Made in Japan

Day 1

What a start...it couldn't have gone worse... Just to be clear, the time difference wasn't a problem in itself, nor was the crushing weight of our suitcases from Narita airport to Shinjuku...nor the empty stomach or the annoying heat or trying to find our hotel in the forest of colours and the noise of the countless PACHINKO parlours (absurd). Our much-praised credit cards that weren't supposed to give us any trouble, on the other hand, wouldn't work anywhere, whether it was a post office or Citybank, the international bank we'd already read about back in Italy...

We were already fearing the worst and picturing ourselves as beggars asking for alms...But luckily the much-maligned Postepay came through!The thing is, I couldn't remember the code and I had it on my mobile...obviously left at home!So I had to call home and explain to my mum, who has no idea how to turn on a phone...let alone go find a number! MONEY MONEY MONEY LOTS OF MONEY....... Now the holiday can really begin...As soon as we get 40000 yen we head to Lawson (convenience store) and buy 2 tickets for the Pride taking place on April 2nd at the Ariake Coloseum.After that we get lost in east Shinjuku...

I have never ever seen or imagined a place like this.We walked among 6-floor arcades where men in suits and ties were utterly focused on playing the infernal pachinko; by the way, we really did try to understand the appeal of sitting in front of these money-eating, deafening machines...but we just didn't get it. At a certain point, from a side alley a torii appears (the entrance to a temple).We walk through it and for an instant we breathe in a Japan that's still new to us...It was surely the smallest and most insignificant temple in Japan, but placed within the chaos of Shinjuku it takes on a charm all of its own.Maybe it's because of the trees with the cherry blossoms in bloom, or the people throwing their 10-yen coins and ringing the bells as they said their prayers.But as Carmelo rightly says: "Ancora n'ama vistu nenti..." (we haven't seen anything yet)

After this brief spiritual experience the walking continues.Let me also make a little comment on the legendary Pachinko...there really are so many of them, they're super noisy and so colourful they hurt your eyes, and they come in various characters, including Lupin and Evangelion, or Captain Harlock, or even the Sailor Scouts...but what do these men see in little balls dropping over and over?Beats me! Anyway, I feel like I'm in toyland!You know those games where there's a metal claw that you manoeuvre to try and grab a prize?...well, here there are tons of them, but unlike our shabby machines, here the prizes are gorgeous!!! Someone like me can't help but be ecstatic in front of all this!I even saw the Lamuuuuu plushie...I WANT IIIIT!!!! I could go on forever about the plushies but I'll stop.The tiredness, as the hours pass, gets heavier and heavier, and we decide to have dinner, even th

ough we didn't even know the time...And so after a long wander choosing what would delight us most, we opted for a typical little sushi and sashimi place, very cute and cheap, a nice big Asahi beer, and tired but satisfied we head back to our Lornstar ready for a sleep as if it were 3 in the morning...instead, in our soft bed, our tired big eyes close at 8 pm.

Day 2

We wake up early, around 6, from too much sleep.We have a satisfying breakfast in the room and call Tetsuya Matsumoto Sensei, the judo master from the Kodokan who today and tomorrow will guide us around Tokyo.The master says he'll come pick us up at the hotel at 12.00, take us around a bit and then at 18 to the Kodokan for training.We have a couple of hours and decide to spend them in the western part of Shinjuku, the area with Japan's biggest skyscrapers.Here the air feels strange, completely different from the chaos of the eastern area where we're staying.Here the only ones singing are the crows.A feeling of pitiful sadness takes hold of us as we see the thousand men in suits and ties with briefcases, faces blank and all identical, wandering among the skyscrapers and maybe sitting in front of a pachinko.We're two aliens, so we hurry back.

At the TIC (tourist information center) in Shinjuku station we exchange our Japan Rail Passes and, passing by a lovely stationery shop (we buy 2 elegant envelopes to wrap the gifts for Matsumoto), we return to the hotel. We bought the 14-day Japan Rail Passes from Italy and, expensive as they are, they're very worthwhile if you intend to move around a lot, even from city to city like we did. Tetsuya Matsumoto appears.His helpfulness and kindness seem truly spontaneous and the conversation flows in the car without stopping.Impressed by the onboard computer, we talk about absolutely everything until we hit the real Tokyo traffic: something to make our ring road back home jealous (the main, chaotic road in Catania).

Ours will be an authentic Japanese day.Matsumoto will show us the other face of Tokyo, light years away from west Shinjuku, a suburban face, more similar to us and to manga characters, we really like everything so much.Matsumoto takes us to eat in the Ueno area, at a restaurant where he assures us the food is very good.And indeed it is; a typical Japanese style from the arrangement of the tables to the tempura, the soba and much more.He even takes us for a coffee and a slice of cake and even to an English lesson.That's right, we meet the teacher and then, while he studies, we step into a manga.That's the effect at least.A little football pitch and a lovely garden where kids play and old folks contemplate the cherry blossoms in bloom.A living, different Japan.

Once the English lesson is over, the Kodokan master gives us a short tour of central Tokyo and Ueno, tomorrow's destinations.At 18.00 it's time for the Kodokan, for training.Here are the strongest in the world, this, as Matsumoto says, is the mecca of Judo.No warm-up and no underwear and above all no mercy for the GAIJIN.The best instructors take me on, without a break.I come out alive, a bit battered but happy. We eat at an excellent grill near the hotel, get a bit of water from the sky and some cheap beer, and go to sleep.Tomorrow will be a long day.

PS:the best thing about the Kodokan was soaking in the baths. PPS:I (manu) slept at the Kodokan, not seeing Carmelo. PPPS:Melo loved the orange chocolate that Matsumoto had us taste (I didn't)!

Day 3

Here we are again today, ready to clock up a great number of kilometres.After a good breakfast, the already usual stop at the JR station where we take the train to Central Tokyo, our destination the Imperial Palace and its gardens, which we had already glimpsed yesterday from Matsumoto's car.LONG LIVE MATSUMOTO! We get off at Tokyo Station and, after scraping together a map, we head into the east garden of the imperial palace where the Emperor indeed resides.Justifying the immense number of people is the festival of the cherry blossoms in bloom.These wonderful cherry trees bloom only two weeks a year and, great luck for us: these are our weeks! We're amazed at how much certain Japanese love to contemplate their beauties, stopping to observe them, photographing them and even drawing them.Yes...loads of Japanese were drawing the cherry blossoms and getting emotional in front of them.Our odo

meter keeps spinning frantically (tiredness and hunger!) We took in a lot of wind, but I'd say it was worth it!Taking the Suidobashi station route we get ready to head to Ueno, and once we arrive we realise how much chaos there is in this area too.As soon as you leave the station you reach the famous zoo, and we decide to visit it.Obviously the whole park is beautiful, so the zoo inside it must be too, but for us personally this place makes us sad...As much as it doesn't happen every day to see certain animals in real life, it's also true that a tiger locked in a cage is the most unnatural thing that could exist, as are poor lionesses deprived of hunting, or a majestic, beautiful golden eagle with its wings closed.Not even a photo for these poor beasts.The famous giant panda was sleeping with its back to us and the tapir is the ugliest thing that exists in nature.

After leaving the zoo we visit the park and marvel for the umpteenth time at our luck in catching this very wonderful blooming season! In Ueno there's so much life, even more so in a little market always near the station, swarming with people and small shops...Ueno is truly lovely! But now Carmelo has to go to the Kodokan, so we take the train again and head to the Tokyo Dome area. We're early and enjoy the park all around the Big Egg.We enter the Kodokan half an hour early and go up to the 8th floor to watch the children's training.We meet a guy from Milan who practises ju jitsu and judo, and we chat for a bit.The only Italian we ran into on this holiday.

At 17.30 Matsumoto arrives and we go to get changed.He tells me that today about 100 athletes will come from all over Japan.The best in Japan, in fact.Then, one day, I'll tell you about the changing rooms without benches, the bare feet and their customs, and the fact that Matsumoto brought over Master Matsumura for me, 81 years old and 10th dan, for a special NE WAZA lesson.The coach of the Japanese national team arrives, and world champion Suzuki.Matsumura at 81 fights against one of those youngsters and brutally takes him out.Incredible.He shows me 4 techniques and asks me to show them in Italy.I don't know what to say.Later he even brings down to the car 2 cans of Gatorade...how sweet!We say goodbye to Master Matsumoto and go to eat sushi. TOO MUCH WASABI!!! Tired tired tired, off to bed...

Day 4

Awake at 7 to try to get to Nikko as early as possible, but...no luck! The morning trains to Nikko are only at 7.12 and 10.35 and since it's only 8.30 we decide to postpone the city of monkeys to tomorrow and bring Asakusa and its Senso-ji forward to today.This time we go by metro and once we arrive we look for the famous temple and before it we find the beautiful avenue of stalls lining its entrance.I can already glimpse lots of little Totoro and Hello Kitty and a thousand other little characters that can only meet with such ease here...so shopping today! But before diving into the profane, we turn towards the wonderful Senso-ji with the big lantern at its entrance (kaminarimon, the gate of thunder) with FUJIN, god of wind, on the right and RAIJIN, god of thunder, on the left, the protective deities.The guardian of the temple is a big soft cat that lets anyone stroke it.The usual crowd p

urifying itself at the fountain, along with the usual smoke that's supposed to be good for your health that everyone tries to inhale as much as possible.The usual wonderful cherry blossoms all around and once again the usual lots and lots of photos to capture these magical moments...If only life were always this "usual"! As I was saying before, sacred and profane...and so off to the stalls!Finally lots of souvenirs, very very nice: dolls in kimonos, fans, lucky cats, sake sets, lanterns and whatever else is typically Japanese.MI comprerei tutto, but I remember we have another 10 days ahead of us...We also try some biscuits that look like they're made of warm chocolate but are actually bean paste...for me nauseating, for Melotto no...but he's omnivorous.

Spending and spending, it's time to eat, and wandering around old Asakusa we're drawn to a little place with soba in the window.We go up a flight of stairs and sit down, after taking off our shoes, at a Japanese-style table.We're brought tea and an English menu.As a starter we choose raw horse meat: a truly excellent fillet!Then we have soba and shrimp tempura.(LONG LIVE MATSUMOTO!)We drink warm sake in tiny wooden cups and enjoy the whole situation for quite a while.

Afternoon.One thing is certain, for any kid between 13 and 18 years old Shibuya is the most beautiful place in the world.Coming out of the station we see the statue of Hachiko, the famous dog who waited 10 years for his master's return at the station, and thousands (literally) of people crossing the most famous intersection in the world.Lifting our gaze from the forest of bodies we're hit by the colourful buildings and a mega huge screen bearing the Pride symbol!We understand we're in the right place.Over the next 3 or 4 hours (we never had a watch) we'll wander aimlessly among skyscraper-tall shopping centres and 10-floor arcades, elegant cafés and pink buildings, we won't understand anything anymore, it'll start getting cold and we'll go back to the hotel.We opt for a grill and off we go, tomorrow up at 6 to go to Nikko:it'll be tough.We eat chicken, salad and pork liver skewers.Tired,

we go to sleep and tomorrow, maybe, we'll manage to wake up on time. Arigato gozai maaaaaaas

Day 5

It's the day of Nikko and its wonders and treasures of world interest.It's the day we wake up at 6.We manage, not without difficulty, to squeeze onto the Tobu-Nikko.Manu wears the Dai-ki fleece and the big jacket.Nikko is in the mountains and it'll be freezing cold!As soon as we get off at the station we already feel how icy the air is around here, Matsumoto had told us to wrap up well too, given that we're in the mountains...indeed, it's freezing! To go up we walk for half an hour of silent uphill walking, which helps warm us up, after which we enter the park:stunning!1300 yen (a little under 10 euros) and we can see everything.Temples magnificently kept in the middle of nature where there should also be monkeys running free, which we didn't see, a bit discouraged by tiredness and the cold.I'd like to point out that it snowed the whole time! Now as I write we're sitting in a restaurant i

n front of the station, from which at 16.37 our train back to Shinjuku should depart. WHILE WE WAIT...we have 2 slices of truly exquisite cake: one cheesecake and one chocolate, and an espresso that tastes like hot water, and we devote ourselves to a little recap of images...for example:in all the arcades of Tokyo it's the time of a strange bean-child that in rows of hundreds sing an absurd yet hypnotic little song...unsettling... And how can we forget the annoying sing-song thank-yous from the shop assistants, or the efficiency and punctuality of the trains that split the minute, the crazy hairstyles or the ever-present services for the blind.And then the good, indeed exceptional Japanese cuisine.If we thought we'd come back looking like X-rays of ourselves, now we're worried about going on a bit of a diet...

The Tobu-Nikko arrives and it costs us 3900 yen each!We go back to the hotel and confer under a hot shower...tonight Shibuya!I'm almost certain that the scene in Kill Bill when Uma Thurman is on the motorbike and pulls alongside the car of Oren Ishii's interpreter was filmed right at this intersection, at the Hachiko exit. A wander through the chaos and we sit down on the 8th floor of an absurd building near the Disney store, the Bellini café (every now and then the Etnean pride comes out).Here everything is in Italian and the waiters even incredibly say a few words like: piatto pronto!The bruschetta is really good, the cappuccinos and the cheesecake too...Tomorrow we go to Kamakura! Goodnight Shibuya...

Day 6

Let's start with one thing:the weather was our friend.Only one rainy evening out of 6, and then the magic of the cherry blossoms, but far too much wind in our faces that always knocked us out at the end of the day.But not today.Today spring is in full swing and the first train to Kamakura (the first for us) leaves at 9.14.Don't be surprised by the precision of the times, here if it says 9.14 the train won't leave at 9.13 nor 9.15, but at 9.14! I take an extra slice of "black" bread and toast it really well before leaving....

If Nikko was on top of the mountain and it was freezing cold and there were a few dozen intrepid tourists visiting its wonders, here in Kamakura, a seaside town, there's a splendid sun reflecting off the whiteness of the cherry blossoms and a real pilgrimage of thousands of "cool" people like us!Gorgeous!Once we get off at the station, the flow of the crowd sweeps us along and carries us towards a long avenue around a kilometre long, on both sides of which stretches an endless array of cherry trees in bloom.Once the walk along this pink avenue ends we come out at a torii leading to one of the main temples and gardens.White doves fly around a typical garden that has the effect of conveying peace and serenity to us, preparing us to visit the temple.

Personally I get 4 skewers of roast chicken prepared, soaked in a sauce of undoubted seriousness.Manu instead opts for a handful of candy floss packaged in a bag full of cute little characters.(The candy floss bag had attracted me since the first day, I couldn't help but take it!) On a beautiful day like this you really feel like getting lost!There's also a street called Shopping Town with lots of little souvenir shops but above all many small food shops and for every dish there's a free little sample...so many delights!I'll say it again, Japanese cuisine really surprised me with how good it is!So, nibbling a bit here and there, we basically have lunch.The dessert of the day is a wonderful chocolate crêpe...Kamakura has already won us over.

By bus we move to another area, heading for the Daibutsu.With the many signs you can't go wrong and so we enter the garden surrounding the famous giant Buddha until we find ourselves in front of him with all his imposing 11 bronze metres.A spectacle that only a few days ago I was seeing in photos and that now I find before me, and as always everything is made even more unforgettable by the framing of the cherry blossoms. In this area, besides the Daibutsu, we were also recommended the Hase Kannon temple with its whole garden, truly beautiful and full of flowers of every kind.Here you also find the statues of Jizo, patron of the souls of deceased children.I learn, in fact, that the little statues with hats and scarves have been dressed by mothers who lost a child to abortion.

After leaving Hase Kannon we take the bus to Kita Kamakura and visit the surrounding temples, then from this same stop we take the train that will carry us from the sacred to the profane...SHIBUYA! It's Saturday afternoon and "the bordello is on par"...nice rhyme...We wander the shops a bit, especially the HMV music store where Carmelo gets excited in front of an array of martial arts DVDs and buys one.There were 10000000 anime DVDs...even THE MAGIC MIRROR!!!! Back in our Shinjuku we finally try what I'd been wanting to try since the first day:the pastry shop in the station!We get a couple of sweet potato cakes and are completely won over by them!MAXIMUM BLISS! To bed happy again today...tomorrow Harajuku!

Day 7

Here we are again, ready to start another day in Tokyo, this morning in Harajuku!When we arrive everything's still closed.We visit the Meiji Shrine in the disrespectful anticipation of some unbridled shopping.Our attention is caught by a curious queue of girls near the metro entrance.We wonder what they're waiting for until a guy with an earpiece sends 5 of them towards a building, and of course we follow them...these poor dazed girls seemed to be waiting to meet one of the Kattun or who knows what other boy band of the moment.Incredible...We go into Purple & Yellow where they have lots of nice stuff at reasonable prices and of course we buy.Earlier, at the Meiji temple, we'd spent a fortune on souvenirs...but today is shopping time!It gets to 12 and we change lines at Shimbashi to go to the artificial island of Odaiba in the Tokyo Bay area, where the Ariake Coloseum is, today's venue for

Pride FC.The route is elevated and already impressive in itself visually.Imagine travelling in the sky, then inside a Brooklyn-style bridge towards an island that didn't exist until a few years ago.Imagine too that the best architects in the world locked themselves in a restaurant in Tokyo one evening and got drunk on sake until morning, painting and designing the buildings, or rather the mega-buildings, that crowd the island.We fly over them all and then land in a strange, ghostly atmosphere.It's about 13.15, we're at Ariake, and we go in to eat.Manu isn't drawn to this spaghetti bolognese....I am.To my great surprise it's excellent and there's even parmesan.We head to the colosseum, where the Pride anthem is ringing out.I buy a pack of souvenirs and Manu even the legendary Pride rice cakes!We go in and take our seats in row O 13-14, but you can't see too well because it's off to the sid

e. Right after the first bout, good Italians that we are, we abandon our seats and take 2 that would have cost 100€ more.They're spectacular seats and nobody will claim them...ah ah ah!(we're at Pride ^_^) The event was amazing (luckily Manu liked it too!) and more enjoyable than ever, I dream of the day I'll make my debut.... We go back to Shinjuku hungry as beasts and also a bit tired when we come across Tsunahachi, the best tempura in Tokyo!Really excellent, no doubt about it!We "treat ourselves" very very much and then the little place is really cute, as usual between tatami and table we chose tatami.I forgot that today too on the way back we bought the sweet potato cakes from the station...We seriously feel like recommending this little shop near the east exit of Shinjuku station.If you can't spot it right away, just follow the wonderful smell spreading for kilometres around...

Then off to bed, with a full belly.

Day 8

Last day to spend in Tokyo and already a bit of melancholy takes hold....Also last breakfast here at the Lornstar and to finish on a high note I get my croissants burnt ^_^ With all the calm we intend to grant ourselves today we get ready for a walk a stone's throw from the hotel, to Gyoen Park, and once again it was worth it.A spectacle of nature to see all those cherry blossoms at their peak.The wind was pulling off the petals and it looked like it was snowing pink.The photos of these beauties are countless, and like us, all the visitors to the park pay homage to the cherry blossom with lots and lots of photos and picnics on the lawn.So much beauty around us!We go back to the hotel passing by Doutor and buy 3 Milano sandwiches to eat on our big bed.I forgot that in the park we had the famous original Japanese green tea, complete with a stodgy little cake, yet another experience.Today re

laxation is our thing and in a bit we'll pack our bags for tomorrow's move. To say goodbye to Tokyo we chose Tsunahachi.Before that, though, a little trip to Roppongi capped by a nice coffee and a slice of cake certainly doesn't hurt.We relax a bit enjoying the last hours at the Lornstar and plan our next days in Kyoto and Nara...I just hope they can be as wonderful as, or at least half as wonderful as, these first 7.

....Arrivederci Tokyo...

Day 9

An unplanned but welcome last breakfast at the Lornstar today...that works!After that, super-laden with our bags, we head to Shinjuku station...one last little goodbye to STUDIO ALTA, the first and last image of our Shinjuku!BYEEEEEE Finding your way around these mega stations isn't easy, especially when the staff don't understand a word of what you're saying...be that as it may, in the end we find our train...and off we go...

After almost 3 hours of travel we arrive in Kyoto! Our first contact with the city is at the station...which is more than a station, it's a real little town in itself.11 floors of shops and restaurants, all inside a futuristic steel construction.Just to give you an idea, the top floor is called EAT PARADISE...only restaurants....of course we'll eat here! At the station I spot some Osama Tezuka stands!I take a photo with Princess Sapphire and buy some very cute gadgets...W Japan! Luckily finding our hotel isn't as complicated as we'd read, maybe thanks to the many references we'd memorised.In spite of the anonymous exterior, the little hotel inside is very cosy and the room gorgeous!In perfect Japanese style!We unroll our futons...and now the Kyoto adventure begins! I'm struck by a brief crisis but, thanks to Manu, it passes and we get ready to sample the new city.Honestly it seems impossi

ble to wipe from our shining eyes the wonderful experiences lived this week and I have to admit that in these hours a veil of melancholy has settled over us.We go do a bit of shopping at the Isetan department stores, spend a few hours exploring, reminisce a bit about Tokyo over a cup of coffee, and the rain comes down on us.The legendary Dai-ki jacket shelters us on the way back.We're at the White hotel now and our little room with the futons laid out and the rain pouring outside the window already feels like home. Manu has gone down to call her folks, or rather she's just knocked and now the careful drafting of tomorrow's programme awaits us.Let's roll around on the futon!

Day 10

Good morning Kyoto! Wake-up call at 7:30 and already some long faces as we listen to the rain pouring outside... what a pain! But the Lonely Planet had also thought about a gloomy day like this one, recommending we duck into the Nishiki-koji food market gallery, packed with tasty treats and their respective free samples... so much for the diet! Little by little the rain slows down and we think it's not worth losing a day of Kyoto sightseeing just for a bit of rain, so our next stop becomes Nijo Castle. Sure, bright sunshine would have paid better homage to the castle's beautiful garden, but we appreciate it all the same.

The fine gardens of Nijo Castle, however extraordinarily beautiful, don't quite live up to our expectations, in our humble opinion, also because they're spoiled by the bad weather, our expectations still soaked in the memories of their Tokyo cousins! From a distance we spot a sakura that looks weak and past its bloom; the rain starts to stop and we move a little closer to contemplate its heroic last stand, when instead the joyful reality reveals itself: that sakura had yet to bloom, and with it, our Kyoto! We take the metro toward Kawaramachi, where we grab a quick bite in a café. The rain has almost stopped falling when a nice little old lady comes up to our table and speaks to us...

From the communicative sequence that follows, we gather that near Gion, about half an hour from us, there's a place, or rather a collection of places known as Maruyama Koen, where there are splendid temples and a great quantity of cherry blossom. How could you not listen to a Japanese old lady with a face mask!? So we set off toward east Kyoto, crossing the lively Gion district until we reach the park. It's right here that our Sakura, named Kyoto, blooms once and for all. Wonderful gardens full of waterfalls, trees, streams and flowers mingle with the many temples and the crowd of food stalls and visitors in a whole that is the Japan we dreamed of. We walk through the very crowded Kiyomizudera with a lane packed with souvenir shops, a kind of Taormina with Japanese houses if you'll forgive the comparison, and we reach Kiyomizu Temple.

This is, so far, one of the highest peaks of beauty reached in this Japanese adventure... Totally immersed in greenery, this shrine with its pagoda overlooks Kyoto. We walk the entire route among cherry trees and other nature/man works of art until we step on the ground of the temple's highest point. For an instant we mute the audio and imagine this same place without the crowd of visitors and the camera flashes; we imagine ourselves alone with the wind and the rustling leaves of the enormous trees, closing our eyes for a moment and inhaling the incense spreading from the big incense burner at the entrance, and we feel closer to the heart of the world.

We have dinner based on tempura at Ton Katsu Wako, where I get the set called Satsuki which includes pork cutlet, 2 breaded shrimp, a small salad with a killer dressing, miso soup, pickles and a newborn [sic], a generous bowl of rice and a nice ice-cold beer... all for less than 10 euros!!! Manu even asks for a second helping of miso (which, for the record, is a hot soup with clams). We unroll our futons praying that tomorrow there might be bright blinding sun to make Kinkakuji shine, and we fall asleep tired and satisfied with our day 10.

Day 11

Today we'll see the Golden Pavilion. Kinkaku-ji, as it's called, is perhaps what we've been waiting for most so far (at least I have). It's the symbol of beauty and, to be properly admired, it needs a sunny day. Today is a sunny day. Kinkaku-ji is golden. At least two thirds of it is covered in gold, and while we have breakfast at Starbucks we imagine its glow, recalling its history... Inserting it into a detailed program for the day along with Daitoku-ji, Ryoan-ji and Ninna-ji, we enjoy a delicious cake soaked in a warm cappuccino. From Kyoto station the buses depart that lead to all points of the city. Our first destination is Daitoku-ji with its 24 temples and zen gardens. Unfortunately these are all paid (rather pricey) and truly tiny, so it's not worth visiting them all. Our marathon begins: next stop the Golden Pavilion.

If we could give one piece of advice to anyone intending to visit Kyoto, it would be to walk as much as possible. Especially in these areas it's not hard to come across alleys with a traditional flavor where you can cross paths with women in kimonos or glimpse some dream little house between the screens. We arrive at Kinkaku-ji and pay for the ticket... what we've seen is, in my view, indescribable, so Manu will do it. (...why?) And what am I supposed to say? Beautiful and shining under the sun we so wanted for today. Unfortunately you can't visit the inside, but the gleam of the gold already leaves us breathless even from afar. We took quite a few photos of it, but in this case more than ever we already know they can never do justice to such a scene. We continue our long walk toward the other two goals of the day: Ninnaji and Ryoan-ji, the latter famous for its rock zen garden.

Tiredness sets in and to refuel we move by bus toward Shijo dori and happily find our friend Milano sandwich again. The lively area captivates us with its little shops; a bit of healthy shopping after an overdose of art never hurt anyone. The marathon comes to an end and after the bus back to Kyoto we make a quick stop at the hotel and then to dinner where Carmelo had left his eyes (and a long trail of drool) yesterday. I'd definitely call it the restaurant of filthy feasting, at least until we learn its real name. Both of our dishes are truly excellent, but as far as I'm concerned my tasting was ruined by the excess chili the lady added. On the bright side, Carmelo thoroughly enjoyed it. Once again, with a nice full belly, we go to bed. Tomorrow: Nara!

Day 12

Again today, after a wonderful sleep on the futon, I wake up even before the morning call rings, and already right now, from the sliver of sky granted to us by the buildings in front of our window, I notice what a beautiful day it is! Breakfast at Starbuck's and finally we go back to using our JR passes for the train to Nara. After about an hour in the company of 2 American gentlemen, also headed to the ancient capital, the train stops at the JR station of Nara. The little town immediately appears lively to us, and a sprightly lady at the T.I.C. hands us some maps of the city and keeps us entertained asking us what our typical flower is. We look at each other a bit thrown off and realize we've lived in too gray a world to allow us to answer the question properly. We'd say orange blossoms, but after all we can barely remember their color...

We make our way into Sanjo-dori to set off on our walking tour of Nara Koen and its 8 sites recognized as UNESCO World Heritage sites. The first and most important of these we encounter at the entrance of KOFUKUJI TEMPLE (also a World Heritage site), with sparkling eyes and a somewhat mocking attitude towards the tourists: I'm talking about the 1,200 deer that populate the park and crowd around tourists who have decided to spend 150 yen to delight them with little biscuits. Walking immersed in nature, observing 57-meter-tall pagodas and the largest wooden building in the world while these sweet creatures pass beside you or brush against its edges is one of those timeless experiences that imprints itself in your memory and never leaves....

But how cute these little deer are!! They should be a bit envied considering all the wonderful park they have at their disposal and the World Heritage title they've been given. Walking through the park we enjoy the splendid sunny day, finally I feel warm, and we try as much as possible to stick to the planned route, even though in a paradise like this you'd just want to get lost.... We arrive at the spectacular TODAI-JI, the largest wooden building in the world, housing the largest Daibutsu (buddha) in the world! Everything is big! Some children slip through a gap at the base of a supporting column, according to a legend that says whoever manages to pass through that hole will reach enlightenment... not by chance only children can fit through it.

We walk without stopping up the hill, passing by the "great bell" towards the temple complex of Kasuga shrine, passing through the Ningatsu and Sangatsu Hall. Time passes and Nara flows beneath our little feet. In the early afternoon we go to NARAMACHI, the city's shopping center where between a nibble and some souvenirs it's already 5:30 PM, time to go back to the station. Once on the train, who reappears but the American gentlemen from the trip there, after a sun-soaked outing to Nara, heading back to Kyoto. Our noses are a bit red, as are our cheeks and forehead, and we don't mind at all. We have dinner at eat paradise, where you can get free refills of everything! I'm so full that I even feel nauseated... Exhausted from the beautiful day, we go to bed.

Day 13

Today Ginkakuji and Nanzen-ji....yeah, right, my foot! We barely have time to get in the right bus line before some big clouds above us start pouring rain and wind down on us... Definitely not the right weather to walk the philosopher's path... And so we stall at Isetan, discovering that eat paradise isn't only on the upper floors, but also on the lower ones... how wonderful! Looking outside it seems the weather has improved and in a flash we decide to go to DAIGO-Ji. First JR, then metro, and then bus to the shrine; the sakura spectacle presents itself again to our joy and I think about how many pink photos I must have taken! The shrine is packed and all pink with cherry blossoms.

What we considered a minor destination soon turns out to be one of the places of greatest interest! Also a World Heritage site, Daigo-ji is a promontory that includes various temples, a 5-story pagoda, and the enchanting little bridge over the pond, of which I even have a print at the gym. We take about ten photos of each other to bear witness to our presence and we even treat ourselves to a stop at the tea room adjacent to the bridge. This place is truly beautiful! We head back to the station around 2:15 PM where we have lunch and decide on the next destination. Let's say this was supposed to be the day of "second choices" as far as destinations go, but the facts turned its definition upside down into a day of surprises. In fact, the two sites we visited thrilled us as much as, if not more than, the more popular destinations. The second of these is SANJUSANGENDO.

In the guidebook (the faithful Lonely Planet) it's noted for the largest depiction of the thousand-armed Kannon in the world and for the 1,000 smaller Kannon statues that flank it. Put that way it would seem like nothing special... When we take off our shoes and enter the huge hall, what we find before us is astounding. Imagine a Kannon statue 1.65 tall with 42 arms... and now try to imagine 1,000 of them!! It's an incredible thing to observe 1,000 wooden statues the height of a cathedral, hand-carved and covered in gold leaf and arranged in rows of 500 to the right and left of the great Kannon. This one (truly imposing) is surrounded by another 42 statues of protective Buddhist deities. A great experience! We head back to the hotel for a nap and then dinner! In Japan people eat very early, from 6 PM... tonight we go to Miumi, where we eat delicious soba and tempura.

Before closing the day we'd like to emphasize an aspect of Japan that struck us very much: the elderly. In these 13 days we've been taught to consider them a fundamental cog in this society. We've seen them picnicking in groups on the high hills of Daigo-ji, climbing the mountain with their grandchildren, photographing each other hand in hand with their companions. Last week I was able to observe at the Kodokan how the young students bowed deeply as an elder like Master Matsumura passed by and how they hung on his every word. The elderly here live long lives (longer than anywhere in the world) because their role is stronger and so is their will.

PS. We can't stand the singsong voices of the shop assistants anymore!!!

Day 14

Exactly one year ago we were in Milan for the Judas Priest concert, now we're in Japan, at the end of the most beautiful vacation of our lives. Who knows where we'll end up in another 10 years.... To say goodbye to Kyoto we reserve for ourselves a morning of important beauties. Wisely we wake up at 7 to avoid the oppressive crowds of late morning. We take bus no. 100 towards Ginkakuji, the first stop on the philosopher's path, which will lead us first to Nanzen-ji and then to Heian Jingu. Set beside a delightful little pond, Ginkakuji however doesn't hold up in the slightest to comparison with its golden cousin. We're not saying it isn't an important destination, also for the presence of a beautiful garden, but considering that Daigo-ji is much less advertised, we expected something more.

The TETSUGAKU NO MICHI (philosopher's path) is overflowing with sakura and walking and walking we arrive at Nanzen-ji. We admire the enchanting hojo rich with zen gardens and paintings on the sliding screens of the various rooms and we enjoy a cup of green tea alone, in a tatami room facing the illuminating view of a small mountain waterfall... how wonderful! We then head to the imposing Heian Jingu, surrounded by large baseball fields with people picnicking around. Afterwards we immerse ourselves, introduced by a gigantic Torii, in the Heian gardens, in my opinion the most beautiful we've seen in Japan, with an astonishing variety of plants and flowers. While we explore them, loud shouts and the clash of shinai reach us....they're coming from the Kyoto Budo Center, a famous Kendo center where a competition is being held today.

I'm very happy to have been able to enjoy this hall while it was at its peak of activity: it was like glimpsing a duel between samurai in a forest! Evening falls and like true Japanese we have dinner at 7:30 PM after a couple of hours of last-minute shopping, getting from Mimiu two plates of tempura and udon, a little dessert, and a nice ice-cold beer. This is our last dinner in Japan (for this 2006...) and it tastes of something great that is ending and something immense that is beginning to grow faster and faster, giving good hope for the future.

Day 15.....towards Catania

Some "two little words"! I'm sad and a bit annoyed...so I won't write anything sentimental! Alright....let's close our travel story here...aware of the beauty of what we did and with the hope of being able to write many more...

PS...It was much nicer writing on the futon...