Sunday 29 June 2014

Instagram


Let's just face it, Instagram is very addictive. I installed the app yesterday and tested it this afternoon during my field trip to the Tokyo Marunouchi neighbourhood, and I'm already hooked. Well that didn't take long did it. So @bookwormslunch is now on Instagram! And I think I will post some pictures on the Suitcase from time to time (noooooo, not another series please Marie!)




The patio of the Mitsubishi Ichigokan Museum.






Ginza before the storm. I wonder if one can ever get lost in Tokyo? 






In the metro Yurakucho line.





Hopeful bargain and other ads in Wako station.



Thursday 26 June 2014

The day I crossed that red bridge (2)





It sure felt like a lone walk up and down a lone mountain that afternoon in the the area of Laurel Heights. Not a soul to be seen under the Californian sun. A bit surreal. But there I was, heading towards the Presidio Park in search of the famous bridge.
I don't know what it is with me and American parks, but I tend to get lost in them. I can navigate through a packed Japanese metropole but I can't do American parks. Shocker. May I ask, why aren't there any area maps in them? And why oh why are highways running through them? In San Diego I couldn't find ANY pedestrian exit to the Balboa Park and ended up crossing the speedway to reach the other side! Crazy talk. And that is pretty much how I got lost in the Presidio Park as well, desperate for the bridge because the sun wasn't very high in the sky anymore, ah, and also because my legs were starting to hurt bad. But there is always hope when one comes across such a panel out of nowhere:





Yaay!





At last a view of the bridge! And Sausalito on the other side. The weird thing with this bridge is, the closer you get, the further away it feels! It's the weirdest feeling. But maybe I was quite tired and that affected my perception and estimation of distances. 










Errrm, almost there, Marie, but the pedestrian path is up there. Up!






OK! Let's do this before sunset and closing time. 
















Crisis counseling phone about half way through. In case you are tickled by the desire to jump. Hmm, I'm not sure how helpful that is, considering the deafening noise levels on the bridge, I find it hard to imagine how one could have a conversation with a counsellor at that point!






I've reached the other side in about 45 minutes, very happy about the experience but frozen through, even though my neck was completely wrapped in a knit winter jersey I bought in a thrift store that morning. 
Looking back at the city I mentally followed my own footsteps from the hotel to the other side of the bridge through the hills, and it felt like what? I did all this? Seriously? And now going back? Noooooooooooo…… (face-palm). Plus there was absolutely NOTHING on this side of the bridge. Not the smallest of vending machines, let alone a coffee shop or a convenience store. Another shocker. If this were Japan there would be hundreds of "tourist pleasers" (food stands, drinks, souvenir shops, "I have crossed the Golden Gate Bridge" authentic laminated certificate etc) because for one thing, that's the best way of making money! The Americans are slightly behind with these matters :-))  Just kidding… a bit.
Anyway… after crossing the bridge back to San Francisco I did take a bus heading down town and treated myself with the most fantastic lobster ravioli and a glass of Pinot Noir. It was a fab day. It sure was. 






Sunday 22 June 2014

The day I crossed that red bridge (1)





Back to San Francisco for a couple of posts. If I remember well this was my last day in San Francisco and I had decided to go back home to Japan without soles on my shoes. So I walked, from China Town to Tenderloin to Hayes Valley to Haight-Ashbury. For a start. All of this up and down the hills, of course. But it was great, I enjoyed every moment of it because it is still the best way to explore a city. 
San Francisco is a multi-facetted city with a legion of imaginary borders between the various towns and high contrasts between wealthy areas and underprivileged neighbourhoods.




See the triangular tower in the centre of the picture? That is where the journey started in the morning. And this is the Alamo Square Park which, in my memory, will always be associated with the moon, just because a lone stroller asked me if I had seen the beautiful full moon the night before (I did and it was indeed beautiful).





And here is Ashbury, the land of Happy, Healthy and Horny, the magical triple H. Too bad it was on a Sunday and some of the shops were closed. Many, many vintage shops though, I loved it, needless to say.



































To be continued….

Wednesday 18 June 2014

Shameless self-promotion


The Bookwormslunch is now on Twitter:
https://twitter.com/bookwormslunch

And we have a shop on Etsy!
https://www.etsy.com/shop/Thebookwormslunch?ref=si_shop


…. that's all for today :-))


…. but today there's more! Got something to shamelessly self-promote? Send me the details by email and I will promote it for you on Marie's Suitcase. But wait a minute, that's not self-promotion anymore, I hear you say. Well, that is true, but it just sounds better. We could have a new series (oh dear, like there are not enough series on this blog) called Shameless Self-Promotion Thursday. Don't be shy, send me anything you want to push for!!

Vous avez une promo a faire? La Valise de Marie s'en occupe gratuitement pour vous. Envoyez-moi les détails par courriel et je les publierai sur ce blog chaque jeudi!

Wednesday 11 June 2014

Op shopping at ADRA




ADRA day! Op shopping is one of our favourite activities and I can tell you that they have fierce op shops around Waitpinga, with ADRA being the fiercest of all (and Vizma being the fiercest op shopper I know). The picture above is the catch of the day, minus a toilet, that Eeedie went to pick up the day after.






All this shopping is great fun but utterly exhausting, so we couldn't wait to get back home, hop into comfy clothes, crack open a bottle of champagne, eat those leftover allspice chicken wings, piragi and quiche, and start with the show and tell.












The show and tell started with the newly acquired rubber life saver, life saver bought to save the Sweat's delicate bum from all the pain it has gone through. I'm not kidding, and I think it worked.





Flippers (I like to use that word when mild swearing is necessary) 





A very beautiful leather bag for Eeedie's school business. 





Instant classic :-))





I cannot remember why we took that picture of the poo nails (sorry not the poo nails, the gentle poo coloured nail polish) and the fishing line together. Because of the colours maybe?





There was more show and tell that evening but pizza was waiting for us fresh from the wood oven and it couldn't wait. Neither could we.


Sunday 8 June 2014

Meet me at the Belvedere





I sometimes have incontinent nostalgia about the USA (in general) and California (in particular). Yes I know, no gun control, crap healthcare, fat burgers etc etc…. but still. What a great place to visit. Which reminds me that I have yet to tell you about that red bridge. Will do so soon.

Sunday 1 June 2014

Second Valley




Jamie liked the company of the Three Ladies so much that he took us out on another trip the day after the Coorong cruise. And off we went to explore Second Valley and its rocky beaches.

















On our way back we drove through a few other landmarks including the one on the photo above, a beautiful white sand beach which name I cannot remember (something like Karakalunga?).
And then a well deserved lunch!