Martin is a giant. Our trip to Matsue.

We are just back from a wonderful weekend in Matsue, a three hour drive north of Hiroshima and as you can see from the following pictures the hotel we stayed at was rather small. As soon as we stepped out of the elevator it looked like everything had shrank to three quarter size, I felt just like Alice in Wonderland.


Note how small the doors are and the width of the hallway.


What you see is really what we got. When Martin stood in the shower his head hit the ceiling. The entire bathroom was 3.5ft by 5ft.

The bedroom was so small that there was only room for a small double bed squashed up against the wall and no wardrobe. It certainly was compact.

Surprisingly, I actually slept really well and we had a lovely weekend that involved lots of teas, coffee, museums, castles and gardens.


On Saturday we visited the Louis C. Tiffany village near Matsue. The museum has an outstanding collection of Tiffany lamps, stained glass, jewellery and art nouveau furniture. The attention to detail is amazing and they have even recreated a church to showcase the Tiffany inspired windows.




The museum and church are surrounded by English style country gardens, they are really beautiful and I really didn't feel like I was in Japan as I admired all the wonderful flowers and plants.


Afternoon tea in the attached tea room was every bit as good as it looked and they even had Tiptree jam!

On Sunday we drove out to the Adachi gardens, frequently voted the best in Japan, they really are a sight to behold - even if they do look a bit like Telly Tubby Land.



Everything is raked and pruned to perfection and the gardens can only be viewed from inside a glass building. I know that sounds a little odd but I guess that gravel wouldn't look so perfect if there were thousands of tourists tramping on it everyday.

After the gardens we headed off for coffee made by the 2nd best barista in the world (according to the World Barista Championship, 2005). As expected the coffee tasted pretty good but the presentation was even better.


Isn't that so cute?!

Despite the fact that it rained constantly for two days (even our hotel room leaked) we plodded on and took in plenty of sights. Next up was Matsue Castle one of the biggest in Japan and the view from the top was pretty cool - we had to climb five sets of really old rickety stairs which were more like ladders but the risk was worth it.


We rounded off our little sojourn with a coffee made by the brother of the 2nd best barista in the World at a little cafe in Matsue. It was pretty similar and the presentation was just as cute.


One of the things I love about Japan is that there's always a cool cafe lurking somewhere just around the corner!

Muffin tops - the edible kind and not the ones spilling out over the top of jeans

Being the book worm that I am, I recently started a book club in Hiroshima to meet some more new people and just talk about books and maybe eat some nice food along the way too. Anyway, the book group (all four of us - well you have to start somewhere) met at my place tonight and it provided a perfect opportunity for me to get in the kitchen and whip up some more muffins.

So, especially for Big Bean who was so excited by the sound of Pumpkin and Chocolate Chip Muffins here's the recipe.

1 1/2 cups of plain flour
1 cup of sugar
1 teaspoon of baking soda
1 teaspoon of cinnamon
1 teaspoon mixed spice
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup of canned pumpkin
1/2 cup of sunflower oil
1 cup of chocolate chips
2 eggs
Splash of milk

Pre heat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease or line with muffin cases a muffin tin ( I prefer the rustic look so I don't bother with muffin cases, although it does make the tin harder to wash).

Combine all the dry ingredients together and sift into a large bowl. In another bowl beat the eggs, stir in the pumpkin and then add the oil. Blend all this together really well. Now make a well in the middle of the dry ingredients and add the pumpkin mixture. Stir until blended - if you think it looks a bit too dry add a splash of milk. Now add the chocolate chips. If you are anything like me you will have significantly less chocolate than when you started out - I can't help but nibble. All you have to do now is spoon the mixture into the muffin tin and bake for about 20-25 mins. 23 mins is usually the magic number for my muffins but all ovens are different.

Let them cool in the tin for a few minutes and then put them on a wire rack. I am currently wire rackless but the one in the grill does the same job. These keep in a tupperware box for a few days but they generally get eaten much quicker than that.



Tonight's little meeting went really well and next month we are reading the No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency which sounds quite good. If any of you have read it let me know what you thought of it.

The English classes are going great, it's really good fun and I am enjoying them much more than I thought I would. In fact, I am taking on more classes so I am going to be very busy and will definitely have less time to spend baking muffins. This will probably be no bad thing for the waistline, although I am still going to the gym three times a week and can now run a mile in ten minutes - this is a big deal for me! Anyway, I am going to give three classes per week to one girl who is going to live in England for three months. It should be really interesting as she wants to learn more about English life and culture (maybe I can make some scones with jam and cream!). I know we will have plenty to talk about.

That's it for this week, have a good weekend and happy muffin baking!

Rainy days and Sundays

Rain, rain and more rain as seen from our balcony this afternoon.

It is officially rainy season and it has rained non stop all day, it is raining so hard that I am beginning to think that there can't be anymore rain left up there! Nevertheless, it's Sunday and rainy Sunday afternoons are perfect for endless cups of tea, baking and watching TV. While watching the Discovery Channel and dreaming of sunnier climes I dreamt up the idea for Pina Colada muffins (pineapple and coconut doesn't sound anywhere near as exciting). As soon as they were baked and cool enough to eat my friend Julie came round for tea. Julie comes around for tea every Sunday afternoon and faithfully acts as guinea pig for my latest muffin creation, other experiments have included pumpkin and chocolate chip, banana and walnut and mango and raisin. However, I have to say that the Pina Colada muffins were slightly disappointing (I really had high hopes for them!) and pumpkin and chocolate chip remains the firm favourite.

The rain has also given us the perfect excuse to stay in and recover from the rest of the weekend's exertions. We attended two leaving parties, one last night and one on Friday night. The party on Friday night was held at a local french restaurant, the food was excellent and the mojitos and bubbly were flowly very freely. In fact, everyone was having so much fun that the police arrived to tell us to keep the noise down! There were lots of very sore heads on Saturday morning and last night's party was a bit more subdued as most people were still getting over Friday night.

Tonight we are going out for dinner and then watching the football at the pub, I hope there are no penalties as I don't think I will be able to stay awake until 2 in the morning! However, watching England in a penalty shoot out is always a fun experience!

Here is a random photo to keep you entertained until next time.


Geta sandal maker in Hiroshima

NB. Those are some serious built up shoes in the middle of that picture.

Earthquake!

At 5:01 this morning, Therese and I were woken by our first big earthquake in Japan. Therese was awake straight away, and once we realised what was going on we made a quick dash for the dining room table, and dived underneath just as the last few tremors shook the building. Naturally, we were straight on the internet to find out how strong it was - the quake.

As you can see from the link the epicentre was about 160km (100miles) away, and was recorded as 6.3 on the Richter scale, which is officially classed as 'Strong'. Amazingly nothing fell over or got broken in the flat, but the pictures were a bit wonky and the elevator had stopped working. According to the local news, 5 people were injured, although none seriously.

It's sort of hard to describe what it feels like - a bit like when you are on a train or tube and it goes over a bad part of track, and suddenly shakes from side to side, and it lasts much longer than you imagine. Having experienced one, I'll be quite happy to not have to experience another - I prefer the ground to stay still at all times!

Anyone for Pimm's?

The hot weather has finally arrived, it was thirty degrees yesterday, really hot and humid - so where did I spend the afternoon?
In one really hot and humid kitchen for about 3 hours making food!

We invited our friends around for a Pimm's and cocktail party to celebrate the start of the World Cup and get everyone warmed up for the England game. Ok, it wasn't going to rival Posh and Becks' "Full Length and Fabulous", for a start I will never be as thin as Posh but then again I bet she can't bake a brownie like I can. The food was really tasty, we had curried turkey salad, chicken, pumpkin and couscous with a sweet chilli dressing, pasta salad, bruschetta with pesto, garlic and tomatoes, fresh bread with olive oil and balsamic, chocolate and walnut covered strawberries and finally, some yummy brownies. Martin was a whiz at the bar, mixing up banana daiquiris, mojitos, campari cocktails and about four jugs of Pimm's! After all food and alcohol was consumed we merrily headed into town to watch the football. There is a little excitement about the World Cup but the hype is just not quite the same as being at home. Poor Martin sat up late on Friday night to watch the opening game only to realise that the Japanese coverage was a programme of two men watching the game on their TV. You didn't even get to see their screen and you couldn't understand the commentary as it was all in Japanese - not quite Match of the Day!

We've had a busy week, Martin has been working hard, I've been planning our trip to Thailand in October, plus starting up a book group in Hiroshima and I will also be teaching some English classes from next week on. I'm a little nervous about it as one of the students has only a really basic grasp of English but I guess it will force me to improve my Japanese, I'm sure they'll be plenty of fun and games along the way...

Well there are lots and lots of glasses, dishes and plates to be washed up so I better make a start and then we are going to the gym to soak in the outdoor jacuzzi - just what I need after all that hard work yesterday.


all gone...

Toukasan, turtles and cute kids

We are just recovering from a wonderful weekend enjoying the Toukasan Festival or Yukata Festival in Hiroshima. Yukata are a kind of colourful, cotton kimono and the festival signals the start of yukata wearing season in Hiroshima.There was a really good atmosphere around town and thousands of people out on the streets. Hundreds of street stalls with games and snack foods lined Chuo Dori Avenue, including goldfish scooping, balloon fishing, grilled cuttlefish, squid, octopus, okonomiyaki on a stick, yakatori and many more. The festival site was packed with children in yukata and young couples indulging in kakigori, or flavored shaved ice -tasty stuff ! I couldn't resist taking some pictures of the kids in their yukata, they looked so cute and their parents were so chuffed when you asked to take their picture.


Bit of a difference between Louis Vuitton and these little stalls! Little bikes like the one that guy is riding are really popular here as they fold up and don't take up so much space but they do look a little funny when you see a grown man on one!


Isn't he just adorable?


Girls enjoying flavoured ice in their yukatas.


I don't know why these kids had giant plastic bottles strapped to their backs, I suppose you could collect a lot of spare change in those things.


Street vendor selling yummy sweet cakes. It's always a bit of a lottery buying these things as you never know what lurks inside. You could hit the jackpot and get a cream filled one or be really unlucky and get one with soy bean paste.


People in Japan love to make a V sign when they have their picture taken and as you can see they start early, this little sweetie can't have been more than three.

The weather has really started to heat up this week but it hasn't stopped me getting out and about on the green bullet (Martin said it's the slowest moving bullet he's ever seen). Anyway, cycling in this heat is actually pretty good because you manage to catch a bit of a breeze. On Friday I popped down to Shukeien Garden for the afternoon and the turtles were loving it out in the hot sun.


He actually fell off that stone just after I took the picture!


Must go and get the house shaped up, love until next week,xxx

Ps. Happy Birthday Dympna!

Beautiful brides and charming grooms

Hello everyone,
We're back and have lots of pictures to share of the weddings. We had a really brilliant holiday in the UK, it was really nice to see all our family and friends again and even better that we were back for such happy occasions.
Happy wedding no. 1 was Sheena and Rob. Although the weather had been miserable all week the sun came out for the wedding and we had a great day. Sheena looked beautiful and was resplendent with a silk dress and Vera Wang shoes (4 inch heels!). Rob was very James Bond like in his white tie combo and dark suit. We had a great day and Martin and I did plenty of dancing to the Nolans and Dolly Parton! Here are some pictures (note the attractive bridesmaid).


Check out those strappy sandals!








Next up the aisle were Steve and Louisa at Athelhampton House, Dorset. The setting was beautiful and the whole event was just like something from a Richard Curtis film. Louisa looked so elegant in her duchess satin gown in blush pink and Steve looked very dashing in his pink tie and suit. We had a really brilliant day and it was great to be able to dance the night away with all our friends to Guns and Roses with our blow-up air guitars!






Our good friends Stuart and Marianne (who are also a couple!) were chief bridesmaid and best man and they all made a lovely bridal party.




All in all we had a really great holiday. Fittingly, the last people we said goodbye to before we went to Japan were Steve and Louisa and we were all very sad. We had such a great time that it really was hard to say goodbye to everyone but life goes on and we have settled in again just like we were never away (though I would give anything to be able to scoot down to Sainsburys for some vintage manchego and a pot of hot gooseberry chutney).

Here are some more random pictures from our trip.


Athelhampton House, Dorchester.


Martin and the latest Carten addition, little Phillip.


Lambing season was in full fling at Carten's.




Martin with Hannah and Lucy on their trampoline.


Ice cream time in Ballycastle.


My birthday cake but Sarah Jane beat me to it when it came to blowing out the candles!

Until next week,xx

Kyoto, mochi and Northern Irish traybakes

Climbing the steps to Nanzen-ji Temple, Kyoto in the rain.

Dear all,
We have just returned from a wonderful weekend in Kyoto but unfortunately all but three of our pictures got erased from the camera so we have hardly any to post. Nevertheless, there was so much to see that it really was a feast for all the senses. The cherry blossom was in full bloom and looked magnificent dangling over all the little canals and narrow alleyways that weave their way around the city. We spotted a number of meikos (trainee geisha) who looked as if they had just arrived from another time, they wear fabulous kimonos, heavy white makeup and the most amazing wooden platform shoes I have ever seen, how they negotiate the cobbled streets and steep steps I don't know. Unfortunately we didn't see any geisha, they are very elusive and only really come out at night time when they are on their way to work. The food was delightful, there are hundreds of little cafes and restaurants where you can sit and watch the world go by over a cup of green tea and mochi. We had a splendid lunch on Saturday in Gion (the Geisha district) where I dined on raw chicken, I know it sounds very dangerous but it really was beautiful, so fresh and served in a really tasty marinade - obviously I wont be trying at home with Tesco value chicken or anything. It rained all day Sunday which wasn't so nice but somehow I think it suited the city and created a wonderful atmosphere around the temples (there are almost 3000 temples in Kyoto). There are many excellent craft shops to visit and the pottery was exquisite as was the price but I did buy a traditional red paper umbrella! All in all it was a great weekend and the Ryokan we stayed at was really lovely with all the usual treats - green tea and sweets on arrival, Japanese hot baths, rice pillows and sleeping on the tatami floor. I have just realised that rice pillows and sleeping on the floor may not sound like a treat but it really is and it is one of the few ways to sample a real taste of traditional Japan, I definitely recommend this if you ever come to visit - although the ability to speak some Japanese and eat weird food is essential!

PS. A couple of funny things happened at the weekend.

1. First of all you must understand that toilets in Japan are a little unconventional and not everything is where you expect it. Anyway, after we stepped off the bullet train I really had to use the toilet so I went to one in the station. When I went to flush there were so many buttons and so little knowledge of kanji (one of the THREE alphabets) in my head that I just pressed any old one. Unfortunately for me, this was the emergency alarm button and Martin was standing outside hearing all these sirens go off. In fear that they would break the door down I got out as fast as I could only to see security come running at ninety miles per hour and Martin having a great laugh.

2. On Saturday afternoon, Martin and I were walking along a really busy street behind two women wearing Kimono. It was very crowded and my eyes were closely on these ladies as I admired their kimono. Next thing I knew one of the ladies stopped, let out a little yelp and we all ground to a halt. Somehow, I have no idea how, but she managed to walk on top of a traffic cone - I mean it literally disappeared inside her kimomo. Anyway, between the two of them they managed to untangle her from the traffic cone and away they went giggling like little school girls.

We have been in Japan almost six months now and nearly everyday I still see, hear, taste or experience something that makes me smile!


Mochi - these are Japanese rice cakes often served with green tea. They are made by pounding the rice with wooden mallets and then pressed into shape. Sometimes they are filled with soybean paste or strawberries. Although they might look strange they actually taste pretty good with a cup of green tea. However, as they are so sticky they can be a little tricky to eat and several people die each year from choking on mochi.

I often think that mochi is similar to Northern Irish traybakes. They are both extremely sugary, great with a cup of tea but probably very bad for your teeth. Here are some caramel slices I whipped up yesterday, they are almost like caramel squares but instead of a shortbread base they have a coconut, oatmeal and flour base. My friend Ryoko was so enamoured that she asked for some to take home to her parents and wants to learn how to make them. Isn't it wonderful that traybakes have made it to Japan!! (As has my Limavady First Presbyterian cookbook, a great source of knowledge for all things traybake like and recipies containing condensed milk.)

I saw a man wearing a TV

Yes this is true, I was ambling around town on Saturday when I saw a robot like creature come towards me. The man in question was wearing fluorescent orange shoes, matching orange space suit and on top of his head a silver helmet with a 14 inch flat screen TV attached - and yes the TV was even switched on ! As Murphy's law would have it this was one of the rare moments in Japan that I did not have my camera. So amazed by this vision and aware that it would make a great picture for the blog I went back on Sunday armed with my camera and was determined to track him down. Unfortunately, he was nowhere to be seen but I did spot this little man.



He was really cute and did some nifty little moves - note how small he is, must have been a midget or a very small child.

This was definitely light relief in comparison to how I was feeling on Friday morning. I had a coffee morning in the apartment for 26 people and as they would say in Limavady "I was up to high dough" - in this case mini chocolate muffin mixture (as soon as I put them into the oven they slid to the back and looked more like ski slopes than domed shaped muffins). As you can imagine with 26 women, including Japanese, Chinese, Korean, American, Australian, Greek, South African, Romanian, British and a New Zealander, there was plenty of coffee (about 90 cups drank), eagle eyes surveying my home ( I was offered tips on dusting, even though I had cleaned from top to bottom in anticipation of such remarks) and idle chitter chatter. Nevertheless, it all ran smoothly.

Not much else to report on, only three weeks until we're home!

Here's a random picture to keep you satisfied until next week.



This is the gym I go to and it is every bit as luxurious as it looks. When I go the only thing I have to take is clean underwear as everything else is provided including shorts, socks, tee shirt, swimsuit, towels, trainers, bathrobes, cotton buds, razors, toothbrushes, toothpaste and lots of nice lotions and potions. It is so nice that every session usually takes me about 3 hours and only 45 minutes of that is spent exercising. The relaxation room is so relaxing that I fell asleep there for an hour one day - but then again I always did know how to take it easy!

Love until next week, xo