Japanese Surgeon's Daily Life

Itsukushima Shrine, World Cultural Heritage

　　On the way back from my nephew's wedding ceremony, we dropped in at Itsukushima Shrine. Shrines are dedicated to the deities of Shinto, Japan's ancient religion. It's said that Japan has around 80,000 shrines. People visit shrines on important occasions to make wishes and to offer thanks. Shrines take various forms in different locations, and they are home to many different deities.
　　Itsukushima Shrine stands on a small island and the island on which it's located is known as one of the three most beautiful scenic spots in Japan. This shrine is built out over the sea, and the gods of the sea are the object of worship. When we visited, the tide was low and people were walking on the sacred grounds, as you can see in the following pictures.
　　The large, red and wooden structure in the picture is called "Torii", which is the gate of the shrine. Once you pass under this gate, the torii, you are in a sacred realm.
　　By the way, do you know why the torii was built in the sea? In ancient days, Itsukushima Shrine was designed combined with the island and the whole island was thought to be sacred. The torii was the gate of the island as seen from the mainland. In the old days, people reached the shrine by boat.

Automobiles As Hobby

　　I'd like to direct your attention to the pictures that follow. They were taken on the way back home from Yamaguchi City on Apr. 27th. I dropped in at a rest area along the highway. Just after I parked and left my car, a cluster of small cars came in the area. Those cars had yellow car license plates, which stands for its displacement being under 660cc. They were small, but convertible, and they were designed as sports cars. The owners of those cars love driving cars and enjoy driving itself. They drive cars not for moving from A to B, but for enjoyment. Lots of people in Japan have such hobbies. It indicates, I think, that Japan still has cultural and economical strength even in the deflation.
　　Nearly 10 years ago, I had planned to travel around South Korea with my friends by my motorcycle. When I asked a Japanese woman living in South Korea for information about motorcyclists in Korea, she advised us not to use motorcycles, because the transportation condition in South Korea was bad, and up-to-date models of Japanese motorcycles were frequently stolen. I was surprised to hear it and gave up the plan. Looking at this group in the picture, I remembered this advice and I was grateful for peaceful everyday life in Japan.

Potsdam, Auschwitz and Yalta

　　I've been planning a trip with my second daughter to Europe this fall. She will graduate from a grad school next spring and this fall would be the last opportunity to make a trip with her. All in all in Japan, after getting a job, it will not be easy for newcomers to take a vacation as long as and anytime they like.
　　I've been to southern Germany three times, a total of three weeks and I'd like to visit the northern part of Germany next time. I have many places I want to visit, and I chose the Second World War related places this time, like Potsdam, the ruins of the Berlin Wall, Auschwitz in Poland and Yalta in Ukraine. The moving distance in the EU would be longer than before and the cost of the trip would be also high. I have to minimize the cost of hotels and meals. My second daughter can speak German. She is handy and essential on the trip. Naturally, I know about the political upset in Ukraine. I really hope that their issues will be settled in the best way. If not, I'll visit the Polish historic city of Cracow not Yalta, which I think is like Kyoto in Japan, and learn about Polish history in one of the World Cultural Heritage Sites.
　　The last issue is to save money and take a vacation from my boss because my hospital hasn't enough human resources.

(Vocabulary)
the Potsdam Declaration ポツダム宣言《1945》
Auschwitz アウシュビッツ《ポーランド南西部の工業都市；同市郊外にはナチスのユダヤ人強制収容所があった》
the Yalta Conference ヤルタ会談
Cracow  クラクフ 〔ポーランド南部のビスワ川沿いにある古都。１１世紀から１６世紀まではポーランド王国の首都だった。旧市街は世界遺産に指定されている。〕

Mellow Out Party (ほろ酔い会）

　　The title of this entry is the term coined by me to describe the regular meeting that is held quarterly in the Matsuyama Chuo Lions Club to which I belong. Can you figure out the characteristics of the meeting from my translation?
　　It's a party to enjoy Japanese sake along with seasonal dishes, which go well with sake. Japan has four distinctive seasons and each season has a considerable amount of unique foods. Likewise, huge kinds of Japanese sake are produced across the country by the grace of pure water.
　　I live in Shikoku, which is the 4th biggest island of Japan, and there are more than 80 sake breweries in Shikoku. The hosts of the most recent party collected 28 representative sakes from 28 sake breweries. The scent and taste of some of those sake attracted me and I'll show you some below. Those dishes and sake were very nice and I unthinkingly drank too much. I lost my memory after leaving the party and getting on a tram, and I found myself in my bed the next morning on the receiving end of an icy stare from my wife.
　　By the way, I found a phrase "as drunk as an owl" in my dictionary. It seems to indicate "heavily drunken", so "Mellow Out Party" might be better if it was modified to "Owl Party", at least in my case.

(Vocabulary)
Mellow Out Party  ほろ酔い会　（注記：筆者による造語）
mellow (out) (酒などを飲んで) くつろぐ, いい気分になる
mellow sb out …をいい気分にさせる, くつろがせる
coin 〈新語など〉を作り出す; 〈貨幣〉を鋳造する
the disk jockey who coined the term "rock 'n' roll"  「ロックンロール」という新語を作り出したディスクジョッキー
quarterly 　年４回, 四半期ごとに
by the grace of God　神の恵みによって
on the receiving end （攻撃・非難などの）的になって

安きになれては、おごりくる人心の、

　みなさんは樋口一葉をご存知と思います。５千円札に肖像画が載っています。樋口一葉の父親は山梨県の農家の次男坊で、幕末に江戸に出てきて、明治に入って江戸が東京市になったとき、東京市の役所の下級役人に就職しました。樋口一葉は下級官吏が住む長屋で、明治５年に産まれました。本名は樋口奈津（なつ）といいます。「夏」とも書きました。なつの学歴は小学４年しかありません。当時の小学校は４年までしかなかったからです。１１歳までの４年間、小学校に通いました。

　１７歳のときに、父が病死し、母と妹たちの生活を支えるために、近所の人たちの洗い張り（洗濯）や、針仕事（仕立て）をして、貧しい生活を強いられました。そのかたわらで、明治の女流文学の最高峰と言われる作品を、次々と発表しました。父は農民の出ですが、教養があったからでした。

　一葉は日清戦争が終わった翌年、２５歳のときに、病死しています。写真を見ましたが、樋口一葉というのは、綺麗な人ですね。たった一枚、写真館で撮った写真が残っており、５千円札の肖像のもとになっていますが、お札の一葉は、造幣局で作画した際に陰影をとってしまったので、のっぺりした顔になっています。ところがもとの写真を見ると、うっとりするような綺麗な人です。

　一葉は、克明な日記をつけていました。病死する前年の日記に、次のように書いています。ちなみに一葉は、生涯一度も洋装をしたことがありません。生涯和服でとおしています。日記には、こう書いてあります。

「安きになれては、おごりくる人心の、あはれ外（と）つ国の花やかなるをしたひ」..

　安きに慣れてというのは、なんでも安直なものに流れているということです。安直なものに流され、おごりたかぶった人々の心は、まことにあわれなものです。華やかな外国（西洋）ばかりを慕い、

「我が国振のふるきを厭ひて」

　日本の伝統文化や生活文化を嫌って..

「うかれうかるる仇ごころは、流れゆく水の塵芥をのせてはしるが如く、ととどまる処をしらず。かくて流れゆく我が国の末、いかなるべきぞ」

と、嘆いています。まるで今日の日本のようですね。

　まだ日露戦争を戦っていないときのものです。西洋文明に浮かれ、このままいったら日本の古き良き伝統文化がなくなってしまう、ということを、深く憂い、嘆いているのです。いまの日本にとって必要なのは、先人が、この日本を守るために、どれだけの苦労をしたのか知ることが必要であると思います。

　という文章を英語かドイツ語で書こうとしたのですが、外国人で一葉のことを知る人は少ないと考え、日本語で書きました。(^_^;)

Hachijojima's Culture and Traditions

　　Although Hachijojima island is located in the Tokyo metropolitan administrative area, it is a tiny and remote island on the Pacific Ocean. However, it has been developed by people who were confined here a few centuries ago by the authorities of those days whether or not they were guilty. Some of them were so sophisticated and talented that their activities ended up shaping the traditions of the island.
　　We visited an old folks' dwelling, called Hattori Yashiki, which is now utilized as the museum of the island's traditional arts and crafts. We also enjoyed  the island's folk music there performed by Hachijojimaites with a Japanese drum. Look at the fence of the entrance. Without cement, small round stones were beautifully and securely piled up by an artisan's highly accomplished skills. There must have been several huge earthquakes on this island too, but the fence was still intact. Amazing!
　　The last picture was shot at a tourist attraction, Furusato Village, which showed rebuilt old houses and lifestyles of the Edo period (17~19th century). There were no other tourists and we could see them at our own pace.

(Vocabulary)
dwelling (フォーマル) 住居, 住宅
highly accomplished  高度に熟練した, 非常に優れた

Hideie Ukita (宇喜多秀家)

　　It's difficult to describe things in English which are relevant to Japan's unique and traditional culture and don't exist overseas, but I'll try! Japan had a 260 year peaceful period in its history. It's called the Edo Period, which started in 1603 and ended in 1968. There was only one civil war. Over the course of the Edo Period, Japan made remarkable progress culturally and technically. Ieyasu Tokugawa had laid down the basis of the period, and Hideie Ukita was one of his opponents. However, he was known for his sincerity and was very popular with ordinary people. That's why he wasn't executed and was expelled from his land to Hachijojima Island.
　　His homeland is a part of the area which we call Okayama Prefecture today. I lived in Okayama Prefecture during my medical student days and my wife came from the prefecture. After seeing the overview of the island from a higher place, we visited his tomb.
　　He was such a person that he was endeared by the island inhabitants. He wasn't permitted to be accompanied by his wife and his statue on the island was set with his wife facing his homeland, Okayama City. The mountain behind them is Hachijo Fuji.
　　40 years later, a fishing boat which was from his homeland was shipwrecked on the island and he asked the fisherman about his homeland and handed him several papers on which his own poems were written. These papers are now preserved in a museum in Okayama Prefecture.

Dog Run

　　I continue to do regular jogging once or twice a week. Today, I found two dog runs under construction in the nearby park. When I had a dog several years ago, it was prohibited to take dogs in the park and I sometimes asked the municipal office to lift the ban, but in vain. I have written about this issue before (link). I stopped here on my jogging route and recalled my two departed dogs. I had wanted them to run as long as they wanted to.

Mileage Accumulated

　　My wife and I put everything on our credit cards if they can be used. As you might notice, we are accumulating frequent flier points of a Japanese airline company, All Nippon Airways (ANA), by using the cards even for daily purchases. My daughter and I made a trip to Germany and Italy last autumn by ANA and Lufthansa, which is a member of the Star Alliance along with ANA and this trip brought in lots of mileage points. It attained the equivalent of four domestic flights' tickets.
　　I'll have a week off in March. I was wondering where to visit this March seeing a map of the whole of Japan, and a small island in Tokyo caught my eye. Needless to add, Tokyo is the capital of Japan, but it has several islands in its executive area. The name of the island that attracted me is Hachijojima, which is located far south of Tokyo and is well-known as an island of transportation since 16th century.
　　Hachijojima island is a volcanic island in the subtropical area. Though it is so small and isolated in the south of Japan, it had appeared in Japan's history by 16th century at the latest. It has vast cultural and natural resources, and it's also noted as the place for scuba diving, fishing and observing land features made by the volcanic activities.

(Vocabulary)
put sth on your credit card ＜商品＞をクレジットカードで買う
transportation  (old use) the punishment of sending a criminal to a distant country
by __ at the latest 遅くとも＿年までに

Result of Ehime Marathon

　　The Ehime Marathon was scheduled to start at 10:00 hours and runners were required to align in the designated block S for the highly qualified and from A to G depending on the prospective finish time. My block was D, which meant my finish time would be from 4 hours and 30 minutes to 5 hours.
　　Every year, a few celebrities are invited to warm up the event. When the runners were about to start, they were cheering up at the starting point. As I saw them, I hit upon a good idea to chat with them. It was to finish in the latter half of 5 hours and 59 minutes. It would make a big scene and be shown on local TV.
　　As I wrote in the previous entries, local companies as well as local people offered runners their products like sweets, fruits, sponges containing water and so on. I adjusted my time chatting with them just like tea time. I thought it was a nice idea, but I got more exhausted than I expected after the 38km mark. I could scrape by the 8th control gate but was stopped continuing running at the 9th, the last control gate of 40.5km. My result was DNF, but I really enjoyed the marathon. I'm going to run other marathons not only across Japan but overseas ones. I'll post all the account below.

Distance  　　Split Time 　　 Lap Time      Time
10Km   　　　  01:27:02 　　　　　　         11:27:02
15Km     　　　02:07:41　　　  0:40:39 　  12:07:41
20Km     　　　02:48:19  　　　0:40:38   　12:48:19
25Km     　　　03:30:02  　　　0:41:43   　13:30:02
30Km     　　　04:14:29  　　　0:44:27   　14:14:29
35Km     　　　04:58:35  　　　0:44:06   　14:58:35
40Km     　　　05:45:06  　　　0:46:31  　 15:45:06

(Vocabulary)
warm sb ↔ up (前座で) ＜観客・聴衆＞をリラックスさせる［盛り上げる］
cheer sb ↔ up ＜人＞を元気づける, 活気づける
scrape by ぎりぎりで生活していく= get by; (試験などを) ぎりぎりで突破する, かろうじて要件を満たす
control gate  関門
stop sb doing sth ＜人＞が＜…＞するのをやめさせる
She tried to stop the child crying. 彼女は子供を泣泣きやませようとした．

(Vocabulary from comments)
bonk  from Wiki
In endurance sports such as cycling and running, hitting the wall or the bonk describes a condition caused by the depletion of glycogen stores in the liver and muscles, which manifests itself by sudden fatigue and loss of energy. Milder instances can be remedied by brief rest and the ingestion of food or drinks containing carbohydrates. The condition can usually be avoided by ensuring that glycogen levels are high when the exercise begins, maintaining glucose levels during exercise by eating or drinking carbohydrate-rich substances, or by reducing exercise intensity.
elated
extremely happy and excited, especially because of something that has happened or is going to happen:
He felt elated and mildly drunk.
[+at/by] She was elated at the prospect of a holiday.

Ehime Marathon Eve

　　This is the Ehime Marathon Eve and I recalled the days over the course of the past year. When I was seeing the scene of the finish of the Ehime Marathon last year tomorrow, I made up my mind to join next year's marathon. It was lots of runners' beaming smiles to give me a push to take up jogging. I've trained myself to run longer by expanding the running distance from 2 to 3 km to 40km bit by bit.
　　It has turned 9 o'clock. I'll wake up at 5 o'clock tomorrow. Better be going to bed. One of the pictures shows the marathon suit that I'll wear tomorrow!

(Vocabulary)
beam にっこりほほえむ, (喜びなどで) 顔を輝かす
beam at sb/sth ＜…＞に向かってにっこりほほえむ
beam with pride/pleasure/excitement  得意そうに［喜びに，興奮で］顔が輝く
Connie beamed with pride as her name was read out. 自分の名前が読み上げられるとコニーは得意満面だった．

A Few More Days

　　In the days leading up to the Ehime Marathon, I'm taking care of myself not to catch a cold with some kinds of Japanese herbal medicine. I've trained to complete the marathon for the past year. I don't want to give up through trivial things such as a cold. Nearly 9,000 runners are supposed to join the marathon, which might be called a local festival. Lots of sponsor companies offer their product or funds. Various kinds of oranges, which are one of the best specialties in Ehime, buns, bananas, strawberries, tomatoes and other food supplies will be placed along the route for runners. Additionally, I'm going to take some special meals designed for effective calorie-supply, which are shown below.

(Vocabulary)
lead up to sth 〈期間が〉 ＜…＞の直前に迫る
trivial 　些細(ささい)な
a trivial matter 取るに足りない問題
a trivial sum of money 雀の涙ほどの金額
bun [C] バンズ (小さな丸形のパン)

Young Soccer Players

　　It was cold today too. About noon, I went to Matsuyama Central Park where the primary school kids soccer tournament Matsuyama Chuo Lions Club Cup is being held yesterday and today. It was one of the activities of my Lions
Club. The Club has hosted this soccer meeting for several years.
　　The popularity of soccer has soared in recent years and lots of kids have come to dream of being professional soccer players. I'm not interested in soccer so much, but it was enjoyable watching the kids play the game seriously and vigorously.
　　Ehime Prefecture, home to me, will host the National Athletic Meeting of Japan in 2017, and at that time, some of the kids who were running around the ground will be selected as representatives of Ehime Prefecture. I hope to see them participate when they are grown-up.

A Week To Ehime Marathon

　　On Feb. 1st, Saturday, one week before Ehime Marathon, I joined the volunteer work of cleaning the route of the marathon. The Amino-Value Running Club, which I belong to and is one of the biggest clubs in Japan, took part in the road cleanup with other running clubs, company groups and university students. The weather was clear and just like early spring though the northern part of Japan was in the midst of heavy coldness. I was getting excited to imagine that I would run there a week later cheered on by lots of people.
　　One more thing: Ehime Marathon topped the popularity vote across the country last year. It is said that Shikoku, in which Ehime is included, is rich in O-MO-TE-NA-SHI mind. This Japanese word was introduced in the final presentation for hosting 2020 Olympics in Tokyo at the IOC general meeting held in Brazil last year.
　　Anyway, I'll run the first full marathon next Sunday!

Omotenashi in French：　http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j60fhcJzoRw 

Discussion about Caroline Kennedy, the U.S. Ambassador to Japan

　　I had my fair share of disappointment with the U.S.' newly assigned Ambassador to Japan, Ms. Caroline Kennedy.
　　Japan's prime minister, Shinzo Abe, made a surprise visit to Yasukuni Shrine, the equivalent of Arlington National Cemetery in the U.S., on Dec. 26th last year. More than 80% of people in Japan approved of his visit. However, Ms. Kennedy announced her remark, "The U.S. is disappointed!" Does she have credentials as an ambassador? Who accused someone of visiting Arlington National Cemetery?
　　Five to ten years ago, former prime minister, Jun'ichiro Koizumi, visited Yasukuni Shrine 6 times while in office, but the Bush Administration issued no statement about it. I think the relationship between both countries has changed remarkably in these several years. Ms. Kennedy's word, "disappoint" will do the U.S. no good in the eyes of East Asia. The U.S. seems to be left in an awkward spot from which they can't back out. Mr. Abe will visit the shrine again and again. What will the U.S. do or say then? The statement from the U.S. Embassy is a faux pas of the diplomatic policy of the U.S.
　　According to the newspaper, the governor of Wakayama Prefecture, in which Taiji town is located, sharply criticized her remarks about dolphin fishing in Japan. She mentioned that dolphin fishing was inhuman on twitter. The governor insisted that we have lived depriving cattle, pigs, or other animals of their lives. Should the lives of dolphins be distinguished from their lives? Food culture is different between the U.S. and Japan. Unless the global shortage of some kinds of creatures is the concern, it's the wisdom of civilization to acknowledge other countries' traditions and positions. She has yet to acquire collective wisdom about Japan, or maybe she is arrogant.
　　Today, I heard that her close relative, environmental lawyer Robert F Kennedy Jr., is making efforts to support She Shepherd and its fugitive founder Paul Watson. It might be one of the reasons for her remark. Anyway, it was ridiculous.
　　By the way, I have another lens through which I see the present situation. Yasukuni Shrine is also the place for commemoration of our ancestors' great achievements for putting an end to brutal colonial policies of superpowers. Japan fought under the international laws, but the opponents didn't. These facts are being revealed year by year and this is what the U.S. actually fears. The U.S. dropped two atomic bombs on innocent civilians. They burnt numerous citizens and houses by indiscriminate bombings on over 200 cities in Japan. The U.N. is controlled by those victor countries, i.e. the U.S., Great Britain, Russia, France, and China, though I don't know why China is there, because China isn't a victor country. Anyway, this system is also ridiculous. I really hope the visit of Mr. Shinzo Abe to Yasukuni Shrine will be the breakthrough to the correction of the present understanding of history.

http://www.seashepherd.org/news-and-media/2013/02/15/robert-f-kennedy-jr-inspires-attendees-at-sea-shepherds-national-press-club-briefing-on-monday-1488

http://www.theaustralian.com.au/news/latest-news/sea-shepherd-takes-battle-to-top-us-court/story-fn3dxix6-1226575863804

http://japandailypress.com/tag/robert-f-kennedy/

(Vocabulary)
your (fair) share of sth （かなり）大きな＜…＞
She has had her fair share of disappointment.　彼女はかなり大きな失望を感じている．
credentials 　《複数扱い》 (資格・能力について) 信用を保証するもの, 実績, 業績
her credentials as a financial expert  金融のエキスパートとしての彼女の実績
credentials 《複数扱い》 (イベントなどの) 入場許可証, 関係者証明バッジ
I showed my press credentials at the door. 入り口で報道関係者の入場許可証を見せた．
can't back out / be left in an awkward spot  引っ込みがつかない
back out 約束などを取り消す, 手を引く
back out of sth  ＜取引など＞から手を引く, から撤退する
faux pas 無作法, エチケット違反
victor country / victorious nation  戦勝国

(Vocabulary from comments)
like-minded  同じ考え［目的・意見・好み・趣味］を持った、志を同じくする、同士の、同好の、うまの合う
non-thinker    a person whose decision making shows an complete absence of common sense and or intelligence, but shows an abundance of ignorance and stupidity; people who are unemployed but actively try to have children, thats an example non-thinker
handout 〔会議・講習会・授業などで配布する〕資料、サンプル、プリント; 新聞発表= press release; ビラ、折り畳み広告; 施し、施し物、お恵み◆乞食への
sheeple  従順で自分の意見がなく大勢に従う人々◆【語源】sheep + people
parental figure: (psychology) A person who represents essential but not necessarily ideal attributes of a father or mother and who is the object of the attitudes and responses of an individual in a parent-child relationship.
become a parental figure to the patient 患者にとって親のような存在になる
hard line 〔政治の〕強硬（派）路線
overriding  決定的な、最も重要な、最重要の、最優先の、主要な、最有力の、ダントツの
skewed 〔事実・価値などが〕曲げられた、歪められた、歪曲された
talking head 〔テレビ・映画などの画面に現れる〕語り手の顔

Comment From Shiroi_Tora (from the U.S.)

Please don't think that Caroline Kennedy speaks for the majority of U.S. citizens.  We have a very liberal socialistic media which supports like minded non-thinkers.  What your prime minister did was completely appropriate.  He is honoring the brave soldiers who had to fight...and ultimately die.  The same is for all countries.  Believe me...most Americans are disappointed with most of our politicians...especially when they do, or say, incredibly stupid things.  Caroline Kennedy was appointed by the party in power...not by the people.  She lobbied for our present president (Obama - the lowest rated President in our history...and for good reason).  She was rewarded with this assignment...and because of her name.  There is no good reason as to why she is there.

I say again...America understands the honoring of the fallen warrior.  It is not a political statement...it is the very least the leaders of a nation can do for all those of whom had died in a war for their nation...and for all of the survivors who lost a son, a brother, a husband...or a loved one.  We, as Americans, wouldn't respect anyone who demanded their soldiers face possible death...and would then not honor them.

Most Americans, like most people of all nations, are so concerned with making a living for their families that larger concerns often escape us.  We make up the silent majority.  Most of us understand life...because we had to work for a living.  We have common sense.  Most conservatives in the U.S. are the ones with experience in life.  Liberals are made up of the very young with no life experience...the very rich with no true life experience...the lazy who look for the promised government handouts...and sheeple...the ones who are simply looking for someone to do their thinking for them, so they may live life stress free (a parental figure).

Liberals are socialists at heart.  Caroline Kennedy is a hard line liberal.
Our president is a disaster...as are his appointees.

Whenever a discussion of world politics had come about with the various people I had known throughout life...anytime the Japanese were mentioned, nothing negative was said.  The overriding thoughts of Americans of the Japanese (outside of the skewed views of the talking heads in the media) was pretty much the same...a beautiful country, a beautiful culture, and an intelligent, hard working, and highly organized people.

When people think of the word honor...and its deep meaning...the Japanese people are usually on the top of the list.

Most know nothing of the politics, but they do understand that a people cannot be judged by a war.  We understand that the decisions are made by the few, and must be followed by the many.

Most are not concerned by the eating of whales or dolphins...unless, as you have pointed out...they are hunted to endangerment.  We understand that those who kill...are subject to be killed (Whales and Dolphins eat life to sustain themselves...so may we).  It really is not a concern to most of us - except when it is used as a political tool of those in the media (who are controlled by a liberal elite...the ones who constantly attempt to tell others what to think instead of giving all of the known facts so we may draw our own conclusions).

Again, the American people are not disappointed with your Prime Minister or with Japan.  We are embarrassed and disappointed in our representatives...both foreign and domestic.

......

Thanks, Really Thanks! (KUMO)

Test Run

　　A marathon, named the "Bochann Run Run Run!", will be held on Dec. 7th, just 7 days later. I'll attend the category of half-marathon. Today, several runners got together and did their test run. I also joined them. The first picture is of the right feet of members. The single running shoe in the center is the photographer's. It's a nice idea. The foot with a blue shoe is mine.

To Munich

　　I went out for a walk with some friends to see around our hotel, H10 ROMA CITTA on the last day in Europe. The first picture below shows my daughter and one of my friends who were shopping for souvenirs. It was smart, I thought, to get them in such ordinary shops, because the goods' prices would be lower than those of shops in the tourists spots.
　　A bus picked us up at the hotel entrance and took us to the International Airport of Rome, called Fiumicino Airport or also called Leonardo da Vinci Airport. I was  looking outside on the way, and found a signboard on which "Ostia Antica" was written. I promptly consulted my travel guidebook and found it was a great ancient ruin. Our flight to Munich was scheduled at 14:35 hours and we had enough time to visit Ostia Antica. Didn't our travel company know about it? It is located only 5km south of the airport. I really wanted to visit the ruins. If you see the pictures taken at Ostia Antica, you'd agree with me.
　　A new local guide joined our tour at the airport for the departure procedure, but she was not useful for me, though the local guide on the previous day was excellent. The flight to Munich was operated by Air Dolomiti and I remembered their rough handling of suitcases. I hoped I could get my suitcases back intact.

Route Map: Rome - Munich
http://kumo.typepad.jp/Euro13/ROMA_Munchen.html

(Vocabulary)
Ostia Antica 古代オスティア遺跡：立ち寄ることはできなかったが帰国後調べてみると第一級の遺跡群で、ここへ寄らせてくれなかったのは旅行社の手落ちではないかと思う。時間は十分にあったので。

Rome 4 - Pantheon, Piazza Navona and Dinner

　　When I reached the Pantheon, I realized the reason why the local guide urged us on at the previous spot. The Pantheon was rebuilt 1900 years ago and is perfectly preserved, and in which the tombs of two big figures were placed: One was the tomb of Raffaello, and the other was of Vittorio Emanuele the Second. I shouldn't need to write about Raffaello. I didn't have preliminary knowledge about the Pantheon, and this encounter with his tomb really surprised and moved me. I uttered in an exciting and low tone "I'm standing just in front of his tomb." I didn't write about the second person, Vittorio Emanuele II in the previous entries, but I actually visited his memorial hall before lunch. He was the key player for the unification of Italy and the first king of the Kingdom of Italy. He would be one of the most cherished persons for Italians.
　　The next spot which we were led to was Piazza Navona, where we could see various types of sculptures. While looking at those sculptures and several stalls around, I took a walk with my daughter. It was to my regret that I wasn't knowledgeable about western sculptures. We parted from the local guide, Guiliana here and got back to our hotel. Her guidance was really nice.
　　Today's dinner was at the restaurant called VINO E CAMINO and the main dish was saltimbocca, which is one of the principal local cuisines of Rome and I ate it for the first time. It went well with wine.

Route Map: Lunch - Hotel
http://kumo.typepad.jp/Euro13/RECAFE_H10.html
Route Map: Hotel - Dinner (partially) The end point is the location of the restaurant.
http://kumo.typepad.jp/Euro13/H10_VINO%20E%20CAMINO_Dinner.html

(Vocabulary)
Pantheon ローマ市内のパラティヌスの丘に建造された神殿。元々は、様々なローマ神を奉る万神殿。
urge sb on  ＜人＞を駆り立てる, 励ます
Urged on by the crowd, the Italian team scored two more goals. 観衆に励まされて，イタリアチームはさらに2ゴールを上げた．
should 　まあ～でしょうね、おそらく～でしょう（丁寧な感じや謙遜した感じを表す）
I should say she is over fifty. 彼女は５０を越えているでしょう。
I should hardly think so. そうは思いませんね。
I should like to do = I would like to do = I'd like to do
cherish〈信念・友情など〉を大事にする;(フォーマル) 〈人・物〉を大事にする, 大切に育てる [同意] treasure
cherish a hope/an idea/a dream  希望［考え，夢］を抱く
cherish a/sb's memory  （＜人＞の）思い出を大切にする
Piazza Navona ナヴォーナ広場
knowledgeable 知識の豊富な, 精通している
saltimbocca or saltinbocca サルティンボッカ：ローマを代表する料理で、仔牛肉・鶏肉・豚肉などに、生ハムとセージを乗せたり並べた料理で、単品あるいはワイン・オイル・塩水のマリネと共に盛り付けられる。この料理の最も有名な調理法は、ローマ風サルティンボッカで、薄切りの仔牛肉に、プロシュット（または生ハム）セージの葉を巻き上げたものを、マサラ酒や白ワインとバターで仕上げたものである。（Wikiより）

一緒に行った皆さんへ：
２つめの地図のルートの終点がレストランの場所。停車したバスの右側ばかりを探し、我らが晴香ちゃんが旅行中に一度だけ真っ青になったあの場所です。レストランは道を挟んだ反対側(左側)でした。(^o^)地図を拡大してレストランを探してみてください。レストランの名前はVINO E CAMINOです。バスに乗るときにＧＰＳ受信機の電源を入れ忘れていたのでホテル周辺の記録ができませんでした。(^_^;)

Rome 2 - The Mouth of Truth

　　It started to rain like a squall as soon as we came back to the bus. The sightseeing spot that we visited next was the Mouth of Truth in the Santa Maria in Cosmedin Church, which was undoubtedly world-widely famous, appearing in the movie, Roman Holiday. Because there was no parking space in front of the church, the bus driver pulled over as close to the church as possible to avoid the rain. When we got out of the church after a short stay, the rain had already luckily stopped. Next, we headed for Piazza del Campidoglio on foot and I got lost for words to describe the scene from there. It was Foro Romano.
　　What caught my eye were the ruins of ancient Roman times. I didn't consult the travel guidebooks and had no background information on the tourist attractions in Rome. The view from there was very interesting and it was utterly regrettable that we didn't have time to walk in the ruins. The paths we looked down might be the paths on which Caesar might have walked! Rome was full of historic assets and we hadn't time for them.
　　Our lunch was designated at the pizza restaurant RECAFE, in which we were led to a bright room with sunlight coming in and were served a very big-size Margherita and mushroom pizza (half and half). I ate it up, but most members couldn't finish it. It was too large for them. The taste was great.

Route Map: Hotel to Lunch
http://kumo.typepad.jp/Euro13/H10_RECAFE.html

(Vocabulary)
the Mouth of Truth 　真実の口 　Santa Maria in Cosmedin Church の中にある
Roman Holiday  ローマの休日
Foro Romano フォロ・ロマーノ
イタリアの首都ローマの中心部にある古代ローマ時代の遺跡。カンピドリオの丘とパラティーノの丘の間に位置する。紀元前６世紀から紀元３世紀まで、古代ローマの政治・経済・商業の中心地として栄えた。元老院が置かれたクーリア、セベルス帝の凱旋門、バシリカユリア（ユリウスのバシリカ）、サトゥルヌスの神殿、ウェスタの神殿など、修復・再建されたものも含め多数の遺跡がある。１９８０年、「ローマ歴史地区、教皇領とサンパオロフォーリ‐レ‐ムーラ大聖堂」の名称で世界遺産（文化遺産）に登録された。（Wikiより）
consult [他]〈本・リスト・地図など〉を調べる
advance knowledge / background information  予備知識
Margherita マルゲリータ

 

ヴィットーリオ・エマヌエーレ２世記念堂とヴェネツィア広場は本文には書いていません。

Rome 1 - Colosseo

　　Before leaving Japan, I was so busy that I couldn't read the travel guidebook about Italy, in spite of my first visit to the country. I didn't know even a few Italian phrases of greetings and about the details of principal cultural assets. Numerous historic sites are found densely in Rome. I should have learned some of those historic buildings or incidents. While moving by bus in the city on the previous day, I realized my mistake. So, I decided to shoot lots of pictures and record the route I moved just for future reference. I'll show you various places in sightseeing progression.
　　The breakfast was served in the hotel, H10 ROMA CITTA. I liked it better than that of Novotel in Freiburg. The weather was not good. It was about to rain and we were advised to carry umbrellas from the hotel personnel. A bus picked us up at the hotel and the local guide on the way to the Colosseo. The wireless receivers were delivered at the entrance of the Colosseo and we entered the historic ancient ruins. Looking around, the local guide told us miserable stories about the Colosseo, the fights between slaves and savage animals, the sad lives of conquered countries' citizens, and so on. I saw the dark side of the Roman Empire.

Route Map: Hotel to Lunch
http://kumo.typepad.jp/Euro13/H10_RECAFE.html

(Vocabulary)
progression [U](特に書き言葉) 前進, 進行
a natural progression  自然な成り行き
Colosseo コロッセオ、コロシアム、コロッセウム
ローマ市に残る、古代の円形闘技場。西暦７０年代にウェスパシアヌス帝が起工。長径１８８メートル、高さ４９メートル、４階造りで、約５万人の観衆を収容できた。
savage　〈人・攻撃などが〉 非道な, 非人道的な, 〈動物が〉 獰猛(どうもう)な
the Roman Empire ローマ帝国