Cill came to visit for the weekend. Her train was 90 mins late!!  Thought if we rang the restaurant and told them we were cancelling for this reason they would think we were lying! Bought some knock down sushi from a posh shop in the station.  Packed with ice blocks to keep fresh...Enjoyed with gin that Cill had generously bought with her.  

Saturday went to a farmers market. Japanese woman had a union jack flag and various British cakes. Plus Irish granola!  DK could not resist commenting and she said she had learnt to make it in Ireland so DK asked at Bally Malloe? yes she'd done the 12 week course. Took Cill to cookery class to cook Mick Jagger ( Niku Jyaga) much discussion as they weren't expecting non-Japanese speakers. Lots of huddling and phoning. I resorted to Google translate.  Still not possible and was given a date in two weeks time. More Google translate. "Please speak Japanese we will watch and learn.  We love Japanese food and cooking." Well that's what I hope it said and it worked. We got given potatoes, carrots, onion and meat.  We were making the first meal that a Japanese woman learns to cook for her husband. In our world it is Irish stew but with vinegar sugar and mirin. Found a cool restaurant bar which has a couple of big fish tanks. This counts as nature along with the puppies in the window in a nearby shop. (Calm boys it's not Amsterdam).  

Tokyo American Club - I signed up to do a "here and now" 2 day session. Basically advice for people living in Japan and especially Tokyo. 50 newbies- a lot of them on a return assignment to the place. 

Thanks to the Harpie set - you know who you are - for the delivery of the decaff tea bags!

I sat next to a Korean American who asked me where I was from. Instead of just saying the UK I said UK Lancashire from a town called Blackburn. Imagine my surprise when she said her husband ancestors were from there.  She was researching the family tree and had just found someone born in Blackburn in 1812! 

Signs
cafe le Landemaine think they may have meant le lendemain. But then again perhaps their coffee is explosive?
Fungus sandwiches anyone? Name of a local shop!

Long weekend in Japan. Have headed for onsen town of Hakone.  Was told getting accommodation would be very difficult but DK managed to book a couple of places. Clever sausage!