First Night at Sea and Kyoto

We sailed in the evening and arrived in port early on the morning of March 8. 2010. Our first port of call was Osaka. We did not have any Craft Cruise activities planned for this day, so I decided I would head off to Kyoto on my own to try and find the Weaving Center.  We also had reports of a killer yarn shop in Kyoto "Avril" which is the Japanese version of the very tony Habu Textiles in New York.  Both Natalie and Shirley were up for a little adventure, so the three of us took off to see new things and find the ultimate in yarn stores. The Osaka harbor looked like this. It was gray and a bit cool, but we easily found our way through the streets of Osaka to the subway where we could catch the train to Kyoto

We walked past the ferris wheel and aquarium and on to the station. natalie really wanted to ride the ferris wheel, but we wanted to be on our way and hoped we would have time on the way back.

Each area of Japan has its own image for the manhole covers. Here is Osaka's.

On the subway train we encountered a bleached-haired young man with these fashionable shoes. (You can click on the image to make it larger.)

Avril  was not very difficult to find at all. In the floor below there was a beautiful doll shop with a very kind owner who left us photograph everything.

While the store had a European flavor, there were also many Japanese traditional dolls, including the emperor and empress below.

The walls were decorated tastefully.

This doll has a very European and Victorian flavor to it.

Of course I completely forgot to get a picture of the exterior of the store, but we were at the Sanjo shop and they have this little picture on their website.

I was most impressed with the variety of available yarns best displayed by this section on natural/undyed fibers.

From this second level you could look down on the yarns stacked to the second story ceiling! The colors were sumptuous and of course our eyes glazed over like the three yarnoholics that we are!

There was a small felting class going on at the measuring table and while we drooled over our potential yarn choices we also peeked at the progress in making small felted mushrooms.

The choices were tantalizing and a bit overwhelming. Shirley opted to get three different yarns plied together into her own special blend.

The machine below allowed for up to three yarns to be combined (although what you see are my three choices being wound separately. The blue green is a lovely raw silk yarn, the purple on the right was an acrylic that took my fancy and the pink in the middle is the whole reason I came. I just had to have the stainless steel wound with silk that I had caressed at Habu's booth at Stitches Midwest.

We past this spectacular mural/wallpaper as we headed back towards the train station.

And of course we had to do a little more shopping before heading back to the ship. This store carried an interesting combination of sculptural figures. So Japanese somehow!

For lunch we initiated Shirley into the Magic of the Sushi Go Round. 

We were really hungry by this time and...

Shirley had her very first raw fish sushi.

In the spirit of adventure, I had my first ever (and last) horse meat.  (That is it in the middle there.)

It looks lovely in the photo, but I wasn't too impressed taste wise.

We shopped at Teramachi a bit before heading back to the station.

It wouldn't be a trip to Kyoto if we didn't stop at at least one shrine. We just happened to see one half way to the train station. 

Back in Osaka we encountered this flamboyant individual.  How brave he is to pursue his own style in such a traditional society.

We raced by the aquarium...

...and were back at the boat just in time to go to the Koto performance of welcome that was presented by our Osakan hosts.

The performance (as appropriate in Japan) was attended by the Captain and important members of the crew.

The Kotos were gorgeous instruments. Three musicians played the large stringed instruments accompanied by two gentlemen on shakuhachi flute.

The program matched the Japan I have come to know and love. It combined traditional folk tunes and modern pieces, played without even the slightest error.

After the concert we were invited up to get a closer look at the instruments and even to try our hand at plucking the strings with the naginata (pick).

And the evening wasn't over yet!  We had a delicious meal capped off with creme brulee!

As we headed off into the night we passed the ferris wheel that Natalie had so badly wanted to ride. I guess she has a good reason to come back to Japan again soon.