Seattle: Capitol Hill broadway Farmer's Market on a rainy day

Washington's license plates proudly proclaim the state as the "Evergreen State", which isn't just a bit of bravado in this case, at least as far as I've seen in Seattle and Western Washington. It's not to downplay the fact that wildfires are a very real issue here, as in many areas along the west coast, but there's generally a lot of humidity in the Seattle area much of the year between the abundance of lakes and small bodies of water along with the Puget Sound carving up the land. This bounty of hydration, however, leads to the lands being fairly fertile, and once you escape the sprawling suburban tendrils of Seattle you'll quickly find yourself among farmlands and progressively smaller, more rural towns. In about an hour's drive you can stand among vibrantly blooming fields of meticulously manicured daffodils dancing in the early spring breeze, or drop in for corn mazes and apple picking- there are an array of different farms and florists who welcome visitors from the Seattle area with open arms. For those not wanting to leave the city, never fear- there are regional farmers markets dotting the city, though not all of them are year-round like the Broadway Farmer's market in Capitol Hill. I've mentioned before that I tend to spend a fair bit of time in Capitol Hill, and the farmer's market is predictably timed for every Sunday at 11am to 3pm, which times out with my lunch break from work rather nicely. I've absolutely stopped to pick up a bouquet of flowers before darting off to another destination across town for a few hours, before properly getting them home and into a vase. Thankfully, it was still relatively cool out the last time I did such a thing, and the vendor was clever and kind enough to have a small bag filled with water rubber-banded to the bottom, keeping the flowers hydrated during their long commute to the safety of home. 

Having spent most of my life living in a desert city, I only got small glimpses at the seasonal beauty of nature through a communal school garden in elementary, sporadic peaks at my grandma's tomato garden during visits back to her home in Ohio or the brambling bushes of wild blackberries growing at the farm, as big as my grandpa's thumb, which seemed inconceivably massive to my childhood brain. These snippets of nature's wonder piqued my curiosity, and farmer's markets provide an accessible, colorful way to take in the seasonal shifts and gawk at some of the varietals of otherwise familiar vegetables you might not have encountered before. If you're looking for groceries, it's even better to purchase them from your local farmer's market, as the food will generally be much fresher for having traveled far less of a distance to reach you, and will usually retain more nutrients. Flash freezing can do wonders for mineral retention, but few things beat the juiciness of a farm fresh tomato or the crispy crust on a boule of freshly baked sourdough. Plus, when it comes to accountability and food safety, it's hard to beat having the farmer standing right there to answer any question you may have. There's a pretty good variety to be found here, too, so don't let the larger Pike's Place draw you away from giving this market a fair shot. You can warm up with a delicious bowl of freshly made chowder, followed by a massive chocolate muffin so decadent you'll wonder if you might have died and gone to a better plane, not to mention the rainbow of fresh fruits and vegetables beckoning to go home with you and do delicious, savory and/or sweet things in your mouth. (that's what she said) There's mead for taking back to the hotel room or home, too, made by some very kind-hearted people. 

Don't forget to say hi to Jimi while you're there!

Japan: Salarymen and Sakura

Time is a peculiar thing, isn't it? We often look at it as this linear thing, one event sequentially leading to the next, from point A all the way through to point Z, or point Zed, depending on your preferred parlance. Then there are those, whether they be authors of fictitious works like Kurt Vonnegut and his Billy Pilgrim (who became unstuck in time), or scientists who ponder quantum entanglement and what these things mean in the larger scheme. While conventionally time is viewed primarily in this linear fashion, I'm much more fond of Vonnegut's approach myself. In Slaughter-House five the main character, poor bumbling Billy Pilgrim, was abducted by the strange species known as Trafalmadorians, who are not limited to the third-dimensional perspective on time and it's passing. This abduction, coincidentally, leads to Billy becoming decoupled from our hindered human view of the timeline, offering profound insight and also a fair bit of awkwardness, as he has no foresight of when he's going to wake up in the course of his life prior to it happening. This non-sequitur style of timing, however, gives Billy an incredible perspective on time and life, perhaps an unintended gift from his abductors. To quote from Vonnegut:

"The most important thing I learned on Tralfamadore was that when a person dies he only appears to die. He is still very much alive in the past, so it is very silly for people to cry at his funeral. All moments, past, present, and future, always have existed, always will exist."

What, if anything, does all this have to do with cherry blossoms and businessmen, you may be wondering. As of the time of this writing, my time in Japan has already slipped into the past by several years, and every time I'm reminded of this fact, that I lived in Japan 4 years ago now, it seems so surreal. It feels like only yesterday I stepped foot off the plane in Narita, unsure of what came next. The lessons and experiences I gained while living in Japan, while separate in the timeline, are still with me. An appreciation for the changes of the seasons symbolized perhaps most abundantly in the short-lived flowers of the cherry blossoms lives on in me to this day, every day. I thrill at the changing shades of autumnal leaves, do a little happy dance when I find the first matsutake mushroom making an appearance or the first blooms of spring breaking through the monotony of a winter's day. In this way, I like to think I'm a little bit like Billy Pilgrim, the confines of a three-dimensional experience of time dissolving around the edges slightly, reconnecting me to a previous time in my existence. In a very real way, the blog serves that function, too, by allowing me to create a sort of time capsule of photographic and literary evidence of existence. It's not much, but so it goes. 

Kyoto Day 4- part 5- Leaving Kyoto

As happens with all good things, my time in Kyoto came to a wrap shortly after lunch. Once again I found myself seated inside a bullet train, gliding through the countryside with the smooth and lethal grace of it's namesake. Given the speed with which we traveled, I shortly found the sunshine of a cool winter's day in Kyoto replaced by grey skies and rain, then gentle snow followed by a dense white haze... then it cleared up once more and we were well on our way back to Tokyo. 

What is a train trek in Japan without the eponymous eki-ben, so named because it's literally a train station bento box. Small stores selling them proliferate both inside of and near any train station you may happen across in Japan, though their fillings will vary immensely depending on the price of the box and the region it's purchased in. Attention to detail is high, and while the quality of the ingredients can fluctuate a tad based on the price, you can trust that the majority of times you'll find a reasonably well-balanced meal to enjoy regardless where it's from. 

Traveling on the shinkansen was, for me, extremely comfortable. I was able to stretch my legs out with ample room in front of me, and the easily accessible outlets to charge my devices allowed me the freedom to entertain myself with any electronic without fear of the battery depleting on me prior to our arrival some hours later. Personally, I found it a bit difficult to actually go so far as to sleep but some of my fellow passengers had little to no difficulty in doing so. Given the ready availability of alcoholic beverages at the station and stores surrounding the train stations, it may play some role in that. In a lot of ways it feels very similar to flying, from the fold-out tables on the chairs in front to the seat designs... that being said, it should be noted that bullet train travel is not cheap. If you're looking to save money, you can always opt to take an overnight bus (as I've done when traveling to L.A. from Vegas several times) or fly. Personally, it was worth the expense because it gave me the opportunity to see the country in a way that was special to me. We certainly don't have any bullet trains in my part of the world yet, though the Hyperloop might hold promise...but I digress. It was a lovely trip and though I was sad to be leaving my new friends behind for the routine of work, work and more work, I was so very glad to have had the adventure and met those lovely people. 

XOXO,

NAU

Kyoto day 4- part 4- lunch and Arashiyama station

As tends to happen rather predictably, hunger eventually found it's way into my awareness and the rumbling of my tummy signaled the time for fueling. I had passed several opportunities for eating along the way, including a small hut that claimed to offer tamagokake gohan, a simple but utterly comforting dish of steaming hot rice topped with a lightly beaten raw egg... while that would have been quite affordable and homey, the hut was seemingly untended when I happened by so I walked until I found this lovely restaurant. For about $20US I had a delicious and well-rounded meal consisting of steamed white rice, thinly sliced raw sea bream in sesame sauce, locally grown Kyoto vegetables, house made pickles, hot tea and even dessert! A truly delicious and wholesome meal to replenish from the morning's sojourn. 

After filling my tank, I resumed walking for a little longer before retreating to the train station. My time in Kyoto was rapidly drawing to a close and I needed to start making my way back to Kyoto station proper to catch my bullet train back to Tokyo. 

Kyoto day 3- part 5- dinner in town

After hiking Fushimi Inari, I was quite tuckered out for the day and ready to retire. However, my stomach was quite vocal about the need to replenish after expending so much effort...so I made my way back into town, or at least the area I was staying in. It took a little while to find any places open and enticing at the late hour and I got turned away from one place (which was behind the artistic elevator door shown below)... Eventually I found a place that was open and serving, so I found myself a seat and ordered up a dish of yudofu, or tofu hot pot. The yudofu is pictured above, a simple dish of tofu and vegetables in a light broth, a quintessential Kyoto classic of sorts. There's no need to overcomplicate things, instead the natural flavors of the composite ingredients are allowed to meld and mingle in the gentle broth. It's really a lot more delicious and lot less bland than it may sound, believe me. 

The dish came with a couple of sides, pictured above. Potato salad, simmered items (ube, burdock root and lotus root) and fruit. 

After refueling I stopped in at Pan & Circus for a drink and to say hi to my new friends at the guest house before returning to 9Hours for the evening to crash. Since it was late I managed to snag a few photos of the more private areas, like the bathroom pictured below.

Fancy!

Check back soon for the next post.

XOXO,

NAU

Kyoto Day 2- Part 5 - Kaiseki dinner

While ambling around the many winding alleyways that connect the streets of Kyoto, I was finding myself at a loss as to where to eat. I had read about several restaurants online but my attempts to actually locate them in reality were proving fruitless. Perhaps sensing my growing hunger and rising frustration, a smiling chef approached me with a menu in hand. Though they had not officially opened for the evening just yet, the chef was kind enough to lead me to his restaurant anyway and proceeded to cook a multi-course kaiseki meal for me with his kind wife who helped him. It was an incredible experience, one I'll always be immensely grateful and thankful for. The food may look simple but that's a large part of it's allure! Without overly complicated combinations of ingredients, the attention to detail and freshness shines with the unfettered presentation. It was an exceptional meal and as I was the only diner at this early time of night it felt more personal and intimate. When I went to leave, both of them wished me safe travels and bid me well, but the wife walked me to the door and asked to take a photo together. 

Maybe not my best angle ever, but it was more about capturing the moment than trying to model. I hope they are both well and I will always be grateful that they were kind enough to start dinner prep early to feed a hungry wanderer.