歴史があるのだろう。誰かに尋ねれば良かったのだが、店員が忙しそうで機会が無かった。数百年の歴史はありそうだ。

https://www.thetroutoxford.co.uk/#/

My Daughter

　　I saw my daughter at a bus stop of Thornhill Park&Ride. She would have gone through lots of hardship with a brave spirit in the unfamiliar country. I got an impression that she had stepped up on the next stage of life. It's a pity that she is shy and doesn't want me to upload her picture.

It was about 7 o'clock and we left our baggage at the hotel room and headed for the Trout, which I'll show you below. The Japanese Ten-noh spent 2 years here in Oxford in his 20's. His memoir was one of my travel guidebooks this time. I'm going to roam over something related to him.

My trip memo of this travel would become considerably long.

三女と再会

Thornhill Park&Ride で娘と再会した。随分としっかりした印象を受けた。イギリスで苦労してきたのだろう。逞しくなったものだ。とてもシャイで写真を載せるなと言われているのが残念。１９時を過ぎているのでホテルへ荷物を置いてすぐに天皇陛下お勧めのパブ、The Trout へ向かった。先に書いたとおり、天皇陛下は２０代の二年間、オックスフォードで自由な学生時代を送られている。彼の人生で恐らくこの二年間だけが自由な時間だったのだろうと推察する。その留学記に書かれている地名をできる限り歩いてみたいと思っている。この自分の旅行記は長くなりそうだ。

Bus named Tube and Airline

　　It was late evening when I arrived at Heathrow Airport five years ago and I stayed at a nearby hotel at that time. I didn't know exactly how to get to Oxford, and I chartered a taxi from around Heathrow Airport to Oxford. I think I could get to Oxford by buses or trains, if I repeatedly asked people around how to get to Oxford, but maybe due to my inherent laziness, I didn't. I should have been more reasonable.
　　By the way, I was going to utilize public transportation other than taxis this time. What is called subway in the U.S. is called "tube" in the U.K. I found the word "Oxford Tube" on Google Map.
　　Then the following conversation was exchanged between my daughter(D) and me(I).

I: The new subway line seemed to have been built between Oxford and London. I'm going to get to Paddington on the Elizabeth Line and change trains to the Oxford line.

D: There's no subway line in Oxford. Are you talking about Oxford Tube? If so, it's the bus service called "Tube". Don't worry! I can pick you up at the 5th Terminal in Heathrow Airport.

I: It's very helpful. Thank you.

(In the morning on the departure day)

D: I became unable to see you at the airport and booked "Airline" in place of my pick-up. I attached e-tickets for two on this e-mail.

I: By plane? Between such a short distance?

D: It's a bus service called "the Airline".

I: .... I lost words. Is there no other way to name it?(grin)

５年前、ヒースロー国際空港に到着したのは夜だったので近くのホテルに旅装を解いた。翌日、オックスフォードまでどうやって行くのかわからず、人に尋ねながら行けば行けたのだろうが、生来の不精もあり、ホテルからタクシーでオックスフォードの宿まで向かった。無茶なことをしたものだ。今回は公共交通機関を使うことにしている。

地下鉄をイギリスではＴｕｂｅと呼ぶ。そして、地図で Oxford Tube という記載を見たのでオックスフォードに住む娘に

私：地下鉄が出来たみたいだから今回は地下鉄でオックスフォードに向かうよ。
娘：オックスフォードに地下鉄はないよ。もしかしてOxford Tubeのこと？それならTubeという名前のバスだよ。心配要らない。ヒースロー国際空港第５ターミナルまで迎えに行くよ。
私：有り難い。よろしく。

羽田からの離陸直前に娘からメールあり。

娘：迎えに行けなくなった。Airlineを予約しておいた。Ｅ－チケットをこのメールに添付した。
私：ヒースロー国際空港からオックスフォードまで飛行機とは。
娘：Airlineという名前のバスだよ。
私：言葉を失う。わかりやすい名前を付けられないものか、、、、（笑）

 

Arrival

　　Ireland and Scotland are coming within eyesight. It was about 40 minutes until the landing, but a familiar "Cup Noodle" was served. I was a little bit hungry and this service was timely. I frequently pick ANA and I'll ask ANA to prepare this type of instant noodles. Looking out of the window, I identified Buckingham Palace, Big Ben, and London Eye which I visited with my second daughter five years ago. I didn't think I'd come back to the U.K. at that time. I was really happy to visit the U.K. again. My plane smoothly touched down on the soil of the U.K.

　視界にアイルランドやイギリス本土が入ってきた。到着まで４０分ほどしかないのにカップヌードルが出てきた。欲しい人だけのサービスだが。小腹の空いたときに重宝する。フライト中に出されたのは初めて。いつも使うＡＮＡにもお願いしてみよう。食べ終わって外を見るとバッキンガム宮殿、Big Benビッグベン、London Eyeが見える。5年前次女とぶらぶら歩いた界隈だ。懐かしい。飛行機はスムーズにヒースロー国際空港第5ターミナルに到着した。

Iceland

　　As my plane was approaching Iceland, the clouds broke and beautiful terrain came in my eye. I took the first picture below. After coming back to Japan, I looked for this peninsula on Google Map. This peninsula is Snæfellsnes Peninsula which is located at the northwest of Reykjavik.
　　According to a guidebook, this peninsula is rich in a diverse array of beautiful scenery; beautiful waterfalls, a vast lava plateau, beaches with cobblestone, soaring magnificent mountains like Kirkjufell and Snæfellsnes glacier at the tip of the peninsula. Under the glacier, a volcano sits. Voyage au centre de la Terre (Voyage to the center of the earth) by Jules Gabriel Verne is set in this volcano. I was able to unexpectedly see the site of one of the most famous science fiction novels.
　　In addition, I was able to look down the whole view of Reykjavik. Its pictures were blurred and I refrain uploading them here. I saw the volcanic smoke going up near Reykjavik. Was that a hot spring or a geothermal power station? Anyway I wish I could visit the country some day.

　飛行機がアイスランドにさしかかると、雲が切れて美しい土地が見えたのですぐに写真を撮った。（1枚目の写真）帰国後調べてみると、ここはレイキャビクの北西に位置するスナイフェルスネス半島(Snæfellsnes)
　ガイドブックを読むと、息を飲む様な美しい景色が続く場所で、美しい滝や、溶岩の大地、丸い小石の浜辺、キルキュフェットル（Kirkjufell）など堂々とそびえる山々、そしてスナイフェルスネス半島の端にあるスナイフェルス氷河。その氷河を冠した山の下には火山が眠っています。ここはジュール・ヴェルネの書いた地底旅行の舞台となった場所でもあります。との説明を見つけた。
　また、上空からレイキャビクの街を望むことが出来た。遠くて写真の出来は悪くてここにはあげないが、肉眼ではきれいに見えた。レイキャビクの近くで噴煙が上がっている。温泉だろうか、地熱発電だろうか、　訪れたいなあ。

(Vocabulary)
Voyage au centre de la Terre 地底旅行
Jules Gabriel Verne　ジュール・ベルヌ

Greenland

　　There was no green land on Greenland. This huge island is said to have been named "Greenland" to invite people to settle there. I deeply agreed with this idea as soon as I looked down through the window. Take a look at the following pictures. I'm sure you'll feel as I did. On the other hand, the name of Iceland which I'll pass over soon is for fighting off the newly coming people.
　　Anyway I assumed that there was nothing worthy of gazing at on the ground of Greenland and I didn't look out of the window over Greenland. When the plane was about to go out over the Atlantic Ocean, I looked down and found a few beautiful glaciers. I took some pictures to know their name later, but I couldn't identify their name on the net.
　　After coming back, I visited a few websites concerning the cryogenic science and learned that Greenland along with Antarctica are the principal research objects for scientists. I learned the technical term of "ice sheet". It apparently is distinguished from glaciers.

　デンマーク領グリーンランドに緑の場所は無かった（笑）。人の移住を促すためにこの名が付いたと言うがなるほどである。反対に次に通過するはずのアイスランドは人を寄せ付けないようにするためにアイスという名前が付けられたと聞いた。もうすぐ上空に至る。どんな大地なのか、楽しみ。
　さて、真っ白の大地に見るべきものはないと思い下を見なかった怠慢が残念、ふと下を眺めると巨大な氷河が海に流れ込んでいる雄大な景色が見えた。
　帰国後調べてみるとグリーンランドは南極大陸とともに氷床と氷河の研究のメッカだという。この氷河にも名前が付いていると思うが、よくわからなかった。

(Vocabulary)
ice sheet 氷床
cryogenic 超[極]低温(貯蔵)の.
Cryogenic Research Center 低温科学研究センター

Second Meal

　　The second meal was served. I'd already changed the time of my watch to that of the U.K. at take-off, but I didn't know whether this was lunch or supper.
Anyway, I had to continue to fly at least eight hours more and ordered another kind of red wine. My choice was boiled chicken in chili sauce and my wife chose Udon noodles as shown in the following pictures. I tasted the Udon. Its taste was tailored for the western style.
　　My seat was an economy seat and cramped, but the flight was smooth and comfortable. I was going to the U.K. traveling more than halfway round the earth.

　二食目が配られた。これはランチなのか夕食なのか、良くわからない。時計は出発時にイギリス夏時間に設定しているが。家内は焼きうどん、僕はチキンのチリソース煮をチョイス。まだ８時間は乗っていないといけない。違った種類の赤ワインをオーダー。ちなみにうどんは西洋風。これはこれでおいしかった。
　エコノミーシートは狭いが、ほとんど揺れない快適なフライト。地球を一気に半周以上回ってイギリスに向かっている。

Yukon Territories, Northwest Territories, Nunavut

　　My plane flew over the northern part of Canada transversely from the Pacific side to the Atlantic ocean. I'm not so familiar with the geography of these areas. I only knew the name of Whitehorse and Yellowknife as tourist destinations wanting to view the aurora. In addition to those, I knew about Resolute in Nunavut where the Japanese adventurer Uemura Naomi got trained how to drive a dogsled. Relying on the location map, I looked for the village, but in vain. It might be because Resolute was too tiny of a village to be identified from an altitude of 36000 feet or my window was on the right side of the plane. The location of Resolute is shown in the 9th picture below. Take a look at the last picture. My plane went out over Baffin Bay and finished the crossing of Canada.

　飛行機はカナダ北部を太平洋側から大西洋側へ横断。この辺りの地理には余り詳しくない。ホワイトホース、イエローナイフを知っている程度。そしてイヌイットの地区ではレゾルートresolute という町くらい。偉大な日本人探検家が犬ぞり訓練をした場所だから。
　ルートマップでみると、レゾルートの上空を飛んだはずなのだが左側の窓からなら眺められたかもしれないけれど、僕の右側からは無理だった。9枚目の写真にレゾルートの場所が書かれている。10枚目で飛行機はバフィン湾Baffin Bayへ抜け、カナダ横断完了。グリーンランドへ向かう。

(Vocabulary)
dogsled 犬ぞり

Anchorage

　　The sea of clouds rolled below and I wasn't able to view the ground, but the screen in front of me showed that my plane was reaching Alaska in a few minutes. I'd pass over Anchorage soon. The flight between Europe and Japan was formerly this route and Anchorage was an important stopping point and passengers took a rest and the plane was refueled here. I've not been to Europe in this time, but I've heard so. The development of aircraft seems to make it possible to fly directly between Japan and Europe. The function of Anchorage as a connecting point disappears. The name of Anchorage might be from "anchor" of ships, such an idea suddenly came up.
　　This flight took 14 hours with two sets of pilots - two captains and two co-pilots - were on board accordingly. I felt that the airline ticket was considerably expensive when I bought it, but I took it in order to know this flight route.
　　I suddenly remembered a famous Japanese adventurer of Uemura Naomi, who was lost sight of in 1984 on Mt. Mckinley(Mt. Denali). I searched outside of the window for the mountain, but in vain due to the thick sea of clouds. And another thing I remembered was the movie "Into The Wild", in which a wealthy young man threw all his money away and made his way into the wilderness of Alaska with insufficient equipment. There's no way that he could survive. Why did he attempt such a reckless endeavor?

　眼下は雲海で、地上の様子は見えないが、飛行機はアラスカにさしかかっている。もうすぐアンカレッジ上空だ。かつて冷戦時代はロシア上空を避けるためにヨーロッパと日本を繋ぐ路線は全てこのルートを使用し、アンカレッジで燃料の補給をしていた。その時代にヨーロッパへ行ったことが無いが、そう聞いている。今は、飛行機の発達により一気にヨーロッパまで飛べるようである。中継地としてのアンカレッジは消滅している。
　そういえば、この飛行機には機長と副操縦士が二人ずつ乗務しているとのこと。１４時間も連続勤務はきついだろうからなあ。
　このルートを通るのなら、是非マッキンレー山（デナリ山）を見たい。日本の偉大な探検家を奪った悪魔の山。そう思ってずっと外を眺めていたが、雲に遮られてしまった。もう一つ思い出したのが映画「Into The Wild」 こんな過酷な環境の中へ不十分な装備で入っていくのは自殺以外の何ものでも無い。若者はどんな気持ちでこの厳しい環境の中に分け入ったのだろうか？

(Vocabulary)
The sea of clouds rolled....
be in order
1 〈書類などが〉 合法である, 有効である
Is your passport in order? あなたのパスポートは有効ですか．
2(フォーマル) 〈言動などが〉 ふさわしい, 適切である
lose sight of 〈人･物〉を見失う;〈人〉の消息がわからなくなる
attempt, endeavor





(July 12th)