Arrived on the island of Anafi at 5 in the morning. Hitched up the hill to Hora the only town on the island and walked up the little tiny streets in the black darkness to our apartment….slept for a few hours and then woke up to THIS!! 🥰
So totally tired and jetlagged on the Monday. Still managed to get through a full day at work. Came home around 4 o’clock and was ready for bed, but stayed up for a lovely dinner. Completely forgot to take a picture on the Monday in my dazed state. This is a picture as close to monday as possible, from Sunday late night being captivated and mesmerized by the charisma of the lead singer in Dry Cleaning, warming up for Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds
Took a bus to Heraklion a port where we’re taking a ferry tonight….so the achievement is being in the right place, on the correct date for a ferry at 2 in the morning. I booked a hotel room for down time and a mini sleep before getting back up again.
Home sweet home. The morning light comes beautifully into the bedroom and the adjoining room. Back from my trip to Japan, funky feeling traveling back in time. Didn’t really sleep on the long flight from Tokyo to Helsinki, so went to bed early Saturday and got up early Sunday to enjoy this beautiful light and also going to a 13,3km fitness run in Dyrehaven (Deer park) a huge park outside Copenhagen with loads of game. Also opened my mail to discover that I had won tickets for Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds on Sunday evening, so managed my run in a good time (1 hour 14 minutes 11 seconds) back home for a lovely meal and then out to Royal Arena to listen to the preacher man.
Walked round the old town of Rethymno exploring and meandering. I don’t know if it’s a great achievement but I spotted this lady and went back to snap this photograph
So this is me strolling home with my newly bought suitcase. Managed to find a shop across the road from my hotel that sells suitcases 24/7 amongst anything else you could think of needing. I’m a slow packer and didn’t realised I couldn’t fit all my Gi’s (Aikido training outfit) in my suitcase until 2 in the night. Ended up staying up all night till I had to go to the airport so missed a nights sleep.
Took the bus from Paleiochora to Rethymno and on the way from the bus station (bus stations are surprisingly lovely in Greece) to our hotel I saw locals swimming at this little spot so I stripped off and jumped in. Heaven.
This is one of a pair of komainu, which from the 14th century onward, began to be placed outdoors to guard shrine and temple entrances.
Komainu always appear in pairs, with one having an open mouth and the other a closed mouth. Together they represent the sound “a-un”, the Japanese transliteration of the sacred Sanskrit syllable “om”. This syllable symbolizes the beginning and the end of all things, similar to “alpha and omega” in Western traditions.
The komainu pairs embody the principles of yin and yang, life and death, and the dual nature of existence. The open-mouthed “a-gyō” represents the beginning the active principle, and the inhalation of the breath of life, while the closed-mouthed “un-gyō” symbolizes the end, the passive principle, and the exhalation of the last breath.
So as my trip is nearing the end, I feel an achievement in my Aikido training, knowing that this is just the beginning of a long journey.
Had a nice and peaceful morning visiting the local Shinjuku shrine where I met the komainu on the picture and then afterwards the Shinjuku Gyoen Garden. Then headed to the National Olympic Memorial Youth Center for the last day of Aikido training on this journey.
Planned and booked accommodation for the next parts of our holiday from a hammock Scott hung overlooking the beach. Modern times!
So made it through another really hot and humid day, again 3 Aikido training sessions with different Sensei’s. It’s very dame dame ( no good; not serving its purpose; useless; broken) to hang the Gi’s over locker doors. The doors should always be closed and look neat.
We took the bus from Chania to Sougia on the south coast which someone had recommended. I wandered all through the town looking for a room but alas there were no rooms available. I was very relaxed about this somehow and when a ferry came along we jumped on and sailed to Paleiochora and after a lot of no’s, as it was also all full I found a room on booking.com. Wow. Busy busy.
First day of the 14th international Aikido summit in Tokyo. Being held next to the Yoyogi park in the National Olympics Memorial Youth Center. A huge venue and also loads of Aikido people from 88 different countries around the world. Managed to participate and sweat out in 3 classes (out of 5) in very hot and humid climate.
A pomegranate picked by Scott climbing a tree in Chania, Crete.
Another day of sightseeing in Tokyo, this time in Hamarikuy Garden. Beautiful and really relaxing garden near the old Tsukiji fishmarket and the harbour. The trees are being really well looked after and this made me think of my brother. Lots of achievement put in to this park.
Tube, train, plane, bus, walk, check out rooms and find this one….from Crouch End, London to Chania, Crete, Greece.
Busy day, with lots of impressions all day. Sightseeing in Yanaka area, lots of temples and a big graveyard. Got a bit lost, but managed to find the last shoguns grave (Tokugawa Yoshinobu, born Oct. 28, 1837 and died Jan.22. 1913). Then managed to find a really nice okonomiyaki restaurant near Shinjuku station. Then back to the hotel and getting organized for the next days to come in a tiny room and even tinier bathroom.
Using up everything in my fridge to make a packed lunch for my journey up to London. I saved money by going on a very non direct route which involved a bus replacement service from Reading, stopping everywhere on the way to Staines. And then a train onto Richmond. Was it worth it?…an achievement of patience and money saving….
A really busy sightseeing day, people everywhere and loud noises everywhere. Found this quiet little corner with calm and peace.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Side to Side 