Japanese Surgeon's Daily Life

Royal Observatory & The Greenwich Meridian

　　I had one more place which I wanted to visit in Greenwich. The recognizable Royal Observatory was it. The Greenwich Meridian runs here, zero degree of east and west longitude. As for the latitude, I can understand that the equatorial line is set for zero degree of north and south latitude. It's the line to separate the earth into northern and southern hemispheres. However, why was the site of the observatory set to zero degree of longitude? I can imagine how strong a power the U.K. had kept in the late 19th century. The U.K. used to have been the center of the world and the eastern side was the East and the western alike. "The Middle East" would be the word viewing from the U.K.
　　The Royal Observatory stood on a hill. After walking in the town of Greenwich, we moved to the observatory by taxi. We had to skip the national maritime museum due to shortness of time. Firstly I did what I wanted to do. I straddled the Meridian Line with my right leg in the West and the left in the East.
　　There were several historic mechanical clocks inside the Observatory. They were implying that lots of researchers made strenuous efforts to measure the time. There was an octagon room under the distinctive dome-like roof and Queen Elizabeth had visited the room. As the queen did - you can see her in the following picture - , I peeped into the telescope. I found that the picture of Saturn was attached. (grin)

(Vocabulary)
recognizable すぐにそれとわかる, 見覚えがある，誰もが知る
__ degrees of east longitude 東経＿度
equatorial line 赤道
hemisphere (地球の) 半球
the Northern/Southern Hemisphere 北［南］半球

　

　グリニッジではもう一つ、訪れたかった場所があった。恐らく誰もが知るグリニッジ天文台だ。東経、西経ゼロの子午線が通る場所。緯度については地球の真ん中の赤道がゼロになることは理解できる。この場所が経度ゼロになったのはどういう経緯があったのだろう。当時のイギリスの国力が想像できる。イギリスが中心で、東と西、中東というのはイギリスから見た言い方だろう。
　天文台は小高い丘の上にあり、グリニッジの街を散策した後、時間の関係で王立海事博物館はパスしてタクシーで天文台の入口まで移動した。まずは子午線を跨いで記念撮影。大勢の観光客がいて順番待ち！
　天文台の内部へ入ると、歴史的な時計がいくつも並んでいた。１７世紀から、この場所で大勢の研究者達がいかに時間を操るか苦心をしていたことがわかる。天文台の特徴とも言えるドーム状の最上部は８角形をしており、エリザベス女王の来訪もあったようだ。

The Cutty Sark

　　An all too famous English clipper which was built for the tea transport is the Cutty Sark. When she was built, the time was changing from the days of sail to the days of steamship and her time was short. She had called at Japan. She didn't need coal as the fuel and had more space for cargo. I knew her name only through the history class in my high school days.
　　As the Suez Canal was built and steamships were developed, the role of sailboats diminished. I learned like this. I thought then, however, that it could be the trade-off for sailboats to carry more cargo than steamships even if the speed of sailboats was a little slower than steamships. I knew there was no wind in the Suez Canal and sailboats couldn't run through it from the description in the museum. Comparing the steamships which run through the Suez Canal and sailboats running all the way around South Africa, the game would be over before starting.
　　I learned through the BBC or something that the Cutty Sark was burnt down after the turn of this century. To be born in the 19th century and disappeared in the 21st century, she had passed two turns of the century. I thought of this hearing the regrettable news, but later I heard of its restoration and the newly built museum. I have been eager to visit the museum and touch herself. The steel part was not burnt and original. I enjoyed its inside tour. At the last part of the tour, I saw the collection of figure heads, some of them were funny and made me smile.
　　There were several stalls around the museum and the dishes they offered looked nice. We decided to take lunch there viewing the Cutty Sark. She was really beautiful. The legend ship which I've wanted to see was just before me. It was a really profound experience.
　　Then we dropped in at a pub, Gipsy Moth, which I had found from the deck of Cutty Sark. The taste of beer was great.

(Vocabulary)
all too famous あまりにも有名な
days of sail 帆船の時代
steamship 蒸気船

　余りにも有名なイギリスの快速を誇った紅茶運搬船。船が完成したときには帆船の時代が終わろうとしていたため、快速を生かした活躍期間は短い。日本に寄港したこともある。燃料の石炭を積まなくて良いためその分荷物室が広く、荷物を沢山積めたらしい。世界史の授業で名前だけは知っていた。

　スエズ運河が開通し、蒸気船が発達したためその役割は終えたとあったが、大量の荷物を快速で運べるなら蒸気船にも勝てるのでは？と疑問を持っていた。その後、スエズ運河では風が吹かず、帆船は通過できないのだと知った。スエズ運河経由の蒸気船相手では喜望峰周りの帆船がいかに快速であっても勝負にはならない。

　その船が２１世紀になって、一部焼失したが新たに復元され、ミュージアムとして公開されていると聞いていた。一度見たいと思っていたのだ。第一印象は美しい、ということ。船内をゆっくりと歩いて回った。フィギュアヘッドの大集合には笑った。

　周辺に露店が出ていて美味しそうだったので、カティーサークを眺めながらランチ。高校時代に教科書で出てきた船が目の前にある。復元とは言え、焼け残った鋼鉄部分は当時のもの。ここにいること、それ自体が感慨深い。さらに、カティーサークの甲板から見えたパブGipsy Mothでちょっとビール。うまかった。

River Cruise to Greenwich

　　After checking out of the hotel we deposited our luggage at the cloakroom. The hotel room was kept clean and the price was reasonable. It was located near Paddington station. If I had to stay near Paddington again, I'd like to book this hotel. Then, we headed for Westminster Pier by bus. This visit was the third time for us and we finally became able to use the bus in London. The seats on the second floor were full but we enjoyed the streets' view from the first floor. Getting off at Westminster Abbey and viewing the Palace of Westminster and Big Ben we walked to Westminster Pier. 

　　We were going to Royal Greenwich Observatory running down the Thames. Getting on the boat, a middle aged couple asked me in Japanese, "Are you Japanese?" They were at a loss. They didn't know where they should get off the boat. My daughter and her boyfriend helped them communicate with the cruise staff and they were so thankful. They would travel around the southern part of U.K. for three weeks. 

　　I'll show you some pictures taken from the boat. London Eye, the Tower of London, and Tower Bridge reminded me of my first uneasy visit to the U.K. with my second daughter. Four years have passed since then. This visit is full of fun. Our boat took a short stop at Canary Wharf then arrived at Greenwich Pier. 

 

 

 

　ホテルをチェックアウトして荷物を預け、バスでウェストミンスター桟橋へ向かった。３回目のロンドン、バスに乗ることができるようになった。我ながら進歩したものだ。ウエストミンスター寺院前で降りて桟橋へ向かった。ビッグベンを横に見て桟橋に到着。テムズ川を下ってグリニッジ天文台を目指す。到着した船に乗り込んだところ、中高年カップルから日本人かと日本語で問われた。そうだと答えると、降りる場所がわからなくなったので通訳をしてもらえないかと。息子と彼氏君が手伝ってあげた。３週間くらいかけてイギリス南部を旅行しているのだとか。羨ましい。

　船から撮った写真の一部をＵＰします。ロンドン塔やタワーブリッジなど、初めてのロンドンで不安な思いをしながら次女と歩いたことを思い出しました。あれから４年。彼氏君の職場のあるカナリーワーフ桟橋、そしてグリニッジ桟橋に到着！

Hyde Park

　　I got up bright and early on June 9th. My wife couldn't walk long distances so I left her at the hotel and went out for a walk alone. I headed for Tyburn Tree which I wrote about in the previous entry on Bayswater Rd. A bright sky and a comfortable breeze made me feel uplifted. Every scene along the road attracted me and I took pictures and I'll show you some of them. The 5th and subsequent pictures were taken in the park.
　　I walked all the way around Marble Arch from Tyburn Tree and entered Hyde Park. I had been afraid to come across the homeless, but I didn't see any homeless person and was able to walk around as I wanted. I saw several joggers jogging on the way. I wondered, "Do they enjoy jogging here everyday?" There is a big park near my house. As it's located on a small hill, I feel reluctant to climb up to the park.
　　There was a signboard to warn of something. I found some words on the signboard that I know like "moth", "caterpillar", etc. I understood the warning vaguely, but I took a picture of the board to learn each word. The English words that I come across off guard can be easily absorbed in my mind.
　　There were some facilities for maintenance, all of which were historic and had the British taste. According to the description on the information board for visitors, those buildings were formerly a fire station or a police office. To my surprise, however, there was a private residence in the park. The mailing address would be "Hyde Park, London, U.K." wouldn't it? In the 3rd picture from the last, you can see the Princess Diana Memorial Fountain. If you take a close look at the last picture, you can see Kensington Palace in the distance. I got back to my hotel and after grabbing a quick shower, breakfast, then got out for today's main event!

(Vocabulary)
uplifting (人を) 幸せな気分にする, 気持ち［精神］が高揚する（ような）

　少し薄暗い時間に起床し、余り長い距離を歩けないカミさんをホテルに残して早朝の散歩に出発。ホテルからBayswater Rdを歩いて先の記事に書いたタイバーンの木へ向かった。快晴でとても気持ちの良い散歩となった。周辺の景色をカメラに収めながら歩く。５枚目の写真からは公園内部を撮っている。タイバーンの木から工事中のMarble Archを一周してハイドパークに入った。ホームレスが多くいるのではないかと恐れたが、そんなことはなく、気の向くままに歩くことが出来た。途中、数名のジョガーに出会った。毎日ここを走るのだろうか。さぞかし気持ちよいだろうなと思う。うちの近くにも公園はあるが、小高い丘の上なのでジョギングで登るのは気後れする。
　何かに対する警告の看板があった。Moth とかCaterpillarとあったのでおそらくは毛虫に注意だろうと思ったが、後で確認するために撮影。こういうときに出てくる英単語はすぐに覚えることが出来る。
ハイドパークの中には公園管理のための建物があり、古くて趣きがあった。かつては警察署、消防署だった建物はイギリスの長い歴史を静かに物語っていた。そして、個人の家らしきものもあり驚く。郵便物はおそらく、『イギリス　ロンドン　ハイドパーク』で届くのだろう。終わりから３枚目の写真はダイアナ妃記念噴水、最後の写真では一番奥にケンジントン宮殿が見えている。ホテルに戻りシャワー、朝食、そして今日のメインイベントに向かう。

Tyburn Tree

　　A new bill concerning LGBT was voted for the other day in Japan. It is said to have followed the policy of the U.S. and the prime minister had ignored the public opinion of Japan. I was so angry at his act. Japan has originally been generous to LGBT people and this law is unnecessary or harmful in Japan. So, I investigated its background to know why the U.S. was so positive for this legislation.
　　In the U.K. a law was enacted in 1533 which was directed at homosexuals. The law dictated that homosexuals were subject to capital punishment. The execution of three homosexuals in 1726 is recorded. Public execution seems to have been an entertainment for commoners in those days. You can see what was going on at venues for public executions in some pictures.
　　In fact, homosexuals in the U.K. had been suppressed and ill-treated and they have been killed in front of audiences for amusement. There is such a long-term horror story and the Anglo-Saxon would have feelings of redemption for their negative history. I imagine on my own that those feelings would be streaming under radical advocacy for LGBT.
　　I therefore visited the site of a venue for the execution of three homosexuals. An epitaph, which at least seemed to me so, or a panel which read "The Site of Tyburn Tree" was embedded on the ground as shown below. Additionally three trees stood in the busy street. Three trees apparently represent the shape of the execution stage. It was located on the north-east corner of Hyde Park and near Marble Arch. The site was desolate despite being adjacent to one of the tourist attractions. I supposed that even the Briton might not know this site. Marble Arch was under renovation and regrettably I wasn't able to view it.

(Vocabulary)
venue for public executions 公開処刑場
redemption 罪のあがない

　日本で先般、ＬＧＢＴに関する法案が成立した。米国の方針に従うもので国民を無視したものだったので随分腹が立った。日本は法律など無くてもＬＧＢＴの人たちに対して寛容な国だ。少し背景を調べてみた。すると、イギリスでは同性愛者を死刑とする法律が１５３３年に発布されていて、１７２６年に３人のオカマが見せしめのため公開で処刑された記録が残っていた。当時は処刑がエンタテインメントでもあったらしい。当時の絵が残っており処刑台が描かれている。
　要するに見せしめで殺されるほど、イギリスの同性愛者は抑圧され虐待されていたわけで、こうした長年にわたる惨劇があり、自国の負の歴史に対する贖罪の気持ちが、英米の過激なLGBT擁護運動の根底にあるのだろう。と、勝手に思っている。
　で、この処刑場の跡へ行ってみた。『タイバーンの木の場所』と書かれた墓碑銘（と僕には思えた）が設置されていた。３本の木は処刑台を模したものだそうだ。ハイドパークの北東角にこのような場所があるなんて、ロンドン在住でも知らない人の方が多いのではないかと思う。近くの観光名所マーブルアーチは写真の通り工事中。残念。

Kensington Palace and Gardens

　　I had an appointment with the Prince of Wales and visited Kensington Palace where he and his family live. When I entered the premise of the Palace, a statue came into my sight. It was the statue of William III. I didn't know much about him. I just learned that he came from the Netherlands and fought Louis XIV. He apparently built Kensington Palace and died here.
　　I entered the Palace. The great flamboyance was within the scope of my assumption, but the additional exhibition was amazing to me. The names, photos and documented records of people who had supported the royal family since 19th century were displayed. They were what you call commoners. The Royal Family openly expressed their gratitude to them; lots of supporters, housekeepers, gardeners, cooks, clerks, cleaners, and so on.
　　Arriving at Heathrow in the morning, my wife got tired. I asked my daughter to take her to our hotel, and I took a walk alone in the pleasant breeze and weather. I was likely to forget that I was in a big city of London.
　　By ill chance, I found the statue of Queen Victoria near the exit of the Palace. The U.K. was evil in her reign of the latter half of 19th century. Recalling what the U.K. did in Asian and African countries in her reign, I felt nausea coming on. Japan was one of the victims.
　　While walking around, I found a tiny statue of a child. It was Peter Pan. That was it! I recalled that Peter Pan had fallen out of the baby buggy or pram in Kensington Gardens. He can fly in the sky and is an eternal boy. There were several kids cheerfully running around the statue.
　　Then, we were taken to a Greek restaurant near Hyde Park for dinner. I felt a touching effort of my daughter's boyfriend to welcome us. The dishes were new to me and I really enjoyed them over beers from Cyprus.
　　One more thing, Queen Victoria was born and spent her early childhood in Kensington Palace. That's why her statue stood in front of the Palace.

(Vocabulary)
flamboyance (人の) 華やかさ, 華麗さ; (服装などの) きらびやかさ
by ill chance　 運悪く

https://kumo.typepad.jp/weblog/2023/07/merton-college.html

　イギリスのウィリアム皇太子とアポがあったのでケンジントン宮殿を訪問した。（笑）
敷地に入るとある銅像が眼に入った。ウィリアム３世オレンジ公とのこと。オランダから来たことくらいしか知らなかったが、この宮殿を建て、この宮殿で没したらしい。宮殿の中の豪華絢爛さはいうまでもないが、スタッフ達の笑顔の写真、名前、彼らが付けていた各種台帳など、王室を支えてきた人たちの記録が展示されていた。王室が謝意を示している。大切なことだと感じた。
　朝、ヒースロー国際空港に到着し、ずっと歩き回って疲れたというカミさんをホテルに送ってもらい、僕は一人でケンジントン公園内を散策。快晴で、気持ちの良い風が吹き、ロンドンという都会にいることを忘れそうである。ケンジントン宮殿を出てすぐのところでヴィクトリア女王の銅像があった。１９世紀後半、彼女の時代、イギリスのやってきたことを思うと吐き気がして来る。日本も散々やられた。そんな嫌なことも思い出したが、一回りして小さな子供の銅像を見つけた。ピーターパンの銅像だった。そうだった、ピーター・パンはロンドンのケンジントン公園で乳母車から落ちて迷子となったんだった。空を飛ぶことのできる永遠の少年である。周辺では子ども達の笑い声が響いていた。
　さて、夕食は近くのギリシャ料理レストラン。彼氏君の我々を歓迎しようという努力は涙ぐましい。料理は初めて聞く名前ばかり。キプロス産ビールと共に明るい夜が更けていく。
　なお、ケンジントン宮殿にヴィクトリア女王の銅像があった理由だが、彼女はここで生まれ、幼少期を過ごしたらしい。

Notting Hill

　　We deposited our luggage at the hotel and headed for Notting Hill. I knew this name from the movie "Notting Hill" which was made in 1999. Since then, I wanted to walk around the streets where Julia Roberts and Hugh Grant were cheerfully walking in the movie. Two lead characters come across at a small bookshop and the shop exists even now in a corner of Portobello road in Notting Hill. I had my daughter take pictures of me in front of the bookshop. There was a crowd of people, but few entered the bookshop. I wanted to take pictures inside the bookshop in the same angles as the movie, but refrained from entering the shop so as not to interfere with their business. It so happened that the crowd disappeared for a short time and I was able to take the 2nd picture.
　　One more thing, the movie was actually shot at a different point, which is shown in the 3rd picture. The layout of the bookstore in the 2nd picture was replicated to this shop and the movie was made. This place isn't a bookshop, but bears the signboard, "Travel Book Shop". The owner would leave it as it was very consciously. There was a crowd of visitors in front of the shop. The movie was made no less than 20 years ago, but its popularity continued.
　　The next picture(4th picture) shows "The Distillery". I wanted to try some gin, but two ladies didn't want to, though two men wanted to.
　　We strolled along Portobello Road for about an hour and I had a great time. I wished I had 3 stomachs for eating many kinds of exotic food. More than 10 antique shops entertained us. Lots of silverwork and items from the Mideast were displayed in storefronts and stalls. If I had the ability to appreciate things of beauty, I might have made a real find.
　　We dropped in at a restaurant, Poppies, which seemed to be very famous for its "Fish & Chips", and I ate cod and haddock sharing with my wife over a glass of white wine. It was very nice.

https://www.arukikata.co.jp/web/article/item/3001828/

ホテルへ荷物を預けた後、タクシーでノッティングヒルへ向かう。その昔、ノッティング・ヒル（邦題：ノッティングヒルの恋人）という映画があった。Julia RobertsとHugh Grant主演のロマンティック・コメディで一度現地を歩いてみたかった。二人の出会う書店が現存し、その前で記念撮影。書店の前には人だかりがあるのに中へ入る人は少ない。たまたま人の流れが切れたときに撮影できた。店内で映画と同じアングルで撮影したかったが、邪魔になると思い諦めた。ただ、実は、実際の撮影はこの書店のレイアウトをそのまま移して別の場所で撮られた。その場所が３枚目の写真。因みにここは現在は本屋ではないが、Travel Book Shopと映画撮影の痕が残っている、というより残しているのだろう。ここも人だかり。２０年も前の映画なのに、人気は衰えず。

その次の写真はこれも有名な醸造所The Distillery ジン発祥の地。一口飲みたかったが、女性二人がアルコールが苦手なためパス。ボーイフレンド氏と僕は飲もうとしたのだが。

１時間ほどブラブラする。実に楽しい。胃袋が３つくらいほしかった。中東系の骨董品屋が多くあり、目の肥えた人なら掘り出し物を見つけるのかもしれないが、僕には無理。歩き疲れて立ち寄ったのがFish & Chips で有名な Poppies　https://poppiesfishandchips.co.uk/
codとhaddockという２種類の魚を食べる。美味！

Fly in the U.K.

　　The plane flew in over the English Channel. The terrain of the coastline of Holland was distinctive and it attracted my curiosity. I wondered how the terrain was formed. I'll read some books about the earth science later. The starboard side seats were free and I enjoyed the scenery moving back and forth between port side to starboard.
　　On the approach to the U.K., I noticed numerous wind turbines on the sea. They were a spectacular view. The U.K. declares to end dependence on fossil fuels, but is it possible? The plane was heading for London lowering its altitude in preparation for landing. I spent a gorgeous amusing time comparing the map and the actual scenery.
　　We landed at Heathrow Airport at 7:15 a.m. A boarding ramp was approaching and I assumed that we'd get off through this ramp, but it was for maintenance work for the plane itself. We were led to the usual front left door. When you are seated in the aftermost seat, you'll sometimes experience unusual things. I flew British Airways on the last trip to the U.K.. The crews' mutual chatting in the kitchen after turning off the light was too much for me. There seemed not to be any space, but a meal was placed directly on the floor. All items on the tray were covered and would be kept clean, but that's not acceptable for me.
　　By the way, I was going to use the Elizabeth Line of the tube, which was built a few years ago, but we got on the Heathrow Express. Both trains are designed to come in on the same platform and we got on the train which first came in. The fare seemed to be lower on the tube, according to my daughter.
　　We met my daughter and her boyfriend at Paddington station. They were supposed to guide us in London. We felt reassured. We checked in the Corus Hotel Hyde Park and deposited our luggage. The last picture shows the hotel. The Malaysian flag was raised along with the British one. It was because the owner of the hotel was Malaysian.

(Vocabulary)
fly in over ～の上空にさしかかる
boarding ramp　タラップ（オランダ語のtrapが語源）
accommodation ladder （船のタラップ）
aftermost 一番後ろの
reassuring 安心させる, 心強い

　飛行機は海上へ出た。オランダの海岸の特徴的な地形が印象的。席が空いているので右側へ行ったり左側へ行ったりと忙しい。イギリス本土へさしかかると海上の風力発電の風車が目立っていた。イギリスも脱化石燃料を謳っているが可能なのだろうか？高度を下げてロンドン上空へ向かっている。実際の景色と地図を見比べて楽しむ。
　７時１５分ヒースロー国際空港に到着。窓の外にタラップが近づいてきた。地面へ降りるのかと思ったが、業務用のようだった。一番後ろの席にいると日頃経験しないことがある。前回乗ったBritish Airwaysでは嫌なこともあった。夜、消灯後のクルーのおしゃべりが聞こえてきて耳障りだったし、置くところが無かったからだろうが、食事を一時的に床に置いていた。完全に覆われている食事だから不潔では無いのだろうが、日本人ならまずしない。
　さて、ヒースロー国際空港から、パディントン駅まで数年前に開業した地下鉄エリザベスラインを使うつもりだったが、地下鉄と従来の鉄道が同じホームに着く構造で、先に来たヒースローエクスプレスでパディントン駅へ到着。早く出発する方に乗ったのだが、地下鉄の方が安かったらしい。
　パディントンで娘とその彼氏に会う。今日と明日、ロンドンを案内してくれることになっている。心強い。まずは宿泊予定のコーラスホテルハイドバークへチェックインし、荷物を預けた。最後の写真がホテル。イギリス国旗は当然として、更にマレーシアの国旗が掲げられており、尋ねるとホテルのオーナーがマレーシア人だからとのこと。

To the U.K. Again

　　Our seats were 60A & 60B on the Boeing 777-300 from BKK to Heathrow. They were the last row on the plane. We didn't bother about the passengers on the back. The toilet was located next to our seats and this condition was helpful to a beer drinker.
　　When drifting in and out of dreamland, a walking cabin attendant met the eye. She looked like a Buddhist priest walking and surprised me. My mother, who is now suffering from serious dementia, was interested in Asian art and was collecting Buddha images. I felt those images walking, and my blood ran cold. The uniform of the cabin attendants was beautiful in the bright light, but ,,,.
　　Waking up completely, it was bright outside. Breakfast was soon delivered. When eating it looking down at the earth, I found a huge airport. Then I spotted a distinctive bend of a big river and a big city. I was instantly sure that the river was the Rhine and the city was Mainz. I detected the influx of the Main into the Rhine. That must have meant that the huge airport I'd found was Frankfurt Airport, which I utilized 4~5 times.
　　I relatively understand the geography of these areas of the EU and there's a rock around that I've long been interested in. I tried to search the Rhine for the rock. Our plane passed the distinctive bend of the Rhine at Filsen and Koblenz came into my sight. That meant we had already passed the rock.
　　Do you know the story of "Lorelei"? I looked for the rock of Lorelei, but in vain. From this height, it might be impossible to spot it. To record where we were, I took a picture of the map on the screen, but it was meaningless with this resolution. (grin)
　　I've examined a few cruise tours of the Rhine while my second daughter was living in Germany. That's why I knew the geography of the middle river basin of the Rhine. After my daughter came back, the chance of visiting Germany decreased, but I'd like to look up the rock of Lorelei from the surface of the Rhine.

(Vocabulary)
have/pay regard to ～を顧慮する
drift in and out of dreamland 浅い眠りでうつらうつらしている
meet the eye 目に映る
one's blood runs cold　ぞっとする（非常な驚きや恐怖を感じて）〔体温が急に下がって血(blood)が冷たくなる(run cold)ような感覚から。〕
bend (道・川などの) 曲がった部分, カーブ
river basin 河川の流域

　バンコクからヒースロー国際空港へはタイ航空B７７７ー３００の６０A/B席だった。これは、一番後ろの２列並びの席で後ろの客に気を遣うこともなく、トイレは横にあるのでビールをいくらでも飲める。出発は午前０時３０分でビールを飲むのにうってつけの時間帯。一杯呑んでから寝ましょう。
　寝ている途中、うっすらと開けたうとうとした目に映ったのはタイ航空機内でＣＡの歩く姿、まるで坊さんが歩いているようで、，，ドッキリ。今や認知症で訳がわからなくなっている母親が東洋美術に興味があり、東南アジアの仏像を集めていた。それらが歩いているようでゾッとした。
　完全に目を覚ますと外は明るくなっていた。朝食が運ばれてきた。下を眺めながら食事をしていると、大きな空港が見える。続いて大河の湾曲が見えてきた。紛れもない、マインツの街だ。ということは空港はフランクフルトだったか。過去に４～５回利用したことがある。
　この辺りはＥＵのなかでも比較的地理を理解している。気になっている場所がある。目を皿のようにして探したが、飛行機はFilsenの特徴的な地形（ラインの湾曲）を過ぎ、コブレンツのが見えてきた。ということは捜していた地点は通り過ぎてしまったことになる。
　実は、ローレライ伝説の岩を探していた。この高度では特定は無理かもしれない。飛行中の場所を記録しておこうとディスプレイを撮影しておいたが、この拡大率では無理がある。（笑）
　数年前にライン川クルーズを検討したので地形をよく覚えている。ドイツに留学していた次女が帰国したためドイツに行く機会が減ったがいつか川面からローレライの岩を見上げてみたい、，，

Thai Airways International

　　We flew Thai Airways(TG) firstly to Bangkok. Some might wonder why TG to fly from Japan to the U.K? I utilized the award tickets of a Star Alliance member of ANA. We preferred the direct flight, but there seemed to be no vacancy on direct flights. I wanted to reach the U.K. as soon as possible, but that's why I had to stop by Bangkok. However, I was thankful for the award flights under the conditions of the weak yen as it was independent of the exchange movement. Additionally, we received preferential treatment from TG at the check-in counter as we're Star Alliance Gold members, though we chose the cheapest way, I mean, I booked economy seats with award tickets, so I felt a little embarrassed to line up on the fast track.
　　The ANA lounge in Kansai International airport(KIX) was crowded and I had a small quantity of pan-fried noodles. I was not so hungry and I wanted to keep some space in my stomach for the in-flight meal. I love spicy Thai cuisine. The plane was almost empty and we could use another seat for a temporary place for my gadgets. The flight was so relaxing.
　　The first in-flight meal was a straight choice between chicken and pork. The pork version was Thai flavored and I chose that and it was great! The red wine of the TG choice was also good.

(Vocabulary)
exchange movement 為替の変動
receive preferential treatment from ～から特別待遇を受ける
pan-fried noodles 焼きそば
a straight choice between A and B ＡとＢの二者択一

Stylish EV Chargers

　　Japan is geographically a small country and has good road connections to every local place. Even rural roads and forest roads are almost all paved. On account of some business in a small village, I utilized the San-yo Highway, which I seldom use, and stopped by a roadside service area. I heard that an EV charger by a venture outfit was set in the area and I'd like to use it. You can see it in the following picture. As you see, 6 EVs can be charged at the same time.
　　I tried a little charge. It was easy to use, but the charging speed was not acceptable to me, I mean it was slow. The users of domestically produced EVs might feel satisfied with these chargers, but my Tesla Model 3 has enough ability to accept higher electrical current, which leads to shorter charging time. Some people dislike EVs due to its long charging time as opposed to cars with conventional engines, but if you go to the toilet or some shops or restaurants, the charging time will end soon. For also humans, the charging time is absolutely essential. I often feel I'm happy to have met this car.

(Vocabulary)
on account of some business ちょっとした所用のため
high-current 高電流の

Portuguese Old Streetcar

　　I am often asked for a regular medical checkup in various workplaces from medical checkup outfits. Under the strict regulation of the government, workers are supposed to get their medical checkup once a year. Today, I was asked to join the medical checkup team and visited a CocaCola bottling factory. The regular physician seemed to have been called out due to a family emergency, and there was no substitute.
　　During the lunch break, I took a short walk in the grounds of the factory. The weather was clear without clouds and it was a very comfortable walk. I came across an exhibit of an old streetcar at the corner of the grounds. The street car was vividly painted with the logo of the CocaCola, but its inside was dilapidated showing years of neglect.
　　According to the description of the exhibit, this streetcar was produced in 1928 in Portugal and used to run on the street in Lisbon. The Tosa Railroad Company in the neighboring Kochi prefecture bought it in 1990 to run a variety of streetcars from the world as the memorial event of the company's 80th year. The logo of the CocaCola is apparently the same as its original in Lisbon. At the end of its useful life in Kochi, the streetcar was placed in the grounds of the CocaCola Company. I've been to Malacca where there were lots of ruins connected to Portugal, but I've never been to Portugal. I felt like visiting Lisbon seeing the streetcar.

Camping Car Show

　　I joined a camping car show in Makuhari Messe in Tokyo. The scene took me back to my childhood.
　　In my childhood, my family often made camping trips. I think that it was mainly for saving money, but the camping trips were a lot of fun for the kids. Our family's first car came to my house when I was 10 years or so. Since then, the camping trip has become our family's standard way to spend vacations. The effects of my parents being avid campers are still living in my soul.
　　After his retirement, my father remodeled a van into a camping car by himself and enjoyed domestic trips with his wife. I thought that it was an ideal living on pension experience. Around that time, the car navigation system started in Japan. I presented a portable car navigation device to him. It made him happy in a big way, because his wife didn't want to see maps in a car as she got carsick easily. The device helped him drive on the pre-planned route.
　　However, the portable batteries of those days didn't have enough ability to be used on camping trips. If the present portable batteries and various electrical components for camping were to have been developed 10 years early, my parents would have been interested in camping cars before me.

Kappabashi Dougu Street and Alsace Restaurant Gentil

　　I went to Tokyo to attend an exhibition of camping cars on a large scale. Lots of gorgeous and large motor homes didn't interest me and I wanted to check only several small cars equipped with various electrical components like a cooler run by DC 12V, a fridge, and a microwave. If I looked around all the cars, it would take more than 6 hours, but I didn't have so much time. Therefore, the exhibition was open at 9 a.m. but I dropped in at Kappabashi Dougu Street on the way to the exhibition. My wife and I strolled around the street. This street is well-known worldwide. Various buyers from overseas gather at this street to find handmade artisan items. We were going to get a Deba knife specified for cutting fish and stopped by a knife shop where some tourists were asking something to shop staff. One of them seemed to be a chef from the U.S.. He was saying that he made it a rule to buy his knives at this shop. He was an avid user of the shop's products. Dull knives have a high risk of injury, so we bought one.
　　I recalled how dull the set of cooking knives in my condominium in Hawaii was. Every time I visited my condominium, we asked the hotel manager to give proper maintenance to the knives. Nothing changed, however. On the condominium users' bulletin board on the net, it's described that the visitors should bring cooking knives from your home and we have done so every time. Seeing the showcase of cooking knives, an idea came into my mind. The knives which we thought were dull might be common in the U.S., therefore some professional chefs are fond of using ones made by Japanese craftsmen. My idea would be correct. The url of the street is at the end of this entry.
　　Then we headed for an Alsace Restaurant called Gentil, which we had happened to see on T.V. We ordered some traditional dishes which would take time for cooking yesterday in advance. To tell the truth, I had visited Alsace with my second daughter in March in 2010. The trip memos are on this blog. I remember having eaten escargot in Riquewihr in Alsace and I wanted to eat them again. The restaurant was really crowded and that was the token of its popularity. The Gentil's staff members were kind and gentle. The delicious dishes are rather obvious things to say. On the next trip to Tokyo, we'll swing by this restaurant.

https://www.kappabashi.or.jp/en/

https://kumo.typepad.jp/weblog/2010/04/lunch.html

 

Hawaii Again

　　I stayed on Oahu island from Dec. 8th to 15th and I'm going to write about this trip for a couple of weeks from now. Every time I visit Hawaii, I find something new and I can't get bored of visiting Hawaii. On this trip, I revisited some places and got new impressions and visited some new places which I've long been eager to visit.
　　Meanwhile, I have to tell you about the catalyst for starting jogging as one of my hobbies in my 50's. I hadn't experienced any running exercises without obligatory work in my high school days. To such a middle aged man, one of my friends advised me of the marathon on my behalf. Then, I had come to enjoy several marathons as I had written in this blog many times. He sometimes told me that he would like to try to join the Honolulu Marathon at the age of 60. For Japanese people, the age of 60 is a milestone of his/her lives. This practice comes from the Oriental Zodiac. He turned 60 this year and he and some of his friends including me joined the Honolulu Marathon as one of its celebratory events.
　　I own a timeshare condominium in Waikiki, Honolulu. I invited them to my condominium and we stayed there for a week and enjoyed staying on Oahu island to our heart's content.

(Vocabulary)
catalyst «…の»変化を促すもの[人], 要因, きっかけ«for»; 〘化〙触媒.
Oriental Zodiac 干支
celebratory event 祝賀行事

１２月８日から１週間、ホノルルに滞在していました。滞在中のいろいろな出来事をこれからしばらく書いていきます。今回はマラソンを勧めてくれた友人たちと一緒です。写真は滞在したコンドミニアムのリビングダイニングです。

 

The Departure Day

　　Main flights for Japan would leave Honolulu before noon and we had a hasty breakfast. When we were about to go out of our room, someone found a rainbow over the rainbow tower as shown below. I felt like the Hawaiian god was telling us to come back soon. The ANA lounge in Honolulu airport was designed to afford the passengers of its A380 special benefit. The passengers can get on board directly from the lounge to the cabin. I spent some time viewing the A380 which we would get on, recalling the marathon and our stay, having Hawaiian light meals. It was a really good travel.
　　The return flight departed about noon and arrived in Japan at night in Hawaiian time i.e. in the afternoon on the next day in Japanese standard time. I didn't need to sleep on the way and watched three movies. One of them was "MULE". I knew "mule" was the name of an animal, but didn't know its drug-related meaning. It was a good name and I liked its theme song.

　日本行きの飛行機は午前中に出るので朝は割と忙しい。朝食を慌ただしく済ませて部屋を出る直前、外を見るとレインボータワーにレインボーがかかっていた。ハワイの神様がまたおいでと言ってくれているような気がした。ホノルル空港のANAラウンジは二階建てＡ３８０のために設計されたようで、ラウンジから直接飛行機に乗り込める。目の前に駐機しているＡ３８０を眺めながらマラソンや一週間の滞在を振り返り、ハワイ料理をつまんだ。良い旅になった。

　帰りは午前の出発で夜遅くに日本到着。機内で眠る必要は無く、機内サービスを受けながら、ほしい飲み物とつまみはいくらでも届けられる。映画を３本も観てしまった。クリント・イーストウッドのミュール。『ロバ』という意味だが麻薬の運び屋という意味もあるようだ。また一つ単語を覚えた。良い映画だった。

Bishop Museum

　　Bishop Museum is the largest museum in Hawaii, which aims to research and record the history and culture of the Hawaii islands. Since I had visited Hawaii for the first time, I have been eager to visit the museum. However, as the museum wasn't so accessible for visitors who didn't have a car, being away from the heart of the Waikiki area, I wound up visiting the museum for the first time today. The founder seemed to be a descendant of the royal family of Hawaii.
　　I was surprised to see its vast premise. According to the attendant, the Kamehameha Schools used to be there, which now stands on top of a hill. The museum has been extended to the vacant places to develop into the magnificent museum.
　　Incidentally, if you don't have even the slightest natural connection by blood to the Hawaiian royal family, you aren't admitted to the school. Through the generations after the Hawaiian annexation by the U.S., the school has a diverse array of students from diverse backgrounds across racial lines. It apparently is administered by the Royal Hawaiian Center on Kalakaua street in Waikiki and the tuition is free! The Hawaiian Royal Family would have been still keeping their pride and authority.
　　The collections cover a broad range of topics on Hawaii, islands of the Pacific Ocean and Polynesia. They are very valuable.
　　I'll show you some pictures below. The 1st one was shot from on the trolley on the way to the museum. It is the statue of Father Damien in front of the city hall, who devoted himself to caring for leprosy patients in Molokai. He eventually died from leprosy. He has been honored as a holy person in Hawaii, though he was born in Belgium. I'm thinking of visiting the island some day. The terrain of the island is very unique and you'll easily realize why the island was chosen as an isolation place for the leprosy patients.
　　The next picture shows inside the museum. I was interested in the fine arts and crafts of the Polynesian islands, but I didn't have time to spare for those. I went straight to the Hawaiian history's booth. The 3rd picture is the description of the anti-annexation movement by Hawaiian natives. The newspapers around the annexation day were laid out. The evil deeds by people who were moved from the European continent to the American continent, then expanded to the west, were recorded clearly and unequivocally. The next picture is King Kalakaua, whose name remains as the name of the busiest street of Waikiki. Three great figures who shaped up the tradition of Hawaii were elaborated on. One of them was Duke Kahanamoku. The beach in front of my condominium was dubbed after his name and is called Kahanamoku beach. His statue would be the most popular one in Hawaii. It stands at Waikiki beach with his arm open as if welcoming visitors.

(Vocabulary)
across racial lines 人種の境界線［違い］を越えて
leprosy ライ病、ハンセン氏病
fine arts and crafts 美術工芸品

 

　ビショップミュージアムは、ハワイ史の研究と文化の保存を目的とするハワイ最大の博物館です。初めてホノルルへ来たときから訪問したかったのですが、ワイキキから見ると離れているので簡単に立ち寄ることが出来ず、今日の訪問となりました。創立者はハワイ王家に繋がる人です。

　敷地が広いので驚きました。案内人によると、かつてはここにカメハメハ・スクールがあったそうで、その学校は今は丘の上に移転しています。空いた土地に博物館を増築し壮大なスケールの博物館へと発展しています。

　因みにカメハメハ・スクールはハワイネイティブの血が混ざっている人でなければ入学できないそうですが、アメリカに併合されてから数世代を経て今や、白人から有色人種まで多様な学生が通っているそうです。カラカウア通りにあるロイヤルハワイアンセンターが管理しているそうで、授業料は無料とのこと。ハワイ王家は今でもハワイアンとしてのプライドを持ち続け、影響力を維持しているのでしょう。

　収蔵品は、ハワイと太平洋諸島ポリネシア全域の文化に関する美術工芸品、文献、写真などで、２５００万点を超える世界的にも価値の高い貴重なコレクションとなっています。

　以下にＵＰする写真は、１枚目はトロリーバスから撮影したダミアン神父の銅像です。ハワイ州庁舎にあります。１９世紀のモロカイ島にあったハンセン病患者隔離地区で患者の救済に尽くし、自らもハンセン病で命を落とした尊い人として、ベルギー出身ではありますがハワイを代表する聖者とみなされ、尊敬されています。跡地をいつか訪問したいと思っていますが、なかなかたどり着きにくい場所にあります。

　次はビショップ博物館の内部の様子です。ポリネシアの美術工芸品に興味はあったのですが、時間の制約があり、ハワイの歴史を物語るブースへ直行。３枚目の写真がハワイ併合時の島民の反対運動についてのブースの看板です。当時の新聞もありました。ヨーロッパからアメリカ大陸へ移住し、どんどん西へ進み、自国の領土としてきたアメリカの横暴がここにも記録されていました。ワイキキビーチの通りの名前として名を残しているカラカウア王が次の写真。今に繋がる伝統を作り上げた３名の偉人の生涯が記されていて、その中の一人は宿泊しているコンドミニアムの前のビーチの名前となって残っているデューク・カハナモクだった。彼の銅像は両腕を拡げ観光客を招くかのようにワイキキビーチに建っている。

Hanauma Bay

　　We visited Hanauma Bay in the early morning for the first time. I had been in the mood to swim in the bay someday since my first visit to Honolulu because I heard that the famous movie, "Blue Hawaii" starring Elvis Presley, was shot in this bay. However, the bay is far from the city center of Honolulu and it's not easily accessible. My friends were also eager to visit the bay and I was able to hire a guide and transportation.
　　The bay was originally beautiful, but additionally it had been closed for three years due to the pandemic and subsequently the bay apparently became more beautiful. The bay is still closed from Saturday to Tuesday for environmental conservation even now, so we visited the bay on Wednesday. We rented all the gears for snorkeling and followed the guide on the surface of the sea. The depth was only 0.5 to 1.5 meters, but we were prohibited to stand on the coral reef. That meant that we didn't take a rest on the way. Floating on the wave which was calmly and slightly moving up and down, I got wave-sick or sea-sick. The guide grabbed my left arm and took me with her to the last destination point. I should have taken some medicine for sea-sickness. Anyway, I was able to shoot pictures with my right hand. I'll show you some of them. The scenery in the water was really wonderful. I saw lots of kinds of fish that I'd never seen before.
　　I have a three-year-old granddaughter. She wouldn't have seen a fish swimming in the wild. I hoped I'd take her to the bay.

ハナウマ湾

　早朝から皆でハナウマ湾を訪れた。ハナウマ湾は初めてハワイに来たときから気になっていた。エルビス・プレスリー主演の映画、ブルーハワイのロケ地でとても美しいビーチと聞いていたから。しかし、ビーチはワイキキの街から遠く、入場手続きが煩雑でなかなか機会が無かった。

　もともと美しいビーチなのだが、３年に及ぶコロナ禍のために観光客が激減し、海が更にきれいになったと言う。現在、環境を守るために土曜から火曜日まではビーチへの立ち入りは禁止されている。ビーチが開かれる水曜日を待ってガイドツアーに申し込んだ。案内、移動、シュノーケリングの道具レンタルなど全て任せられるので楽だった。

　波に浮かんでシュノーケリングしながら移動するのであるが、船酔いならぬ波酔いをしてしまい、残念ながら十分には楽しめなかったが、沢山の魚が泳ぐ姿を見ることが出来た。人を恐れることを知らない魚ばかりで、目の前を横切っていく。貴重な経験だった。もうすぐ３歳になる孫娘を連れてきて遊ばせてやりたいと思った。自分で撮った水中の写真をＵＰするのでご覧下さい。

Liliuokalani Protestant Church

　　We passed the Liliuokalani Protestant Church in Haleiwa. The picture shot from the car reads that it was founded in 1832. Liliuokalani was the 8th (last) queen of the Hawaiian Dynasty and she apparently often visited this church. I've learned about the tumultuous end of the dynasty through several books. The Hawaiian Dynasty asked for help from Japan, but Japan was all tied up on Russia which took aim at Japan at that time. The Dynasty eventually became entrapped into the territory of the U.S. I wondered what wishes she had prayed in the church.
　　We left the town of Haleiwa and visited the Dole plantation whose name was after the culprit of the illegal annexation of Hawaii islands. Was the annexation good or bad for native Hawaiians? I'd like to consider about it in the Bishop Museum which I would visit on 14th. The museum seemed to have lots of collections in a various array of the fields like the folklore, history, culture, politics, and so on.

(Vocabulary)
folklore 民間伝承（伝説･伝統･民族衣装など）; 言い伝え, 民俗学.

　ハレイワでリリウオカラニ教会を通り過ぎた。そのときに撮った写真に写る看板には１８３２年創立とある。リリウオカラニはハワイ王国第8代（最後）の国王。女王はこの教会へ礼拝によく訪れたという。ハワイ王朝の最期はいろいろな本で勉強した。ハワイ王朝は近代国家を作り上げる途上でアメリカの策略に引っかかってしまった。日本に助けを求めたが、当時日本は南下するロシアの脅威に立ち向かうことで精一杯でハワイ救済までは手が回らなかった。リリウオカラニはどんな気持ちで晩年を過ごしただろうか。

　ハレイワをあとにして、ハワイ乗っ取りの首謀者とも言えるドールの名を冠した農園を訪れた。ハワイはアメリカの一部になって良かったのか、悪かったのか。ビショップ博物館で、じっくりと考えて見たい。明後日には、ハワイの歴史を記したビショップ博物館を訪問する予定にしている。全て見るには何日もかかるほど沢山の展示物があるらしいので今から楽しみだ。

Spiritual Site Pohaku Lana'i

　　Our guide told us about a spiritual site, which Mr. Ohtani, a famous baseball player, had visited. Subsequently, he earned the award, "Rookie of the Year". We hoped that we would have the same good luck as him. Its name is Pohaku Lana'i. Pohaku is "Rock" and Lana'i is "balcony" in Hawaiian. Totally, it means balcony-like rock. The rock has been a spiritual site for prayer for victory.
　　We heard that this place was also a sea turtles hot zone, and going to the shore, we found three sea turtles just in front of us. Hawaiians have believed since the ancient past that turtles will bring happiness to them. We were very lucky to see turtles 10 meters before us.

(Vocabulary)
I hope I will 「have the same good luck as he [share his good luck].
私も彼の幸運にあやかりたい
prayer for victory　戦勝祈願

パワースポット

ガイドが近くにパワースポットがあるという。大谷翔平さんはここに立ち寄ってから成績が上がったという。ならば我々もそれにあやかるべきということで立ち寄った。パワースポットの名前はポハク・ラナイといい、ハワイ語でポハクは「岩」、ラナイは「バルコニー」ということで、バルコニーみたいな岩というわけ。古代より戦勝祈願のパワースポットだったそうです。大谷さんにはぴったりですね。

また、ここはウミガメが良くやってくる場所だというので２０メートルほど先の海岸に出てみると、、、ウミガメが３匹。なんとラッキーな。写真では見にくいのですが、ハワイへ幸運を運ぶというウミガメに出会うことが出来ました。