Travelog for: Ele

New Years Eve...the last day of the year 2011.

We had fondue today.







And watched Dinner for One.



What a nice evening to celebrate the End of 2011.

And then there was the countdown...

10...
9...
8...
7...
6...
5...
4...
3...
2...
1...

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!!!!!

We watched the firework in TV, as BlackCat wasn't able to take us outside with her.











Have a wonderful 2012!

Hey,

this is the last photo of me in Essen.



Bye bye Essen!



Love,
Ele

Hey, I’m back!

My last trip was over 10 months ago! Now, I want to continue my adventure!
Today, I helped my little newbie friend Huschti to create his account. Check his Travelog out!

I spent a nice day with him outside taking some pictures




I’m going to visit Japan (!) in few days. And I can’t tell you how excited I am!
see you later, Elephantastic greetings!

Hey guys!

It's my last day here in Germany for a while. So, I prepared everything for my long trip to Japan! I can't wait!
Huschti helped me to get into my envelope..



I'll miss him and my Daddy... however, here I go!

see u later, or should i say " さようなら " now? 

Emperor's Birthday
Hi friends,
Finally I arrived in Japan
Today is a national holiday in Japan, a day for celebrating the Emperor's Birthday.
So I saw the Flag flying over the door.
Let's go see my host!

Happy New Year! - Akemashite Omedetou!
Osechi Ryouri & Ozouni
Hi,
The new year day in Japan is very calm. Family people meet together at their parents' house to celebrate the New Year, wishing for the future health of everyone.
The first meal in the new day is Osechi Ryouri and Ozouni. The New Year's food arranged in the lacquer boxes and special soup with rice cakes, vegetables, etc.

Melon Pan - a type of sweet bun from Japan
In Japan, our western food is often developed and changed in its own way by fusing with Japanese original culture.
It's interesting. What do you think? 

Yashima Shrine
This shrine was built in 1651 by Matsudaira Yorishige, the first Feudal Load of Takamatsu. It is the place where to worship his great ancestor Tokugawa Ieyasu.
When we visit the shrine, first we wash hands. I know that old tap is often decorated everywhere in the world. In Japan lots of shrine and temples have "Doragons" like this.
Then we went up to the long steps of stone and looked back... wow!

I saw lots of the written oracles tied to the wires pulled between poles in the shrine grounds. When the result is bad, it is a custom to fold up the strip of paper and attach it to a pine tree or a wall of metal wires.
Good luck!

Ogijima is an island in the Seto Inland Sea. It is next to Megijima, a few kilometers from Takamatsu port. It's a very small island just 4km around, about 150 people lives.
Today we go to the island by ferry boat. 

But...
The weather suddenly turned to bad.
We reached the lighthouse in the stormy rain
This is the northernmost tip of Takamatsu city.

Today we have a new friend here.
He's napoleon. I'm sure we become good friends.

Kobe is the 5th-largest city in Japan and is the capital city of Hyogo prefecture.
We changed the train at Okayama station. Here the Shinkansen Express "Sakura" is coming. It's hard to take pictures of them, because they come quickly and stop just a few minutes
After 45 minutes, we reached Kobe. The weather was a little bad
In Sakura, the Shinkansen Express train
Sakura N700 Series Shinkansen
Flower Road, from central Kobe to the port
From the center of the city we walked to the port of Kobe. That red tower is very famous as the Kobe landmark.
The Former Foreign Settlement
The modern-era western style buildings remain standing in the new city. 
China Town Nankin-machi
Nankin-machi is a compact chinatown in central Kobe, one of the three Chinatowns in Japan. (others are in Nagasaki and Yokohama)
This area was developed by Chinese merchants who settled near Kobe Port after the port was opened to foreign trade in 1868.
"Coca Cola" written in Kanji characters

The weather is a little bad also in Takamatsu, but it's warm. Sakura cherry blossoms start to bloom.
Walking around my host hanachan's house, we can see many Sakura trees beside the streets.
Soon they are in full bloom.

This is Ritsurin Garden, a typical Japanese garden. It is located in the center of the city, among the modern buildings. Stepping inside it is like slipping into another world and another time.
For 228 years long since 1642, the Matsudaira family, the feudal lord of Takamatsu owned and maintained the garden. Today the garden is open to public.
What a wonderful world!



more about Ritsurin Garden

Sakura is full blooming
This is a small Shinto shrine near hanachan's house.
The sky is blue. It's a beautiful day.