Cinque Terre in Italia, 2006

"Cinque Terre" means "Five Lands," or laterally five small fishing villages located in the northwestern coast area in Italy. I came by these villages on the way from Siena to Milan, via Pisa. It took about 2 hours from Pisa by local train.

I stayed at an apartment in Riomaggiore and, of course, had a great time there.

In Manarola, I met a guy Bepe from Perusia. We had nice conversation and Bepe would not leave me while I was painting the sunset view in Manarola. Because he does not speak any English, we had to speak in Italian, baby talk Italian...

When I finished painting, Bepe told me something like this (in Italian).

"I'm sorry but I have to go now, as my friends and I have an appointment for dinner tonight."

"That's OK. It was nice meeting you Bepe. I have decided to have supper at a restaurant over there (you can see it the green house in my picture "Manarola"). So have a good night."

"No, no! I want to see you again after the dinner. I will come back quickly as soon as I finish the meal."

"Oh, no. You don't have to. Anyway, I have to take a train to go back to my apartment in Riomaggiore, the next train stop. So, I have to leave heare a hour later or so..."

"I'll come back as soon as possible, OK?"

Bepe left me and I had supper at the restaurant by myself. When I was leaving the restaurant I saw Bepe was running up to me from the hill.

"Mina, Mina! I'm back!"

But we had about 10-15 min. before the train arrival. He wanted me to walk back to the next stop Riomaggiore, about 1 mile away from Manarola. However...after the sunset, walking back along the promenade in the dark with an Italian guy? Well...I don't think so!

So I said good bye to him again telling that I have already got a train ticket and left Manarola.

The train was late about 10-15 min. as usual. When I got the Riomaggiore Station and walked up the hill for a while toward my apartment, I saw Bepe sitting on the bench and waiting for me.

Mamma Mia! Bepe was such an Italian gentleman.

I admired his passion so that could not help but having a glass of beer with him before I went back to my room.

Piazza del Campo in Siena

I painted this piece from the roof top of the museum, next to the Duomo.

The view was... Just Fantastic! Que vella la vista!!

Watercolors from Siena

When I saw the TV program introducing Siena, Italy, a couple years ago, I could not help but stop thinking about going to the historic city. Soon after I got to know about the city, I started looking for air tickets and hotels to realize my dream; painting the beautiful plaza, Il Campo, in Siena!!

As soon as I arrived at the city, I rushed out to the plaza and found an ideal seat to paint the tower of the plaza. Then I moved to Duomo and was very impressed by the beauty melting in the sunset... Though the city is too historic and is seen as somehow rusty, but I recognized the wonderland was surely alive! Especially when I had local dishes, I fully understood how and why the city has been loved by millions of travelers, as well as local people, for centuries.

Sweets and Flowers

Many friends who came to see my watercolors at the Pastelaria Gojo in Ichigaya, Tokyo, brought me flowers. How sweet of them!

Speaking of sweet, special sweet treats at the Pastelaria Gojo are nothing else but great. Don't they look great? Yes, they taste great, too, as a matter of fact.

It will be more than my pleasure if people can enjoy these sweet plates along with my sweet(?) touch of watercolors.

Watoercolors from Rome, Italy

Let me show you some of my watercolors painted in Rome, Italy in 2006. They are now showing at the Pastelaria Gojo in Ichigaya, Tokyo.
(http://www.ryokucha.co.jp/pastelaria/)

Rome is one of my favorite cities in Italy, besides the city is always the starting point of my trip in the country. There are too many things to see, to eat and to paint in the treasure box-like historical city.

I asked local people about their favorite monuments. Luca, a front desk clerk of my regular hotel near the Termini, recommended me to go to see the Piazza of Vittorio Emanuele II, top. Looking at the beautiful, but huge monument, my first impression was "Can I hit everything in one piece?" It took about one hour to finish cram everything into my sketch book and another 10-15 minutes to finish coloring on the site.

As soon as I finished the first piece, I recognized that there was a unique shaped building right behind me, middle. Not knowing the name of the structure, I just kept drawing the outlines. When I finished about two-thirds of this painting, a girl came up to me and asked to take a picture together -- me, my painting and the girl. Her name is Maria from Russia. As she is taking English lessens at home, she wanted talk to me in English, according to her mother.

The last piece was painted near the Sant' Angelo. As I worked on the object before from the front angle, across the bridge, I decided to change sites to place both Sant' Angelo and San Pietro next to each other= bottom. The sunset became the perfect lighting to outline the divine beauty of the world center of Catholicism.

My Art Show at Pastelaria Gojo

I have reached the halfway point... I'm talking about my Art Show at the Pastelaria Gojo in Ichigaya, Tokyo. Though it is not a typical gallery art show, it has successfully drawn many people's attention, even ones who had never been to gallery shows.

The cafe has a high popularity not only among sweet teeth, but the people who love both sweets and alcoholic drinks. During my exhibition, the chef, prepares special Italian menu inspired by my watercolors! Actually, she is good at French cuisine, but just for my art show, she decided to offer time-limited dishes, as a collaboration of Art and Food!

If you taste her special Italian menu, along with 11 pieces of my watercolors painted in Rome, Siena, Cinque Terre and Mirano, you may feel like traveling Italy with us!

Troubled Train -- Brand-New Tokyo Metro Fukutoshin Line

It's been a few weeks since the Tokyo's newest subway line, Tokyo Metro Fukutoshin Line, started operation in mid June. But the brand-new metro has series of troubles since its opening, due to several -- but very basic technical -- reasons.

I went to Shibuya today and I thought of taking the notorious line on the way back home. It was my first time to take the line as I have several other ways go back home by trains. But I had some time to kill... so I decided to try something new, even if I don't have to take the train at all.

But that was a mistake. When I went down to the platform of the Fukutoshin Line at Shibuya Terminal, I heard the in-station announcement that warned us to take "Detours" instead of taking the brand-new line. As somebody threw oneself in front of a train at Tokorozawa Station, more than 40km away from Shibuya, the time schedule was totally disrupted so that train cars were all stuck at each stations.

"We're sorry but we have no idea when we will be able to run the next train from hire (Shibuya) to Ikebukuro. Please take other transportations, such as the JR Yamanote Line..." The voice of the announcement tried to pursuade us, or rather urged us to get out of the Fukutoshin Line station for faster and more convenient transportations.

Still, I spent another 10-15 min. for the subway line to restart the operation, but in vein. However, I recognized that if I take the Yamanote Line from the upper level of the station, it won't take more than 15 min. to go back to Iidabashi...

OK... I thought of taking a detour from Shibuya to my house to experience something new, but I will go back home as usual, if you (Station Master) says so!

Finally, I made up my mind to follow the kind advice of the station master. At the gate, he gave us a free transfer ticket (one for each person, of course) and I managed to go back home within 15 min. It was so easy to bring everthing back in order when I gave up taking the brand-new Metro line.

Well...No Adventure Today!