Weekly Topics/Archive
August 2011
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Mr.Masayuki Miyake, who is an old classmate of mine and a yachting buddy,
sent me some
pictures from the trekking tour from August 3rd to 12th to mountanous area in Switzerland.
He escaped from Japan with his wife to get relief from the heat and enjoyed
trekking viewing
famous peaks and glaciers of the Alps.
I introduce you some of the pictures here on my web page because I got
permission from him.
The late-summer heat is likely to come again.
Everyone, please take away the heat looking at these pictures.
In the pictures, you can look at the well-known peaks and glaciers of the
Alps you might have
heard many times before.
While you look at them which are covered with snows and ices，you should
feel the coolness a little bit.
If you will do that drinking a nice cold beer, I think it's very effective
for you.
Now, let me show you them !
Glacier Express at St.Moritz station |
Below is a picture of Lake St.Moritz.
Below are the pictures of the Bernina Range and the glaciers.
The Bernina Range is a mountain range in the Alps of eastern Switzerland
and northern Italy.
Click the thumnail-size image to see the full-size image.
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The glacier of the Bernina
Range from Diavolezza
( a hight of 2,984m). |
Pitz Bernina
(Right side)
(a hight of 4,049m) |
The Bernina Range and the
glacier from near St.Moritz |
Pitz Bernina
(a hight of 4,049m) |
Below is a picture of the Glacier Express for Tirano, Italy running on
the spiral track.
It must be fairy-tale land, you know.
Below is a picture of the Old City of Bern, the capital city of Swizerland.
A Japanese national flag is flown with many Swiss ones at a restaurant.
Wow, that sounds great !
Below are the pictures of the north face of the Eiger and the Mönch.
The Eiger ( a height of 3,970 m ) is one of the three main summits in the
Bernese Alps in Switzerland together with the Yungfrau and Mönch.
I heard the north face of the Eiger is the wall of rock with a hight of
1800 meters.
The view of the north face of the eiger (left side) and the Mönch
(right side) from Mannlichen |
Below are the pictures of the Yungfraw and the Aletsch glacier.
Click the thumnail-size image to see the full-size image.
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| Yungfrau with a height of 4158 meters |
The view of Aletsch
glacier from Yungfraujoch |
The Mönch (left side),
Yungfraujoch(saddle)
and Yungfrau(right side) |
Below are the pictures of four kinds of alpine plants.
Their primary colours such as bright yellow and blue show up on the ground.
Click the thumnail-size image to see the full-size image.
Below is the time series picture of the Matterhorn at sunrise.
It is located on the border between Switzerland and Italy and 4478 meters
high.
The pictures must be taken in the town of Zermatt in Switzerland.
He could take some pictures of it in a timely manner !
They are excellent pictures like entries for Art Festival.
Below is the picture of Lake Leman.
It is a lake in Switzerland and France.
Below is the picture of the ropeway to the summit of the Aiguille du Midi
with a height of 3,842 m
without any support pillar.
I'm surprized the ropeway could be built in such a steep mountainous area.
The ropeway travels from Chamonix at 1,035 m to the upper station at 3,777
m,
−an altitude difference of about 2,800 m − in 20 minutes.
The user have only to make a connection at a station at 2,317 m on the way only once to get to the
station at the summit，I heard.
I assume that the view from the ropeway must be spectacular.
Below is the Mont Blanc with a height of 4,810 meters.
It's the heighest mountain in the Alps and Western Europe, which is on
the border between France
and Italy.
The name of the cake "Monc Blanc" comes from the fact that it
was made to resemble the shape
of a snow-capped mountain, Mont Blanc, I heard.
Last is the picture of the street of Chamonix-Mont-Blanc, a town in France.
Miyake-san, thanks a lot.
I want to visit Switzerland with my wife if we would be freed from taking
care of our old dog.
Notice！
All pictures on this Weekly Topics titled "Introduction of the pictures
from
my friend's trekking" are the copyright of Mr.Masayuki Miyake.
All Rights Reserved
Inachan, this website manager
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[Note] yachting buddy ； ヨット仲間， mountainous area ； 山岳地帯
get relief from the heat ；避暑をする，late-summer heat ； 残暑
get permission from someone ； 人から許可を得る，take away ； 取り除く、 Glacier Express
； 氷河特急
glacier ；氷河、 Bernina Range ； ベルリナ山脈、 fairy-tale land ； メルヘンの世界 fly
a flag ; 旗を掲げる， Swiss ； スイスの， saddle ； 鞍部、 alpine plant ； 高山植物
show up ； よく見える，際立っている、 entry ； 参加作品，出品物、 Chamonix ; シャモニ−、 steep ； 険しい
support pillar ；支柱，have only to 〜；〜しさえすればよい、 altitude difference ； 高度差
make a connection at 〜；〜で乗り継ぐ、 spectacular ； 壮観な
Japanese Diary / No.384−2011.08.23 / 「スイス山旅の写真」から
On Jul 29, I got up at 6 a.m. to go out to Lake Biwa in the Karasuma peninsula
by my precious
bike, GIANT.
It's in order to enjoy rotus flowers opened in the masses of rotus, where
is located on the eastern
shore of the lake in the peninsula.
Last year, I lost an opportunity for doing that.
This year I often watched the reports on the Net about the blooming of
rotus flowers.
And I visited there when the time was ripe.
I rode my bike on the cycle road along the Hayama River that run through
paddy field zone
as usual and got to the road along the lake.
I felt refreshed under the cool air in the morning.
I travelled north on the road and got to the destination in around 20 minutes.
Men and women of all ages were already enjoying rotus flowers there.
Some of them looked through their camera to take pictures of the flowers.
In the masses of rotus on the eastern shore of Lake Biwa
in the Karasuma peninsula (around 7 a.m.) |
Lots of rotus flowers were blooming in the masses of rotus!
The other day, I enjoyed rotus flowers in the Hojo-ike pond of the Tenryu-ji
Temple.
However, the flowers were amazing and simply incomparable with them in
the Hojo-ike pond.
All the flowers were pink.
Click the thumbnail-size image below to see the full-size image
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| Rotus flowers in the msses of rotus |
A windmill and
a hot-air balloon
with rotus flowers |
An angler and the
Biwako-ohashi bridge
with rotus flowers |
He is inachan.
How young he is! |
We can see Mt. Mikami-yama called "Mt.Fuji in Ohmi" dimly through
the early morning haze.
It's perfect for a picture, isn't it?
Mt. Mikami-yama called "Mt.Fuji in Ohmi" in the morning haze
beyond the masses of lotus
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A windmill with a lotus flower |
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I came round to the road along the lake because I wanted to take a picture
of windmill with rotus flower.
This windmill called "Kusatsu Yume Fuusya" as a symbol of environment
in
Kusatsu City provides electric power to facilities at Biwako Aqua Botanical
Garden using wind power.
Wind power generation has been frequently dealed with by the media since
the nuclear accident in Fukushima.
It's said the windmill in Kusatsu often stands because direction and speed
of
the wind from Lake Biwa fluctuate.
I wish such things will be improved by software and hardware innovation of wind power generation
and wind power will become one of the alternative power source to nuclear
power.
Luckily, I could see a hot-air balloon floating in the sky with a windmill.
It was a nostalgic landscape, isn't it?
After I enjoyed lotus flowers very much, I went around the Karasuma peninsula
to take a hot-air
balloon ride.
But I heard that the balloon's operation was stopped at 7:30 a.m. because
of danger due to strong wind.
I'm sorry that I couldn't post pictures taken from the balloon on this
web page.
And so I left the Karasuma peninsula for my home.
It's been a long time since I took a short cycling trip.
According to my cycle computer, today's measurement data are as follows.
Trip Distance＝19.8 Km
Elapsed Time＝1 hour 11 minutes
Average Speed＝16.8 Km/H |
[Note] precious bike ； 愛車、 the masses of rotus ； ハスの群生地
the time is ripe；機が熟す，paddy field zone ; 水田地帯、 look through a camera ； カメラをのぞきこむ
be simply incomparable with 〜；全く〜とは桁違いである、 windmill ； 風車、 hot-air balloon ； 熱気球
angler ； (趣味の)釣り人、dimly ； うっすらと，かすかに、 morning haze ； 朝もや
be perfect for a picture ； 絵になる、 come round to 〜 ； 〜に回る
Biwako Aqua Botanical Garden ； 琵琶湖水生植物公園、 wind power generation ; 風力発電
deal with 〜；〜を扱う、 stand ; (機会・車などが)停止している、動いていない、 direction of the wind ； 風向
fluctuate ； 変動する、 take a hot-air balloon ride ； 熱気球に乗る
post 〜 on a web page ； 〜をウエブペ−ジに載せる(投稿する)
Japanese Diary / No.380−2011.07.29 / 「琵琶湖・烏丸半島湖岸のハスを愛でる」
On Jul 26, after taking a walk in Tenryuji Temple, I took the randen from
Arashiyama station to
Katabira-no-Tsuji station, then transferred to the kitano Line and got
off at Omuro Ninnaji station
to visit Ninnaji Temple.
At Randen(Keifuku Electric Railway) Arashiyama station |
When I did a Google search for map around Arashiyama the day before, there were lots of famous
temples and shrines around here as well as around Higashiyama.
I chose Ninnaji Temple from them as another place to take a walk.
As everyone of the same generation as me well know, we learned classic
literature as one of
the subjects in our high school.
There was an essay "Tsurezuregusa" written by the monk Yoshida
Kenkou as a standard reading
in it, wasn't there?
I know. I remembered there was the story about Ninnaji Temple in the essay
and felt an affinity with
this temple.
It was my motivation for visiting the temple.
When I did a search on the Net for "Tsurezuregusa"， there were stories about Ninnaji Temple
in the 53rd and 54th passage in it.
In the story of 53rd passage, a monk of Ninnaji Temple visited Iwashimizu Hachimangu, but came
back without achieving his original purpose.
In the 54th passage, the story is about another monk of Ninna-ji.
When a boy's trainee monk called "chigo" became a professional monk, the celebratory feast was held.
A drunk monk put something like pot on his head as an entertainment, but
it became difficult for him
to take it off after that.
I remembered both stories when reading them on the Net.
Anyway, I was surprised to see that even grand essayist wrote such trivial
and humorous incidents,
and also felt like being encouraged by him in posting the messages on my
Web page.
After getting off at Omuro-Ninnaji, I could see a big Niomon Gate at the end of the street.
The Niomon Gate of Ninnaji Temple |
It was just midafternoon when I went through the Niomon Gate and was very sweaty under
the mid-summer sun.
On looking at this great gate，I imagined instinctively that the temple
grounds also must be large.
That was quite right.
When passing through the gate, there was a box office just on the left.
I bought admission tickets for Ninna Goten and main hall for a total of
600 yen.
A sign in front of the box office stated "A temple associated with
the monk Kenkou".
Well, I thought the temple features "Tsurezuregusa".
Ninna-ji is the headquarters of Omuro school of the Shingon Sect of Buddhism and is inscribed
as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Considering them, it may be a shrewd guess.
For more detaiols on a walk in Ninna-ji Temple, please visit the follwing
link.
Picture / Pilgrimage to old temples / 「御室・仁和寺散策」
[Note] a leisurely walk ；のんびり散歩，散策、 Randen ； 嵐電，classic literature ； 古文(学校の授業の)
do a Google search for 〜；〜をグ−グルで検索する、 subject ； 科目
feel an affinity with 〜 ； 〜に親しみを感じる、 54th passage ； 第54段
do a search on the Net for 〜； 〜をインタ−ネットで検索する、 Iwashimizu Hachimangu ; 石清水八幡宮
boy's trainee monk ； 少年修行僧、 celebratory feast ； 祝いの宴会、 entertainment ; 余興
trivial ； たわいもない、 posting the messages on a Web page ； ウェブペ−ジにメッセ−ジを投稿する
Niomon Gate ； 仁王門、 midafternoon ； 昼下がり、 be associated with 〜 ； 〜とゆかりのある
feature ； を呼び物(売物)にする、 Omuro school of the Shingon Sect of Buddhism ; 真言宗御室派
inscribe ； を登録する， shrewd guess ； うがった推測
Japanese Diary / No.379−2011.07.27 / 「御室の仁和寺散策」
On Jul 26, I got up early in the morning to visit Tenryu-ji temple in
Arashiyama, kyoto and admire
lotus flowers.
It was because I knew the flowers bloom during the morning and wither away.
There is the gregorious spot of lotus along the shore of Lake Biwa of the
Karasuma Peninsula
in Kusatsu City.
Since I lost an opportunity for visiting there to admire lotus flower last
year, I thought I would really
like to do that at their best around the end of July this year.
Soon after that, I read in a paper article that now is the best time to view lotus flowers at Tenryu-ji
temple.
And so I felt like visiting the temple in first to view them.
It was my motivation.
The main gate of Tenryu-ji Temple |
Around 9 a.m, I went through the main gate which was still empty.
It was smaller than I thought as the gate of the head temple of the Tenryu-ji branch of Rinzai zen
Buddhism, and also top-ranked temple of Five Great zen Temple of Kyoto.
Following the approach and passing through the middle gate, I found Hojo-ike
pond just ahead
on the left.
Just like an article, white and pink lotus flowers were in full bloom on
the large green leaves that
filled the water.
Is Buddhist paradise like this?
Lotus flowers in full bloom in Hojo-ike pond of the Tenryu-ji Temple |
Hojo-ike pond was divided into two ponds, north pond and south pond, across a bridge in the center
of it.
White lotus flowers were blooming in the north pond and pink ones in the
south pond.
Click the thumbnail-size image below to see the full-size image
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| White lotus flowers blooming in the south pond |
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Pink lotus flowers blooming in the north pond |
In Buddhist tradition, lotus is considered as symbols of wisdom and mercy because it grows out of muddy waters and produces beautiful flowers.
It is used as a part of the pedestal of Buddhist image and before the tablet
of the deceased.
However, it is for the first time for me to look at real lotus, though
I've seen water lilies which are
flowers similar to lotos.
＜＜Please click here to look at a diary about water lily.＞＞
Oh, how beautiful !
I was able to enjoy the beauty of lotus flowers.
After that, I followed the long approach and walked around the temple grounds.
The more I walked around the ground, the more I was surprized at how large
the temple is.
For more information about Tenryu-ji Temple, please visit the follwing
link.
Picture / Pilgrimage to old temples / 「天龍寺散策」
[Note] admire flowers ； 花を愛でる、 wither away ； しおれる，しぼむ、 gregorious spot；(植)群生地
head temple ；総本山、 lose an opportunity for doing ； 〜する機会を逃す， Niomon Gate ； 仁王門
instinctively ； 直観的に、 Five Great zen Temple of Kyoto ； 京都五山
Tenryu-ji branch of Rinzai zen Buddhism ； 臨済宗天龍寺派、 approach ； 参道、 middle gate ； 中門
Hojo-ike pond ； 放生池、 Buddhist paradise ； 極楽浄土、 mercy ； 慈悲、 muddy waters ； 泥水
pedestal ; 台座、 before the tablet of the deceased ; 仏前で、 water lily；睡蓮(スイレン)
the more 〜，the more −；〜すればするほど−
Japanese Diary / No.378−2011.07.26 / 「京都・天龍寺のハスを愛でる」
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