Japanese Surgeon's Daily Life

Memorial Day

　　Today was the anniversary of the onset of the Great East Asian War, which has been considered to be a war desired by Japan. With recent researches based on historical records in the U.S., however, the truth of the war has been gradually disclosed. Anyway, I visited Pearl Harbor last spring and saw various facilities related to the war.
　　On the day of the attack, 10 young soldiers were assigned to the exit of the harbor to ram the military vessels which would come out of the harbor, and one of those was captured, leaving the others killed. Their memorial service was held today near my office and I joined it. This small fishery village was their training site. We should remember those who sacrificed their lives for Japan.

Westminster Abbey

　　A set of postcards in a souvenir shop which I had visited yesterday was showing the wedding of Prince William and Catherine and the following parade to Buckingham Palace. Westminster Abbey was the place in which their wedding ceremony was held. 7 years have passed since then. The year of the wedding was in the same year as the Great East Japan Earthquake, and in addition, the next month of the disaster. That's why I remembered the year of the royal wedding. I wasn't able to even imagine that I actually stood in front of Westminster Abbey 7 years later.
　　When we arrived at the entrance of the Abbey 20 minutes before the opening, the 50-meter-long waiting line was already formed, but we were led to the inside soon. As I expected as one of the main sightseeing spots in the U.K., the audioguides of various languages were fully equipped and enough number of staff members were positioned at every corner of the sightseeing route. At least the Japanese version of the stories in the audioguide was neutrally written. I thought that the stories about the changes of the dynasties and the dark side of British history were correctly described.
　　What I found most astonishing in the Abbey was people walking on the tombstones on the floor. The epitaphs were naturally carved on their surfaces. I was completely unable to walk on the plate, as I felt that I was desecrating the honor and the achievements of the dead "but one". When I was avoiding walking on them, my eyes met a staff member. She asked me with smile if I was a Japanese or not. Most Japanese people seemed to be reluctant to walk on the tombstones. I recalled the allegiance test in the Edo era, called "Fumi-e". Taking advantage of Japanese sensitivity that they can't stomp something they admire. The rulers ordered suspects in Christianity to stomp on the picture of the Virgin Mary and people who weren't able to do it were executed.
　　Churchill's tomb was at the last part of the route. It was bigger than others and attracted sightseers' attention. He was surely a great politician, but took Japan into the Great East Asian War along with FDR. I stomped on his epitaph and went out of the Abbey. Shooting was prohibited inside and no pictures. I took a picture in the corridor outside.

(Vocabulary)
Great East Japan Earthquake 東日本大震災
desecrate〈教会・国旗など〉を冒涜(ぼうとく)する
desecrate to spoil or damage something holy or respected
―desecration 冒涜行為
allegiance 忠誠
stomp = stamp
stomp off/out (怒って) 足を踏み鳴らして出て行く
stomp out of/into something 足を踏み鳴らして＜場所＞から出て行く［に入って行く］
a) [他] …を踏みつける
b) [自] 踏みつけるstomp on somebody/something ＜…＞を踏みつける, ＜アクセル＞を踏み込む

　
昨日立ち寄った土産物店でウィリアム王子とキャサリン妃の婚礼とその後のバッキンガム宮殿までのパレードの絵はがきがあった。その婚礼が行われたのがウェストミンスター寺院。あれから７年（東北大震災と同じ年の春だったので覚えている）、まさかその場所に立つとは思ってもみなかった。

開院の２０分くらい前に寺院の前に着いたが既に５０メートルくらいの列ができていた。飛行機の予定があったので少し焦ったが、開院からほどなく中へ入ることが出来た。オーディオガイドがしっかりと用意されていて楽しく観光できた。オーディオガイドはニュートラルに作られていて、王朝の交代の歴史、それにまつわる暗い部分などについても正確な説明だと感じた。

ここで一番驚いたことは、観光客が墓石の上を歩くこと。墓石にはもちろん墓碑銘が刻まれている。ホーキング博士の墓もあったが、僕にはどうしても踏めなかった。只一人を除いては。墓石を避けて歩いていると、スタッフの一人と目が合った。彼女から『日本人？』と尋ねられた。日本人は墓石に気づくと踏まない人が多いとのこと。そういえば、江戸時代、キリシタンを見つけるためにマリア像を踏ませてみるテストがあったなあと思い出した。

ツアーコースの最後にあったのが、チャーチルの墓。偉大な政治家ではあるが、自国を護るため、アメリカを戦争に誘い込むために日本に戦争をふっかけた張本人の一人。墓はひときわ大きく出口付近にあり、墓碑銘を踏みつけ、泥を落とすかの如く足を踏みならして寺院を出た。寺院内部は撮影禁止だったので写真はない。出て回廊を歩いているときに一枚だけ撮影した。ここも禁止だったかもしれないのだが。

Tower of London

　　We took our purchase back to our hotel, then went out again. We took the tube at St. James station. It was the first time to use the tube, but it wasn't difficult. Our destination was the Tower of London.
　　I believe that I have some knowledge about the Tower of London to a certain degree for a Japanese. It might be more than the average Briton's. I was all the happier for my knowledge to walk around in and outside of the Tower of London. Not only its historical and archaeological importance but its collection of valuable things attracted me. Among other things, the real inherited queen's crowns and the Japanese armour given to King James 1st. as a gift from the shogun of those days, Hidetada Tokugawa, surprised me. The Japanese armour is also the token of the starting first-ever diplomacy between Japan and the U.K.. The possible murder of two young princes committed by their suspicious uncle, cruel executions of queens and miserable lives of numerous prisoners,,,. I was at the special site which had seen those incidents. The pier for the prisoners who were taken to the Tower of London by boat still remained. I took a break over a cup of coffee seeing wings-cut crows, the symbol of the Tower of London. It was my blissful time to be a part of the history.
　　The staff members with red outfits were called Yeomen Warders also known as Beefeaters. I had long assumed that "Beefeater" is the name of a gin. Anyway, they were veterans with exploits and lived in the Tower of London with their family. They weren't routine tour guides.

ホテルへ戻り、荷物を置いて再び出発。今度はすぐそばにあるセントジェームス駅から地下鉄に乗車。初めてだったが迷うことなく乗れた。一度乗り換えてTower Hill駅で下車

ロンドン塔については日本人としては自身、結構知識が有る方だと思っている。もしかしたら平均的なイギリス人以上かもしれない。そのおぞましい歴史を知っているだけにこの場所に来ることが出来て、中を歩くことが出来て本当に嬉しい。建築物としての歴史的、また考古学的価値はもちろんなのだが、収蔵されている宝も国宝級の価値のあるものばかり。女王の王冠の実物(撮影禁止)に驚いたし、徳川秀忠からキングジェームズ１世に贈られた甲冑には本当に驚いた。日本とイギリスの国交開始を記念する品々の一部だという。犯人として伯父にあたる人物が疑われている殺害の可能性が高い不可解な王子たちの死、女王たちのむごい処刑、無数の囚人達の死、いろいろな歴史を見てきた建物の中を自由に歩いた。船で運ばれてきた囚人がロンドン塔内へ初めて入るところなどそのまま残っていた。飼われている羽根を切られたカラスを眺めながらしばしコーヒータイム。歴史の一部になる至福の時。

赤い服を着ている人たちはヨーマン・ウォーダーズ（ビーフィーターとも呼ばれる）と呼ばれる。聞けば、彼ら、彼女らは軍功のあるエリート軍人だと聞いて驚いた。ロンドン塔に家族と共に住んでいるという。只のガイドではないのだと知った。

Trafalgar Square

　　When I was walking on the Golden Jubilee Bridge, I saw several people shooting pretty ladies. They were apparently a professional photographer and his assistants. My daughter asked the seems-to-be director if she could take pictures of models and she was allowed to do so. While shooting, several visitors got together around her, and we fled out of the flock. The general atmosphere of my daughter seemed to draw people to her.
　　My fondness for trips is surely inherited from my father, but the influence of the world history class in my high school days also might work. The "Battle of Trafalgar" and "Admiral Nelson" were essential words for understanding the history of Europe and passing the entrance exam of the high class universities. As I was approaching Trafalgar Square, the statue of Admiral Nelson caught my eye. It was too high to look closely, and he is another great admiral compared with Admiral Heihachirou Togo, who had saved Japan from Russian invasion just like Admiral Nelson saved the U.K. from Napoleon. I took a walk around and found the statue of King George 4th, of whom I had an image of a bad king for folks, so I didn't understand why his statue stood in the square. Anyway, I was happy to actually see the National Galley, St. Martin In the Fields Church, and the statue of Admiral Nelson. I wanted to take pictures of myself with lions on the basis of the statue, but it was too crowded to do so.

Golden Jubilee Bridgesを渡ってトラファルガー広場へ向かっていると橋の上でモデル撮影会に出くわした。ミラーレス一眼に凝っている娘がディレクターらしき男に了解を得て撮影していると、また人が集まってきた。娘の笑顔はどうも人を惹きつけるような気がする。早々にこの場所を退散してトラファルガー広場へ。自分の旅行好きは親父の影響もあるが、高校時代の世界史の勉強によるところが大きいかもしれない。トラファルガーとかネルソン提督とかキングジョージ４世とか、世界史の勉強にあたり絶対に覚えなければならない用語が懐かしい。トラファルガー広場に近づくにつれてまず目に入ったのがネルソン提督像。あまりに高すぎて細かな表情は見えないが、日本の東郷平八郎と並んで称される偉大な海軍提督である。ゆっくりと広場を歩いた。キングジョージ４世像もあった。この人は銅像になるほど立派だったのかなとしばしいぶかるが、よく覚えていない。あまり良い印象のない王様である。St. Martin In the Fields Churchにナショナル・ギャラリー、ネルソン提督像の台座のライオン像とツーショットを取りたかったが混雑故に断念。

Walking around the Hotel

　　The reason why I chose Conrad was not only its free stay, but due to its location. There were several tourist spots within walking distance. Westminster Abbey, London Eye, Buckingham Palace and St. James Park and so on were in the range of 10 minutes' walk from the hotel. After having a coffee which was set in the hotel room, we went out.
　　The first destination, Westminster Abbey was temporarily closed to visitors and we decided to visit it again. We came across a political assembly which was held at Parliament Square Garden on the way to the opposite side of the Thames. They seemed to be the Remain camp and were calling for staying in the E.U.. The assembly was organized orderly and we didn't feel any fear about them. I don't know which is better for the U.K., Brexit or Remain, but I'm interested in the outcome of the Ireland Issue, though it's not my business. One thing, I just hoped that the British would become happier. By the way, I heard a politician-like person on the stage saying that the day of Brexit was March 29th, which was the birthday of my youngest daughter, who was staying in Oxford. What would become of her next birthday?
　　The statue of Churchill stood on the corner of the garden. He is naturally horrible to Japanese, but a great politician to the British at the same time. A road sweeper stopped near us. I presumed that the right-side wall would open when it worked. I wanted to see how it worked, but our time was limited and we headed for the London Eye. Big Ben was under renovation and surrounded by scaffolding and we weren't able to view its beautiful appearance.

(Vocabulary)
camp [C] (意見や主義を同じくする) 同志, グループ, 陣営
Campaigners are split into two opposing camps. 運動家たちは2つの対立グループに分裂している．
scaffold (昔の) 絞首台;[C] (建築現場などでの) 足場;[C](米) (高層ビルの窓拭き作業などで用いる) ゴンドラ [同意] cradle(英)
go to the scaffold 絞首刑になる

　


　
　
コンラッドを選んだのは特典利用で無料で泊まれたからだが、それ以上のその立地による。徒歩圏内にウエストミンスター寺院、バッキンガム宮殿など有名な観光地がいくつもあり、観光には実に便利な場所にある。ホテルについてコーヒーで一服した後、すぐに外出。時間が惜しい、、、

ウェストミンスター寺院にまず向かったが、観光客には開放されていない時間帯だったので、出直すことして、テムズ川の対岸へ向かった。途中、ＥＵ脱退反対のデモがParliament Square Gardenで行われていた。とはいえ整然と行われており危険な雰囲気はなく観光には支障なし。北アイルランドの問題をどう折り合いを付けるのか、ちょっと興味あり。オックスフォードに住んでいる娘の誕生日がなんとBrexit Anniversaryとなるようだ。オックスフォードで迎えるどんな誕生日になるのかな？

広場からウェストミンスター橋へ向かうとチャーチルの銅像があった。この広場の周りにはいくつか銅像があったらしいが、予習をしておらず、チャーチルの銅像だけを確認できた。日本にとっては憎たらしい男ではあるが、イギリスにとっては偉大な人物には違いない。

歩いて橋を渡りロンドンアイの方へ向かった。掃除用の車が停まっていた。右側が開くのだろうか？動いているところを見たかったが先を急いだ。ビッグベンはなにやら工事中で足場が組まれていてその美しい外観を見ることはできなかった。

October 7th

　　The brilliant lights were coming into my room when I woke up on Oct. 7th. We were moving to London today. After seeing around my daughter's college, I took my car back to the car-rental company, Hertz. On the way, I saw lots of people with outfits for jogging walking to the meeting place for the Oxford Half Marathon. If I had known about the marathon in advance, I would have taken part in it. I wished I could have joined it.
　　The 3rd picture is the Hertz's office. I wanted to return the key into the key-return box about 8 o'clock and leave for London, but I waited for someone to show up at 10 o'clock, because I wanted to make sure that the fuel tank hadn't been full when I got the car. After coming back to Japan, as I had been concerned, an additional charge of gasoline fee was claimed from Hertz. The mileage was only 169km and I filled the car with 30 liters of gasoline on the way. I'd rather have them pay some money back. I sent the 4th picture to the company to request a refund. Finally my request was permitted and they gave some money back. I felt at the office that they were slacking a little, and my impression wasn't so far wrong. "2.8" on the left slip means that the gasoline level was 2.8 scales. This figure was written down by a staff member, but this stuff wasn't reported to the boss. One thing, however, the car which they had prepared for us was an Audi car and it was very comfortable and handy.
　　The last picture was shot in front of the Hertz office. I was surprised to find it, as it resembled the Japanese one. I remembered that Mr. Hisoka Maejima who is called the father of the postal system in Japan had studied the British postal system in the U.K. That might be why both countries' mail posts are alike.

(Vocabulary)
scale 目盛り
gas gauge ガソリンメーター

目が覚めてすぐに外を見た。快晴。今日はロンドンへの移動日。娘のカレッジ周辺をもう一度見て回ってからレンタカーを返却。移動中、オックスフォード・ハーフマラソンに集まる人たちを大勢見かけた。前もってわかっていたらオックスフォード滞在を延ばして参加していたと思う。残念。

３枚目はレンタカー会社の前に車を止めてオフィスが開くのを待っているところ。本来なら８時頃にキーをポストへ返却してロンドンへ向かうはずだったのだが、スタッフが来るのを待っている。実は、借り出したときにガソリンが１／３くらいしか入っておらず、そのことを担当者に直接念押しするため。借り出した直後に満タンではないことを指摘したところ、４枚目の写真にあるように２．８目盛りでスタートしたと、急遽係員が記入してくれているのだが、心配だったので。で、帰国後、心配したとおり、ガソリン代の追加請求が来た。４枚目の写真の右にある伝票は途中で３０リットル給油した証明書。走行距離は１６９ｋｍで３０リットル給油済みでこのガソリン代金の追加請求はおかしいだろうと抗議したところ、認めてもらえた。スタート時と返却時のガソリン残量表示の写真を撮っておくべきだったと後悔していたが、請求が認められて良かった。ただ、今回借りれたアウディはほぼ新車でとても快適で、運転に掛かるストレスは殆ど無かった。この点は有り難かった。

営業所の前に日本のポストに似たポストが建っていた。前島密が郵便事業の視察のため渡英したことを思い出した。もしかしたら日本のポストのデザインもイギリスから来ているのかも知れない。

Payment

　　Unfavorable things were happening during this trip. There's a Japanese proverb that says "Never twice without three times." Setting my mind to secure driving, I started for Oxford. The road was well maintained and I was able to come back to Oxford without trouble, though I took a wrong turn once. I saw a signboard on the way indicating the direction for Blenheim Palace, in which Winston Churchill had been born. This Palace was on my yesterday's visit list, but we lost precious time for a visit to complete the report to the police about the pickpocket who had stolen my daughter's purse. I really felt so sorry not to be able to visit the Palace.
　　After grabbing a shower, we had dinner at the restaurant in our hotel. The staff members were kind, but the taste of the dishes was terrible. We should have taken back something from the common world taste of McDonald's hamburger shop. I washed down my dinner with a bottle of red wine.
　　By the way, I put myself to my horrible work, paying the parking fine online. The procedure was very easy, but an interesting idea came up to me. If I didn't pay the fine, what will become of it? My ID would be informed by the authorities from the car-rental company, but they wouldn't be able to claim payment to the credit card company without my signature. Try, or not? Such a thought came into my mind for an instant, but I paid, remembering "Noblesse oblige."

(Vocabulary)
Never twice without three times. 二度あることは三度ある

　
　
今回の旅行はいろいろなことが起こる。日本のことわざに『二度あることは三度ある』というのがある。また何かトラブルに見舞われぬよう注意しなくてはと思いながらオックスフォードへ向けてドライブ開始。道路は整備されていて一度分岐点を間違えたものの問題なくオックスフォードまで戻ってきた。途中でブレナム宮殿（Blenheim Palace）の行き先表示を見かけた。ここはチャーチルの生まれた宮殿で是非とも訪れたい場所だったのだが、昨日のスリのせいで時間が取られて見学できず。本当に残念だ。
　
ホテルについて、シャワーをして、食事。付近にレストランがないのでホテルで食事をした。ウェイターやウェイトレスはとても感じよかったが、見た目は美味しそうな食事が、、、最悪。酷すぎる。世界共通のマクドナルドのハンバーガーでも買ってくれば良かった。ワインで流し込んで夕食終了。
　
さて、ストラットフォードアポンエイボンでの駐車違反の罰金の支払い。オンラインで簡単に終了。ふと思った。このチケットを無視して放置したらどうなるのだろう？レンタカー会社に連絡が行って請求されるのだろうが、サインをしない限り処理されないはず。一瞬、試してみるか？　とも思ったが、大人げないので止めた。

 

Stratford-upon-Avon, Birthplace of Shakespeare

　　When we were enjoying English tea and cakes in Burford, my daughter told me that we would be able to reach Stratford-upon-Avon during the daytime. I was nervous about driving in the U.K., but the traffic conditions were just like in Japan. I was able to drive around some roundabouts successfully. We decided to skip a few tourist spots to save time on the way, and arrived at Stratford-upon-Avon before sunset. We parked our car at a parking lot which we happened to find. Then we visited the house in which Shakespeare had been born, but the house was closed five minutes before. We were late by five minutes. So sorry!
　　The following pictures are the house in which Shakespeare was born, the adjacent souvenir shop and a nearby street. Though the rain stopped, it was a little bit dark. Most people would be melancholic, but I was excited to be at the Birthplace of Shakespeare. I knew about this place some time after I started learning English in my junior high school. My visit to Stratford-upon-Avon was an unexpected thing in those days.

シェイクスピアの生誕地　ストラットフォードアポンエイボンにて
　
Burfordでお茶しているときに、この分ならストラトフォード＝アポン＝エイヴォンまで足を伸ばせるなと思いついてやって来た。イギリスで初めて運転するので多少緊張していたが、Burfordまで走ってみて日本での運転と変わらないことがわかり、予定していた立ち寄り場所をいくつかキャンセルしてここまでやって来た。なので予備知識は殆ど無い。シェイクスピアが生まれた場所だと言うだけ。そして着いたときには１６時を回っていた。たまたま通りがかった駐車場ががら空きだったのでそこに停めて生家まで向かった。徒歩で１０分もかからず到着。しかし、１６時３０分で生家は閉館だった。５分遅れた、、、、で、そのあたりを散策することにした。
　
写真はシェイクスピアの生家と隣の土産物屋、そして通りの雰囲気。雨は上がったがどんよりとした天気で夕方。普通ならあまり快活な気分にはなれないが、自分は違って興奮していた。中学時代、英語を学び始めて間もない頃に英語の副読本でこの町の名前を知った。イギリスのどこかにあるという程度の知識だった。まさか自分が訪れるとは思いもよらなかった。

Chipping Campden

　　We arrived at Chipping Campden. The travel guidebook said that there were several spots for visitors, but I just drove in the town to save time. Lots of elegant buildings which had been built from 14th to 17th century were still alive in a district called High Street and I really wanted to enter one of them, but we thought that it would take time to find a parking space and gave up seeing inside of the buildings. I didn't even take pictures, but we were lucky to see those honey-colored traditional buildings. The color would be due to the locally produced limestone.
　　I found very unique appearances of the houses on the outskirts. I pulled over to take a short walk. The Audi in the first picture is our car. I wondered how much labor would be required to keep those gardens and roofs in that way. I understand that the British are fond of gardening, but these gardens were great!

チッピング・カムデンにて

チッピング・カムデンに到着。ガイドブックにはいろいろと書いてあるが、ストラットフォードアポンエイボンへ急ぎたいので、車で町を散策。ハイストリートと呼ばれる地区には１４～１７世紀のエレガントな建物がまだ保存されていて、建物の中へ立ち入ってもみたかったのだが、駐車場探しに時間が掛かりそうで駐車はは諦めた。写真も撮れず。観光客が多かった。でも美しい街並みを見ることができただけでも幸運。特筆すべきは、建物の色がこれまで見てきた町とは異なり、蜂蜜色。この近くでとれる石灰岩なのだろう。

中心街から少し離れたところを走るとこれまた屋根に特徴のある家々が並んでいた。ここでは他の車に倣い、路上に停めてしばし散策。1枚目に写っているアウディＡ１が今回借りている車。ここにある家や、庭の管理にはいったいどれだけの労力が必要なのだろう？イギリス人はガーデニングの好きな人たちだと聞いてはいるが、それにしても立派な庭に、屋根。

Bibury

　　The pictures of a tiny village of the Cotswolds, Bibury, would be surely on the pages of the travel guidebooks handling the U.K.. The following pictures which I had taken show you the symbolic sites of the village. The rain was continuing, but this village was also well-matched with the rain. My daughter in a tiny plastic raincoat, leaving her umbrella folded, was walking lightly. If the Raindrops Keep Fallin' On My Head by B.J.Thomas was being played, she would have started dancing. You'll know "Time flies" or "Time and tide wait for no man", but the flow of the time in Bibury looked slow to me. I found a trout farm nearby and I wondered what the principal industry was. The water and air was really clean. I wished I could have stayed at the Swan Hotel just in front of us even for a few days. The trout steak seemed to be very famous and popular.
　　Take a look at the third picture in which my daughter was shot in a prim and proper manner. The barn-like house behind her was used even now. We didn't look into the house, but happened to see a person watching the T.V. inside. How long ago was the house built? The last picture is the Swan Hotel. Don't you feel its long historic background?

　
バイブリーはおそらくイギリスを扱った全ての旅行ガイドブックに載っている場所。ここを外すわけにはいかない。雨が降っているけれど、ここもまた雨の似合う村ではないだろうか。娘は傘を差さず、合羽を着て身軽に歩き回っている。B.J.Thomasの『雨にぬれても』がかかれば踊り出しそうだった。時間がゆっくりと流れている、そんな気のする街だった。すぐそばにはマスの養殖場があったが、この村の主な産業は何なのだろう。時間さえあれば一泊してゆっくりと散策したい気分に駆られた。目の前にはスワン・ホテル！スモークトラウトが美味しいらしい。娘がすまして写っている３枚目の写真の家には人が住んでいた。覗いたわけではないが、中にテレビを見ている人が見えた。ここで生活しているんだ！いったい何年前に建てられた家なのだろう。

Merton College

　　My daughter looked disappointed to have her favorite purse stolen and seemed to need a change of mind. We visited Merton College. The entrance fee was 3 GBP per person. Buildings were what I had imagined and didn't let me down. I was very happy to be there where lots of intelligent students from past centuries had spent their youth. What's more, the Japanese Crown Prince had studied there about transportation on the Thames.
　　Passing through the gate, there was an isolated bench, which is shown in the left lower corner of the 2nd picture below. Judging from its description, the bench seemed to be donated to the college in memory of a donor's father who had been enrolled in the college. I'd seen similar benches in a park in Toronto and I wrote about them here (Link). I like this custom, though it's rare in Japan. Mr. Theo Gadian on the description plate would have been a good father. We were able to walk around the grounds except private areas. Every building had its unique solemnity and I was overwhelmed.
　　We saw a few squirrels and my daughter was into shooting them for some time. The last building was the Cathedral, which was smaller than that of Christ Church, but the magnitude of the pipe organ was great. I uttered, "What sound does it make?" The last picture shows a plaque hung on the wall near the entrance. It was the list of the successive wardens of the college. I'd like to pay my respect to the endeavor to keep or protect their tradition even through the change of dynasties and big warfare.

 https://kumo.typepad.jp/weblog/2012/07/on-algonquin-island.html

  


 




お気に入りの財布をすられて落胆している娘を連れてマートンカレッジへ。気持ちの切り替えが必要。入口で一人３ポンドを支払い入構。建物は期待を裏切らず、中世の建物そのもの。過去数世紀にわたって若者たちがその青春時代を過ごしたこの場所（日本の皇太子殿下もそのひとり）に立ててとても嬉しい。

エントランスを抜けると中庭があり、ベンチが一つ、ぽつんと置かれていた。かつてここに在籍した父親を思って子供達が設置したものと思われた。同じような椅子をトロントで見かけたことがある。市民が利用できる公園にいくつも置かれていた。このような習慣をちょっと気に入っている。この椅子に書かれているTHEO GADIANという人は良い父親だったのだろうなあ。構内では立入禁止と書かれていない場所は自由に見て回ることが出来た。どの建物も重々しい。伝統の醸し出す雰囲気に圧倒された。

娘はと見ると、野生のリスに夢中。可愛いと言って追いかけ回していた。３～４匹ほど見かけたが、３０分くらいはリスの写真を撮っていた。野生のリスの話はロンドンの記事の中でまた。最後に入ったのが大聖堂。クライストチャーチカレッジの大聖堂に比べるとこじんまりしているのだが、圧感はパイプオルガン。どんな音が出るのだろうか?最後の写真は大聖堂の入口横に掛かっていた銘板。じっくりと見て欲しい。学寮長の一覧だ。王朝が変わり、大戦争があっても、伝統が守られてきたことに敬意を表したい。

Pickpocket

　　Then we took a walk around Merton College. The streets had emitted a very relaxed and traditional atmosphere. We moved to the city center on foot. We are good walkers and didn't mind a long walk. We visited Bodleian Libraries and around it, only the outer appearance of which we saw the previous day.
　　When we dropped in at a pub to have lunch, my daughter noticed that she had had her purse stolen by a pickpocket. That purse was one which I had bought her at Haneda Airport. It was her favorite one and her driving licence and about 300 GBP were inside.
　　It is said that there are lots of pickpockets in Europe, but my daughter had never fallen victim to pickpocketing during her one-year stay in Germany. Did she relax her mind with me? She was always holding her shoulder bag in front, but when she was targeted by a pickpocket, her hands were full of nylon bags of souvenirs and her shoulder bag was hung over her right shoulder. We were going to pack those souvenirs into my backpack at lunch time. It was a very short time from purchase to packing that the pickpocket did his/her work.
　　Our appetite disappeared and we headed for a police station without having lunch. When I took her to the Thames Valley Police Station, she asked me why I knew its site. I had happened to find it while she was shopping in the Alice's Shop. I didn't even imagine such an incident at that time.
　　My daughter told a policeman about the situation. I expected that an official certification would be issued, but we didn't receive any document from the police. We felt a little bit uneasy, but went out believing his comment, "If something problematic occurs, I'll send you an e-mail". However, we had nothing to testify our visit to the police station. I thought we should have received something like his business card. During the police interview, a drunken homeless man came to the station and he was instantly repelled by a few policemen. I tried to listen carefully to their conversation, but I wasn't able to understand their words, maybe including several slang words and unique accents. Where are people who speak the BBC's English?
　　This incident had an influence over our sightseeing plan. I advised my daughter to continue sightseeing, saying that if she stopped sightseeing, our regret would be more intense though we had to give up visiting Blenheim Palace in which Sir Winston Churchill had been born.
　　After coming back to Japan, my daughter reported the incident to the insurance company and also reported that the police interview had been done at the Thames Valley Police Station in Oxford. The sum of money after a 3000 yen (about 25 US$) deductible was reduced from the price of her purse was paid into her bank account. I was so sorry to doubt the exact work of the nice daddy policeman in that police station.

アリスショップを出て皇太子殿下の留学先、マートンカレッジの周辺を散歩。美しく伝統を感じる街だった。そして中心部へ移動。小さな町なので健脚の二人にとっては交通機関は不要。そして昨日概観しか見ていなかったボドリアン図書館とその周辺を見て回った。

そして、昼食のために立ち寄ったパブで娘が財布をすられたことに気がついた。羽田空港で出国後、ターミナル内の免税店でこの旅行の記念に買ってやったもの。選び抜いて買ったお気に入りの財布。中には日本の運転免許証と現金が３００ポンドほど入っていたらしい。

スリが多いと言われるヨーロッパ。娘はドイツに１年住んでいたが、その間は何も無かったのにと涙を浮かべて悔しがっていた。親が一緒だったので気が緩んだのか。いつも前に抱えていたバッグが、お土産を買って両手が塞がり、後ろに回ってしまっていた。昼食時に整理して僕のデイパックに詰めるつもりだったのだが、それまでわずかの時間にやられた。うっかりとはこういう事を言うのだろう。
結局食欲は失せてしまい、注文した昼食を食べずに警察へ向かった。娘を警察に案内すると、『なぜ警察の場所を知っているのか?』と娘が問う。たまたま見かけて覚えていたからだが、こんなことになるとは思いもしなかった。

警察署で事情を説明した。盗難にあったことを示す証明書が発行されるかと思ったら何もくれない。何かあったら連絡するということだけ。少し不安になったが、そう言われて警察署を出た。これでは警察署を訪れたという証拠が残っていないのであの警察官の名刺だけでももらっておくべきだったと思った。この間、酒瓶をぶら下げた酔っ払ったホームレスがやってきたが、警察官に署から追い出されていた。この数名の会話が全く聞き取れない。いやはやＢＢＣの英語を喋るイギリス人はいったいどこにいるのか。

これにより予定が大幅に狂った。観光気分が失せてしまった娘に、これで観光をやめたら余計に悔しくなると諭して、観光は続けた。チャーチルが生まれたブレナム宮殿は諦めざるを得なかったが。

帰国後、所定の手続きをし、またイギリス警察テムズバレー署に届け出た旨を保険会社に伝えたところ、財布の購入金額から免責金額３０００円を引かれた額が帰ってきた。警察のあのおっちゃん、きちんとやってくれていた。疑ってゴメン。

Alice's Shop

　　We were going to visit principal tourist spots in and around Oxford. However, our schedule was totally upset due to a happening, about which I'll write in a later entry. We headed for an "Alice in Wonderland"-related shop at my daughter's desire. The shop was said to have existed already in 19th century and a young girl who was modelled on "Alice in Wonderland" apparently dropped in at the shop. We enjoyed walking to the south along the main street of Oxford. After a 2km walk we saw a college in which my daughter was studying. I found a historic-looking monument in front of the college, but I was sorry that I had no time to delve deeply into its description. A Lebanese stall was at its side and their food looked delicious. I wanted to try one, but I was afraid to have some stomach problems. I gave up.
　　A variety of street performers were a delight. We went down to the south and found the shop, "Alice's Shop," in front of Christ Church College. Passing the shop for a few meters, I took some pictures of the shop and the college putting both in one picture. An open-top double decker bus passed by me at that time. I would have gotten on it afternoon, but.... then when I looked back to the south, a police station caught my eye. I wondered what it was like inside the British police station, and how about go-and-seeing inside for sightseeing? I thought that we'd be seriously scolded and refrained from visiting without the least idea that we would have to visit the station a few hours later.
　　Alice's Shop was very small and its capacity would be less than 10 customers. I became bored quickly and went out of the shop leaving my daughter in the shop. Crossing the road and seeing the college, a cluster of Japanese women showed up and disappeared into the shop. Their number was about 50! The shop would have been in confusion.

(Vocabulary)
delve into sth 徹底的に調べる

　


　






１０月５日、今日は主だった観光地を巡る予定。ただ、ある事件により大幅に予定を狂わされたが、これについては後述。娘の強い希望でまず、『不思議の国のアリス』のモデルとなった女子のがよく通っていたという店に向かった。ホテルから街の中心まで約２ｋｍを歩くと、もう一人の娘が学ぶカレッジが見えてきた。その正面に立派な塔があったが、銘板をしっかりと読む時間は無かった。今日は欲張ってあちこち観光の予定。本来ならじっくりと読みたいところだが。そのすぐ横にレバノンのファストフードの店。移民が経営しているのかな？食べてみたいと思ったが、万一腹を壊すと今後の予定に影響するのでやめた。興味はあったのだが。

大道芸を見ながら街を南へ縦断。昨日立ち寄ったクライストチャーチカレッジの向かいにその小さな店はあった。少し通り過ぎて店と向かいのカレッジを写真に収めた。ちょうどこのとき、２階席がオープンになっている観光バスが通り過ぎた。午後にはこれに乗りたいと思っていたのだが。さらに南の方角を眺めると警察署。イギリスの警察署はどのようになっているのだろうか、ちらっと観光がてら入ってみるのはどうかなと思ったが、多分叱られるだろうなと思いやめた、、、まさか数時間後にここへ来ることになろうとは、そのときは露程も思わず。、、。

アリスショップは客が１０人も入れば一杯になるほどの小さな店。僕はすぐに飽きてしまい、お土産を選んでいる娘を置いて一人店の反対側（クライストチャーチカレッジの側）に渡ってカレッジを眺めていたら日本人女性の集団がやってきてどんどん店に入っていく。５０人くらいは入ったろうか。中はとんでもないことになっているだろう。。。

 

Away from Downtown

　　My daughter and I were thinking of having dinner in downtown with another daughter, who had been staying in Oxford since September, but some urgent business came up for her and the dinner was cancelled. Then we decided to come back to our hotel and receive our luggage which was still kept at the front desk. We walked about 2 km to our hotel. It was not hard work for us, but rather a fun way to look around the streets in Oxford. During the walk, I found that today was a weekday. I wondered that people in downtown were mainly visitors, for I felt the number of young people increased toward early evening. We dropped in at a supermarket on the way to see the local food. I was concerned about what my youngest daughter would eat in the U.K. as her father. There were lots of young people, who I thought had come from other countries judging from their skin color. I really envied them studying in Oxford.
　　Being away from the city center, the atmosphere of the streets had remarkably changed into that of the academic world. I saw several signboards of various institutes as I'll show you below. I understood from those institutes that Oxford University was made up of several dozen colleges and institutes.

街中で三女も交えて夕食を摂るつもりだったが急な予定が入って不可とのこと。ならばホテルに帰り、フロントに預けたままの荷物の整理をしようと言うことでホテルまで歩いた。と言っても２ｋｍほど。歩き始めて気がついたのだが、今日は平日。街中に大勢いたのは多くは観光客だったのだろうと思った。というのは夕刻になって若者が増えたような気がしたから。途中でスーパーマーケットに立ち寄り、地元の食材を見て歩いた。三女がどのようなものを食べるのか、父親として少し気になった。スーパーマーケットにも学生と思われる大勢の人たちがいた。街を離れると寂しいくらい静かで学究都市の雰囲気が伝わってきた。そして、次々となんとか研究所という看板があった。オックスフォード大学が小さな大学や研究所の集合体だと言うことが理解できた。それら研究所の看板の写真も何枚か載せる。

（１枚目の写真は皇太子殿下の留学されたカレッジの前で日本人の修学旅行？の生徒にガイドが説明してる）

Great Hall and Cathedral

　　Leaving what I wrote in the last entry aside, I admired their historical and continuous endeavor to maintain ancient buildings and hand their traditions down to their descendants. I found lots of memorial plaques for staff members of the college who had worked in the 12th to 19th century. Can we not say that the very effort to consistently preserve their own culture shows the level of the nation's civilization.
　　The first picture shows the stairs to the Great Hall, which is the mess hall of this college. The ceiling had an unique design, but I wasn't fully able to understand the college staff's explanation. The Great Hall is said to be utilized for reference in shooting the film, "Harry Potter". The attendant's comment reminded me of several scenes in the movie. Some staff members were busying themselves with doing the dishes in the adjacent kitchen. It seemed that the lunch time had just finished. The time schedule for the students would be strict.
　　As you see in the picture, lots of portraits were on the wall. I felt that the eyes of all the persons in the pictures were staring at me. I wondered how they felt to have every meal in front of those portraits. Anyway, I saw some visitors taking pictures of a portrait, but I didn't know that portrait and passed it. For my later consideration, the portrait might be of Lewis Carroll who wrote "Alice in Wonderland". A shop which the young girl who was said to be the model of the story had often visited apparently remained. I would visit it later. I'll show you the pictures of the Cathedral, which was the biggest one in Oxford. The place for prayers, anthems, its atmosphere was really solemn.

それはそれとして、８世紀から続くこれらの建物を見ていて思うのは、文化を後世に伝えていこうとするこの国のたゆまぬ努力である。これだけ古いものを保存していることに敬意を表したい。また、１２世紀～１９世紀に亡くなったカレッジのスタッフを記念する銘板がそこかしこにあった。文化を育て、伝えていく努力は文明の程度に比例するのではないかと思う。

階段はこのカレッジのいわば学食であるグレートホールへ登っていく階段で、天井に特徴的なデザインがあるらしい。そして学食に入る。ここはハリーポッターの撮影の参考にされたという。確かにこのような場所が映画に出てきたなあと思いだした。隣の厨房では食事の片付けに追われるスタッフが忙しく働いていた。少し厳格な気もするが食事の時刻がきちんと決まっているのだろう。

壁に多くの肖像画が掛かっていた。毎日の食事をこれらの肖像画の前で摂っているのはどんな気持ちだろう？そのうちの一枚で観光客が立ち止まり撮影をしていたが、何のことかわからなかったので無視。後で思ったのは、Lewis Carrollの肖像画だったかもしれない。このカレッジで数学の教師をしていた彼は学長の娘のために書いたのが、『不思議の国のアリス』だった。モデルになったと言われる女の子がよく出入りしていた店がまだ残っているらしい。後で行ってみよう。次に入ったのが、大聖堂。賛美歌を歌い、祈りの場所。荘厳な雰囲気の場所でした。

 

What I Thought in Christ Church

　　A tour guide was talking about this college, or was boasting about it. It's archaeologically proven that the basis of this college was established by the 8th century. It's amazing, but I wondered, "Does she know the fact that Christianity or the U.K. had produced lots of ugly scenes in our history, in spite of early starting studies. I'm skeptical about Christianity. Christianity is completely convinced of its own greatness or righteousness and isn't generous to others at the same time. They tried to separate the globe into two parts in a self-serving manner. They divided the world by the Treaty of Tordesillas and the Treaty of Zaragoza, destroyed the Japanese Buddhism facilities, and what's more, took several thousands of Japanese away as slaves. It was natural to be locked out of Japan in 17th century. A funny story was handed down to us. An ordinary Japanese asked a missionary, who came to Japan in the early stage of their missionary work in the 16th century, such a question: A Japanese man's father had died before their missionary work and so he didn't know about Christ or God. "Can't he go up to Heaven? If so, God is unfair, isn't he?" The missionary was said to be in embarrassment. This man's opinion is totally acceptable. A noted missionary's official letters to the governor-general of the Philippines are preserved and they say that the Japanese were too intellectual to conquer.
　　Then they crossed the Atlantic Ocean and slaughtered numerous native colored people. Manifest Destiny? What's that? Are the brutal acts of the crusaders justified? Knowing the behaviour of the crusaders, I can understand the terrorism by Muslims, though I don't agree with them at all. The U.K. is responsible for the racial strife in present Myanmar, India, or some other Southeast Asian countries. The instability of the present Mid-east countries is put down to the policy of the U.K.'s triple-tongued diplomacy: These mutually exclusive agreements are abhorrent.

1. Hussein-McMahon agreement (against Arabs Oct. 1915)
2. Sykes-Picot Agreement (against France May 1916)
3. Balfour Declaration (against Jews Nov. 1917)

　　Suddenly I recalled that Lawrence of Arabia studied archaeology and history there and graduated from Oxford University. Listening to the comments that a tour guide made in boastful terms, I vaguely thought that the U.K. would never have prosperous times like 19th century. The empire on which the sun never sets established at the sacrifice of colonies would never revive. One thing, however, I'd like to observe The City after Brexit.

 (Vocabulary)
righteousness (フォーマル) (道徳的な) 正義, 高潔さ
self-serving [形](けなして) 利己的な, 身がってな
Treaty of Tordesillas トルデシリャス条約
Treaty of Zaragoza サラゴサ条約
put sth down to sth [句動詞] ＜…＞を＜…＞のせいだと思う
put it down to experience (いやな出来事などを) いい経験だったと思うようにする
triple-tongued diplomacy 三枚舌外交

クライストチャーチで思ったこと
　
中庭で団体を率いているガイドが話している、というより自慢している。紀元８世紀にはこのカレッジの基礎が出来上がっていたことが考古学的に証明されていると。それは凄い！しかし、それほど古くから勉強をしてきた割にはキリスト教が、イギリスがやってきたことは酷いことが多いのでは？僕はキリスト教には懐疑的な立場である。キリスト教は唯我独尊。他の考えを認めない。トルデシリャス条約、サラゴサ条約などと勝手に世界の分割支配を試みたり、日本の文化を破壊し、数万の日本人を奴隷として売買してきた。１７世紀初頭に日本から閉め出されるのも当然だ。神を知らずに死んだ親父は天国には行けないのか？神様は不公平ではないかと一庶民に追及されて返事に窮したという話が布教開始初期に日本へ来た宣教師の話として残っている。民度の高いこの国を支配することは無理だという内容のフィリピン総督への手紙も残っている。
　
そしてアメリカ大陸～太平洋を渡って日本まで、無数の有色人種を殺し続けたマニフェスト・デスティニーなどくそくらえだ。十字軍による虐殺もあった。十字軍の記録を読めば今のイスラムのテロは、同意はしないが理解は出来る。そして現在のミャンマーやインドの民族間の争い、中東問題の原因もまたイギリスにある。２０世紀初頭のイギリスの中東に対する三枚舌外交は許しがたい。
　
１．対アラブ
フセインーマクマホン協定（1915年10月）
オスマントルコに対して反乱を起こせば、アラブ人国家として自治権を与える。
２．対フランス
サイクス・ピコ協定（1916年5月）
第一次世界大戦に勝利した暁には、オスマントルコが支配していたアラブ地域の領土を割譲させ、シリアやレバノンはフランスの統治にゆだねる。
３．対ユダヤ
バルフォア宣言（1917年11月）
パレスチナの地にユダヤ人国家の建設を承認する。
　
そういえば、アラビアのロレンス(イギリスのスパイ)もオックスフォード大学で歴史と考古学を学んでいたんだった。このカレッジの中を歩きながら、自慢げなガイドの話を聞き、イギリスにはもう１９世紀ほどの繁栄はこないだろうと思った。植民地での搾取の上に成り立ってきた日の沈まぬ国はもう再興しないと思う。とはいえ、シティがイギリスのＥＵを脱退後、どうなるのか、見ていきたい。

 

 

Christ Church

　　Christ Church, in which Albert Einstein used to be a student, is said to be the biggest and richest college in Oxford University. A scene of the story, "Alice in Wonderland", was filmed at this college and the shooting of the film, "Harry Potter", used this college as a reference. Christchurch on the South Island of New Zealand was named after this college. Such a description made us visit this college.
　　Common visitors weren't allowed to enter the college through the main entrance and we got into the grounds from another entrance. The following pictures were shot walking from the gate to the entrance for visitors. The well maintained garden and meadow implied the richness of the college.
　　The Great Hall, in which the students of this college have lunch, was open to visitors at 1400 hours after the finish of their lunch. The senior's discount was accepted in this tourist spot. The center of the building in the 8th picture is the main entrance and I took this picture from inside the college. The big scale of the yard amazed me. It looked like Harry Potter could fly on a broom. The tower over the entrance is the famous "Tom Tower", which was built in 17th century. We got into the Great Hall next, and I recalled and thought about lots of good things and bad things. I don't mean to accuse the U.K., but I'd like to write about what I thought there in the next entry.

クライストチャーチは、あのアインシュタインが在籍していたカレッジ。オックスフォード大学で最大、かつ裕福なカレッジだという。ルイス・キャロルの不思議の国のアリスの舞台、ハリーポッターシリーズの撮影で参考にされた場所。ニュージーランド南島のクライストチャーチもこのカレッジに因んで付けられたというと聞けば、訪れないわけにはいかない。

正門からは一般観光客は入れず、裏口からの訪問となった。写真は裏口からカレッジの入口までに撮ったもの。清掃が行き届いており、カレッジの裕福さを実感。

午後２時、カレッジに在籍する学生達の食事、片付けが済むのを待って観光客に開放された。このクライストチャーチでも調子にのってシニア割引を依頼。２割引だった。８枚目の写真の真ん中が正門で内側から撮影している。中庭の広さにも驚く。ハリーがほうきで飛びそうな中庭だ。その上にあるのが有名なトム・タワー、１７世紀の建造物。

Landscape from the Top

　　The visitors were allowed to climb up the stairs 5 to 6 people at a time and every 5 to 6 minutes in the way that about the same number of people as that of coming down were sent to a dark small room which was the starting point of 127 steps of winding stairs. I understood immediately that such a strict control of visitors was due to the narrowness of the stairs. The staircase and observation deck were really narrow so that even passing each other was difficult. I admired the masonry work and the earthquake-free country at the same time. If even a middle-class earthquake jolted this church, it would be reduced to ashes.
　　I'll upload pictures taken from the lookout. Enjoy them. There were no high mountains around and we were able to get an unobstructed view of the U.K.'s peaceful terrain. This landscape reminded me of a scene in Shakespeare's "Macbeth", though the play was based on a king in Scotland. Shakespeare wrote the expression, "if the wood moved", in that play. This description would have come to him seeing this characteristic scenery. His birthplace was Stratford-upon-Avon, which wasn't far from Oxford. I became eager to visit his hometown. Take a look at the last picture. I didn't know if it's ok to park bicycles like that, but bicycles suit this old city.

(Vocabulary)
masonry (建築物の) 石造［れんが］部分、石工（術）

塔へ登るのは５人ずつくらい、５分くらいの間隔で許可された。下りてきた人数分だけ登るという具合に。理由はすぐにわかった。階段も通路も実に狭い。すれ違うのが困難なほど。階段は明かり取りの小さな隙間がなければ真っ暗だろう。そして石積みでよく造ったなあと感嘆。そして地震が無いというのは良いなあとも思った。もし地震が来たらこのような構造物はすぐに灰燼に帰すだろう。

人一人すれ違うのも大変な通路から撮影した写真をＵＰする。周辺に高い山はなく、遠くまで見通せる。のどかな町である。遠くの山並みを見ていてふとシェイクスピアのマクベスを思いだした。劇中、「森が動く」という表現がある。このような地形だからこそ生まれた表現に違いない。そういえばシェイクスピアの生誕地、ストラットフォードアポンエイボンはここから近い。最後の写真、自転車をこのように停めてよいのかどうかわからないが、この町には自転車がよく似合う。

 

The University Church of St. Mary the Virgin

　　We traveled to Christ Church without having lunch. Buildings along the route were emitting a historic dignity and I envied my daughter her youth and opportunity to study in Oxford. I wanted to step into some narrow old paths, but I didn't have enough time to do so as I was able to spare only one and a half days for sightseeing in Oxford. Her college was located in the center of Oxford and we went down the main street of Oxford to the south. The street was regrettably not clean. What's more, I saw more than 10 homeless people within about 500 meters. Most were young and white. The atmosphere on the street was far from what I expected of Oxford. Is the British financial situation worsening?
　　When we reached Christ Church, there was yet some time until the opening so we decided to visit The University Church of St. Mary the Virgin first. The first picture was shot on the way from Christ Church to the University Church of St. Mary the Virgin. This building was Merton College in which the Japanese Crown Prince studied concerning water-transport on the Thames.
　　The church is shown in the 3rd picture. I heard that you could climb up to the handrail over the clock hung on the wall, and went up. I tried to tell my age, 60, to the ticket booth person, and got a senior's discount!

 (Vocabulary)
travel　 [自](米)(インフォーマル) 速く歩く
The University Church of St. Mary the Virgin 　聖メアリー教会

身軽になってまず向かったのはクライストチャーチ。お昼も食べずに観光開始。歩いてみるとほとんどの建物に歴史を感じる。こういうところで勉強に没頭できる娘を羨ましくも思った。細い路地にも入ってみたいが時間が無い。オックスフォード観光は１日半しか時間を割けないので有名なところを見て回る。娘のカレッジが街のほぼ中心に位置しており、南に向かってメインストリートを歩いたのだが、街は汚れていた。そしてホームレスが多い。それも若い白人のホームレス。驚いた。聞いていた様子とは全く異なっていた。イギリスの経済事情が悪化しているのだろうか？

クライストチャーチに着いたものの午後の内部の開放まで時間があったので、聖メアリー教会へ先に行ってみることにした。１枚目の写真は移動の途中で見かけた建物。見事だなと思って撮影したが、ここが皇太子殿下の御留学先、Merton Collegeだった。手前はその運動場。

３枚目が聖メアリー教会で、良く見ると時計が掛かっている。すぐその上の手すりの部分まで登ることが出来ると聞いて登ってみた。教会に入って奥の方に進むと階段があり、その手前で入場料を支払うのだが、シニア割引が効いた。言ってみるものだ。「シニア」とか「ペンショナー」で通じるようだ。もちろんペンショナーではないのだが。歳を取るのも悪くない。この後、娘にからかわれつつもあちこちで高齢者割引を利用した。(^o^)

 

Kyoto

　　I got two days off and the weather would become better. I didn't know why, but I wanted to see a few acquaintances whom I hadn't seen for a long time. I headed for Kyoto to see a doctor who used to be my medical advisor in the field of gynecology and obstetrics when I was a green doctor. I chatted with him for about 30 minutes after an interval of 30 years. It was great fun. Then I left for Katada city by Lake Biwa to see my old friend. I'll write about him in another entry and I visited a temple in Kyoto city to say hello to my senior surgeon's tomb. I've already written about him in this entry(link). I wasn't able to repress my tears.

http://kumo.typepad.jp/weblog/2018/04/uss-bowfin1.html

２日間の休みが取れた。天気予報によれば天気は良いらしい。なぜか急に世話になった先輩医師に会いたくなり、京都へ向かった。まずは大津市へ。約３０年前、研修医時代に産婦人科の指導をして頂いた先生にお目にかかり、３０分ほど近況報告。３０年前の記憶が甦り楽しい時間だった。次に５０年来の友人宅へ寄り、来年の祇園祭の打ち合わせ。来年は泊めてもらって祇園祭を楽しむ相談。(^o^)そして京都市内のあるお寺へ墓参に向かった。このお墓の主については下記のブログに書いた。