Friday, June 18, 2010

Osaka


Osaka, originally uploaded by angryparsnip.

I wish I could say I took this picture but I didn't . . . if I say I
was there when the picture was taken does that count ? Yes ?
This view is traveling from Sanda to Osaka on the JR Maroon Line.

Japanese son was playing around with this photo but in my mind this is
how I remembered it.
I was filled with such anticipation, I couldn't wait to play tourist
and the day delivered ! In my mind the day sparkled just like this
photo.

We were staying in Sanda and traveled through some of the most
beautiful rice fields and rugged hillside with bridges over the river to
Osaka for some shopping and lunch.

Of course I had to visit one of my favorite Studio Ghibli shops and
stop by the store to get my name " seal "
On my next trip I will be ordering a new " seal".
The one I have now is round and small. I can carry it in my purse in
my small " Gaspard and Lisa case. I am such a child.
This trip I want to order a bigger one and maybe a square shape. So
excited !

dreaming . . . parsnip
music . . . Kaza No Toori-Michi, Joe Hisaishi

11 comments:

  1. as much as we've traveled, japan has never been a destination! i think the we'll have to remedy that soon! xoxoxo

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  2. Sorry for a correction Mom, but it's not the JR Maroon line.

    In that photo is the Hankyu Kobe line. When I was in Sanda we rode that line and the JR Fukuchiyama line.

    Hankyu is the privately owned railway that has the Maroon cars. JR is the national, formally state owned, railway that has all different cars.

    "Chop" could be said seal or inkan.

    You can see the original photo here:
    http://www.flickr.com/photos/sleepytako/3152491347/in/set-72157611885175422/

    I can't wait till you come back and get to ride the trains again to some new places this time. A shikansen ride down to Miyajima might be in order too.

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  3. That's really an evocative photo. How lucky you are to have family to visit in Japan.

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  4. David....
    Now that you have said that I remember the Hankyu Kobe Line... duh !

    This time when we are there I am writing EVERYTHING down so I don't mix them up.
    You know what happnes when you get older.

    When you were at work, Molly and I took off and spent the day walking around all the places you showed us years before and we found them.
    But...
    What remands is how much I love this photo and it was exactly how I felt on that day and still do.

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  5. Joanna ...
    I am very lucky and now I have lovely Daughter-In-Law and most beautiful Granddaughter to spoil.
    It is hard to be so far away, one can not on the spur of the moment just drive over ... but it makes our trips back and forth special and thank goodness for skype !

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  6. Savanna...
    It is a wonderful place to visit.
    I don't speak Japanese ( i just bought Rosetta Stone ) but I have traveled around on my own and never had any problems.

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  7. What a wonderful trip to look forward to.
    I think it is vital to have a treat on the horizon.
    Guess what - I've just had a hand written letter from Diana Atthill. I must have been so nervous when i wrote to her I signed with me ex-married name. Lovely surprise.

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  8. Pat...

    WOW ! how exciting and now that book has zoomed up to the top of my list.
    I love when a book has a special reason to read it besides the enjoyment.

    I have on the Den/Cmr World Cup game and it is exciting and the ball is flying everywhere with a mind of it's own.
    I am still bummed the ref stole our goal from the USA/Slovenia game.... bummer

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  9. I know that picture! I have a copy of it right here, backed beautifully with brown card. Whatever your son says the line will always be the JR Maroon to me! Unless, of course, I actually get to visit my spiritual homeland one day, in which case I'll have to rethink.

    What is a name 'seal', rather curious, X

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  10. Eryl...
    Japan has a great rail-line much like what you have in the UK... you can get from one place to another quite nicely. It also has several private lines. Coming from an area that you have to have to drive car, I get confused sometimes which line I am on.
    A seal is a "Chop" that I first wrote then edited... It is like our decorative stamps of today.
    It has your name engraved on it and you stamp it in red ink and usually print it next to your written name. I think I used mine on a card to you ? I don't always use it but I like to start using mine more again.

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  11. You did! I checked and found it on the Japanese card you sent.

    Our rail lines are great but they are all private now and the service is often not so good. It's also much more expensive than driving: it costs four times as much to take the train to Edinburgh than to drive there, for example, so I do tend to drive everywhere.

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