A stunning walk from Goran Haven along to Dodman Point with my rambling crew. Such beautiful weather day too which encouraged a skinny dip at a secret beach. Picking this as our rambling day was quite an achievement as all the other days have been yukky!
Achieviement to adapt to Big city life after a week in rural Japan.
A long day with sightseeing
I could easily have stayed at home all cosy but I had a word with myself and got out and about for the art openings across town for the New Contemporaries. I saw some faces I like, experienced the fine art and peddled home uplifted.
All mornings the past week have been a challenge to get up before 5 o’clock. This friday morning in particularly, since last night there was a Dojo party untill 3 o’clock in the morning.
So a huge achievement to get up after a couple of hours sleep and then rake in front of the shrine and then 6 o’clock training afterwards.
The weather has been changing every 5 minutes from glorious sunshine to pouring down with rain and hail. I dressed in all my waterproofs and then…the sun came out but I was ready…
Achievement getting a good nights sleep, when sleeping on traditional tatami mats in a dormitory and getting up at 4.50 in the morning. Walls are thin and at times a bit of slumber serenade is heard.
Picked up some rubber flooring near Alternun where Otto was born. Found it on fb marketplace and is the solution for what to have as the flooring in my bathroom. Afterwards went for a very, very wet walk in the beautiful lanes and fields of Bodmin moor.
It’s a pretty busy schedule here in Iwama; Getting up at 04.50 in the morning to clean the garden, then morning training from 6 o’clock to 7.30 then breakfast and after that 2 1/2 hours of weeding and cleaning in the garden and Dojo.
Then lunch and training again.
The humidity is nearly 90% ( my estimate ;), so after each training I need to wash my Gi.
The local laundromat, must have their machines from Denmark, because it says ‘møntvask’ on the front.
Went to pick my van up from the garage. I’m so proud of Otto for being clever enough to run alongside my bicycle. He knows to stay on the same side and to go the same side of lamposts etc as me so we don’t get tangled.
Getting friendly with the locals in Iwama.
Van in for MOT, a visit with friends at Flameworks studio, a painting session at the studio and a cycle along this beautiful coastline to the pub for a pint with friends.
A gorgeous lazy morning in bed, a walk in a forest with Otto and the first roast of the season. Hello equinox. A really unexpected lovely day.
Walked to the top of mountain Atakusan to train jo.
Met Rex after the studio to play pool where I am a member. I love the angles and skill of pool and I played well so happy with that.
Finding my way to Iwama on my own, despite jetlag and headache and only breakfast in my belly.
Also managed to find someone to help me find the Dojo in the dark and almost completely desolated streets.
Another really sunny day in a slow paced week. The back of my house was finished this morning. Drainpipes sanded, holes filled in, wires neatened, cement fixed, windows sills sanded and painted black and the brick painted white. It looks incredible. I then managed to go to the studio for the first time in ages and actually made interesting progress on a painting.
Flying to Japan to be ushideshi in Iwama.
I grew this big orange-lit-by-sunset-tomato. I miss the tomatoes in Missouri every day. The heat makes all the difference to the sweet taste. They were the best tomatoes I’d ever eaten.
Going with the flow, even if a bit of traveling bug in my belly. Trying to pack light and be prepared for anything. This water feature is in a nice quiet corner of Carlsberg byen.
Met up with a lady who’ll take care of Otto soon, took Otto to the vet, walked Otto with his best friend, a vizla, Fish, then hung my painting in my new kitchen space. Then stayed up really late watching early love islands getting a buzz from being up when everyone was asleep.
A day of very little achievement.
Woke up with cutting migraine, not able to eat or talk or go to work.
Stayed in bed with curtains rolled down all day, despite an apparently sunny day outside.
Did make this broccoli and fig pie, out of leftovers in the fridge for dinner. So something was achieved.
A day to stop after all the summer’s shenanigans. Unfortunately it was perfect sunny weather outside but I lay in bed, watching an early series of love island (yes judge me), eating, sipped chilled white wine in the afternoon in bed…threw balls for Otto and after many tries captured this! Achievement 🏆
This Tuesday I was too distracted and busy to take a picture, so this picture is courtesy of my Sensei Ethan Weisgard.
I’m training Iwama Aikido with Sensei Ethan Weisgard in Copenhagen Aiki Shuren Dojo located in Valby.
Here we are training jo dori and jo mochi nage. Next Aikido training will be in Japan.
I was given the responsibility of locking up….so this was a final walk round making sure everything was back to normal. Swims and sauna were a highlight of the weekend. Heaven.
Coming home from a full day of work, doing the shopping on the way home and everyday chores waiting to be done like cooking and laundry and a new thing; wearing my bicycle helmet when bicycling to and from work, to protect my head, which already have had too many knocks through my life so far. Haven’t really worn a helmet the last 42 years of bicycling, except when on my mountainbike, but feeling more inclined to protect my head as I’m getting older (and wiser?)
A perfect happy morning with friends chilling and laughing outside my van. The relax before the take down of the party decor. I’m so happy with how I’ve been gradually pimping my van set up with awning, seating, cast iron cooker…it’s cosy and results in friends congregating outside 🥰
Got up early on a Sunday morning and had a really busy day at work.
The town buzzing with activity; Copenhagen half Marathon in the Streets and in Nørrebro (one of the quarters in Copenhagen) there was a car free sunday, so all the roads were filled with skipping and dancing kids and a samba brass band playing in a traffic light crossing usually busy with lots of cars and buses.
A 50th party to be had. A group of exactly the right people gathered in a field and made it happen. The right skills, the correct tent, props, lighting and boom….we got ourselves a perfect celebration for Phillip Corps Birthday Party 🥰🥳🫶🏼
After a dayshift at the hospital, went to see my friend and fellow Aikido practitioner Lone.
We did some planning and organising and looked at some forms we have to fill out and have ready when we are off to train aikido in Japan next week.
In Japan there is a mythical creature known as Kappa and apparently the kappa is known to favour cucumbers and loves to engage in sumo wrestling.
Made a detour so I could visit my father on the way to Northamptonshire. 85 years old and was fixing a fence when I arrived.
Enjoying the baby blue and pink colors of the evening sky.
Relaxing after a busy day and recharging before another workday tomorrow.
Starting to count down the days before I’m off to Japan next friday 😉
I taught my dog, Otto to give hugs with both ‘arms’. Love that! He does it to dogs and humans 🥰
Visiting Peters parents in Hjerk, Jutland. They are living down a gravel road on a big farm. They have help with the grounds and the pill fire, but else are still managing on their own despite their age; Gunhild got a new knee last year, but had to give up the vegetable garden and the greenhouse this year.
The old vine still delivers grapes and Gunhild is still feeding her chickens herself and gathering their eggs.
Peters dad have POD (pulmonary obstructive disease) and needs oxygen, so he is not so mobile anymore, so not going hunting anymore, but still go out plucking berries and fruit in the garden and makes homemade jam and compote.
Achieved a walk with Otto in the park with Dan and Fish (Otto’s best friend) and just general stopping, cooking up what was in the house including the last of the beans I grew.
A seagull visiting my office on the 15th floor at Rigshospitalet. They often come by and look in through the windows, I think people sometimes feed them.
Some of them are quite big and it’s really interesting to see such a big bird so close up.
Had to hurry home after work to go for flash visit (lynvisit) to Jutland.
The only photograph I took today. Back home. Dreamlike. In bed. Telly, food, Otto, stopping.
Tuesday is Aikido training day.
Today I had a great day at work, introducing a new colleague, to tasks in the out-patient clinic. She did brilliantly.
After work, met up with my friend Christina, who I hadn’t seen forever so lots of chatting and catching up.
Then on to evening training at the Dojo, lots of laughing and sweating.
Then home, had easy dinner; openface sandwich (smørrebrød).
Washing the gi, and hanging it to dry in the loft.
After breakfast, steam room, sauna and a fond farewell at the spa hotel…my drive to pick Otto up from one of his favourite hangouts…a walk in the sunshine with the dogs then homeward bound, a parking space right outside my house, unpacked and into bed with a Chinese meal and telly. Lights out before 9! 💕
Wading through and overcoming the water-masses to get to my bike.
Really autumn weather after a weekend of indian summer weather. Adapting to the elements.
Side to Side 