Kizakura Kappa Country sake brewery

Fushimi is an area in Kyoto which is known for sake breweries, and production. Noa recommended that we should check it out so we thought we would see what was happening after a visit to the Fushimi- Inari Taisha Shrine- also excellent, a 4 km walk up a mountain with thousands of tori gates. Amazing. At sunset, it can be quite eerie though.

We got out the train station and walked to where we thought it should be but couldn't find it so we asked a couple to point us in the right way. In typical Japanese fashion, they started walking us straight there. Such friendly, and helpful people. We got there and it looked like the place was shut so we were like oh, but then the couple were like no, its okay, and walked us all the way to the door and asked for a table for us.

It wasn't busy inside. Just a few business men drinking, and eating.

After re-reading the map we realised we were in the restaurant which we wanted to go to after the brewery. Worked out quite well for us.

The staff didn't speak English so a few of them walked past and some attempted to help us but eventually the supervisor came to try and help us. I used my phrase book to see if things would be easier-

Nani ga oishii desu ka? (What do you recommend?)

Pointing at the menu, we asked for some beer that was brewed in house, and recommendation of sake. The chief suggested a rack of sake. Cool.

Different stages/ strengths of sake

My first taste of sake, and it was from a brewery visit so happy with that. We then attempted to order food but that didn't really work, and the only food they had were kebabs so we continued drinking. Sake doesn't make you feel drunk but you can feel it in your head if that makes sense.

Good times.

The next day we had a sake party with Nao and Kaori. It kind of happened accidently. Kaori had just come back from the shop, and said that if we liked sake, there was one brand on offer at the shop so we were like cool, maybe we'll get some. Nao was debating whether to stock up on a few more bottles so when we went we picked up an extra one as well for him as a present, they were excellent hosts. Only condition was that they would have to drink with us!

Nao went out and bought some sashimi, and made it into a party. Even though we had already eating dinner he convinced us that you have to eat sashimi with sake.

Don't think they make a habit of partying with guests. Its not a party place at all. More like their own home.

I can't remember how to say 'cheers', only 'one more please!' haha okawari kurasaaaaai !

Public baths

We were staying in Kyoto, and our host, Nao, kept suggesting we visit a public bath to help relax. We put it off for a few days because all I knew about it was that you strip naked and sit in a bath with a bunch of other people. I was nervous.

Before we set off Nao warned us, 'watch out for the electric one!'. Electric, how does that work in water I wondered. 'Don't worry, its the best one.' he called as we left, hmm.

We followed his directions, and realised we had past it several times during the day. There's no huge signage or anything. There's a foyer area for shoes, and then a male and female door. The woman looking after the place, and collecting the money sits in the middle of these doors. I paid her and then went in and started getting undressed. She was watching telly but I was still felt very self conscious when I was getting undressed. Through the glass slide doors I could see steam rising, several wash stations with a bucket and tap, several bath tubs behind that. I had a long face cloth type thing which was good for keeping my privates, private.

I took a deep breathe, and thought f*ck it, let's just go. Pulled open the slide door, and the 3 woman that were in there didn't even look up. Nothing to worry about at all. I grabbed a stool, and bucket and picked a station which didn't intrude on anyones personal space too much but also so I could make sure I was doing things correctly. The main tubs aren't for cleaning yourself in, but rather for soaking in and relaxing so the purpose of these wash stations is to scrub yourself clean.

The locals really do scrub. Until they're like red raw some of them. The woman I was sat near was washing before I started, and was still at it when I got up to go to the baths. Its cute, the locals often have their own bucket which they take with their own toiletries, and toothbrush, hairbrush etc.

Ok, so I was ready. I think there was 5 baths altogether. I didn't pick the one closest to the washing stations but 3rd up. Popped my foot in, and got this tingling sensation. It was hot, hotter than I would normally have my bath but I just eased myself in. Then I felt like these kinda like vibrations which would make my muscles wobble. Of course, I jumped straight into the electric one!!! I didn't want to seem like the silly foreigner so I just sat there and soaked it up for like 5minutes before coming back out... It was actually ok when I was side on, ie when the zaps were on my side but when I turned and it was on my tummy, it was too much. It felt nice on my back, but the tummy was too much.

Next I tried just the hot bath, which was nice. Next to that was the very hot one. It took me a while to get into it because it was so hot. I couldn't really stay in it for too long because it was that hot. There was a bubbling one which I thought I would save for later, and a green one which a lady was already in so I choose the last one which was ICE cold. Dipped my toes in there, and then sat in slowly. Tried the green, herbal one, as soon as it was free. Nice, tingly but in a herbs kinda way not electric shocks way. Then I went back in the cold one- not sure if that's good for my body but it feels good to go from one extreme to the other. Then bubbles where another lady was but it was the biggest one so I joined her. She tried to chat to me but I can't speak Japanese so just smiled and told her 'Scottorando'. (Scottish) I really need to learn some Japanese, they are such friendly people.

After you've had enough of that you get out and wash yourself again. I don't take as long as the first time but still have a scrub because of the baths that other people have been in. When I went through the slide doors, I didn't care at all if the woman was watching tv or not. I was so relaxed, and felt kinda comfortable with my body. I'm never one for walking around a changing room naked but I felt good about myself.

We spent the next 3 weeks traveling West of Japan to Kagoshima and eventually back to Tokyo. I will write up about others we visited, including several onsen (natural hot springs), spa visit, and being buried into a sand bath...

STAY at Roujiya Guesthouse, Kyoto

Indochina

Planning a trip

Watch this space ...

David Bann, Edinburgh

In February I cut meat out of my diet for one month. As a result, I did a lot more cooking which I really enjoyed. I felt healthier too, and less 'full' after meals but in a good way. It made me think a lot more about what I was eating too whereas before I would eat meat just because it was normal to have some on my plate. I did still eat fish for nutritional reasons/ essential oils, but making sure I wasn't using it as a substitute i.e. I didn't eat it every day. Surprisingly, it was my gran who gave me the most beef (yesss!) for eating fish as part of my challenge, claiming that I was cheating. Haha come on!

For Valentine's Day, we booked to eat at David Bann's in Edinburgh. It's a nice wee vegetarian restaurant just off the Royal Mile. The place was packed, but the service was still excellent!

I chose the olives as a starter which I guess was quite safe but they were the best olives I've ever tasted. They were literally the same size as my thumb, and you could hold them and eat them like you would an apple! HUGE.

Olives, and homemade bread drizzled with herb olive oil

Everyone around me seemed to have ordered the Udon noodles as a main so I decided to try something different...

Roast aubergine chick pea cake with mash and gravy

And for dessert, they had a platter with a wee taste of everything for those who can't decide what they want. I wanted a wee taste of everything so it worked for me.

Let's see - plum and vanilla brulee, raspberry ice cream, raspberry and whiskey chocolates, pineapple sorbet, and hot pear and passion fruit tart.

It is a complete myth that you need meat to make you feel full. I didn't even know vegetarian restaurants existed! I would definitely recommend David Bann as a treat, or as something 'different'.

Curling

2010 started with headlines declaring our worst Winter in 30 years. People were snowed in, local councils ran out of resources to grit the roads, cars were flipped over on the sides of roads, and there was black ice for miles...

In other words, this was an excellent Winter for snow sports. The conditions were perfect. The Lockerbie Herald had a picture from the early 60s of people curling on the frozen Kirk Loch. This was one of the first times since then that people were able to play on the loch again, and an opportunity I could not miss really.

The sight was incredible. I tried to imagine the loch normally but my eyes were too busy absorbing the scene. The skies were a perfect blue, and the sun made the snow twinkle so that you had to squint your eyes at everything. And it went on forever. People were not afraid to walk deep into the loch- the middle was apparently 13' deep, they drilled a hole to measure it, and then apparently it started cracking... My shoes crunched as I walked on the snow which lay on top of the frozen loch. It was amazing.

Kirk Loch, Lochmaben.

There was kids, families, ice skates, kids in sledges, photographers, dog walkers, on lookers, farmers, and us curling.

Katie has curled professionally so she was showing us how it's done. It was actually a lot harder than I thought it would be. We used old style stones which had been sat idle on door steps for years. The stones were heavy (18- 20kg), and it was hard trying to curl the stone gracefully, and without falling over! Big household brooms were used to sweep, and make the stone curl smoother or faster on the ice. I was curling for the first time, and in the traditional way too: outdoors, old stone, and a kitchen broom. It was unreal.

Our closest game.

The aim is to get as many of your stones in the house (circles) as possible.

It was a lot of fun, and I think I did OK for a first timer you know. I even had to tie my hair up half way through, I was playing serious. We got beaten, but Katie is a junior world champ so I guess that's what happens.

I love this photo.

In the 60s, all the offices were closed so the staff could go out and curl. This year the conditions were perfect for another Grand Match, although this was controversially canceled due to health and safety so I guess I was lucky... who knows when it'll be like this again.