2009 Iwakuni Beer Fest

This pig was my favorite (well, next to favorite!) thing at this year's beer fest and it was delicious! A $25 ticket provided "all one could eat & drink" for several hours, but we only stayed about two. Guess we just can't party like we used to . . .


Here's Leigh Ann & Brad


and yummy Italian sandwiches.


But this Smirnoff "ice bar" was my absolute favorite & was the only other drink available besides beer, so what could I do? I felt obligated to try each & every flavor -- several times . . . Not only did he serve Smirnoff Ice flavors, but the bar was made of ice -- very cool!

Good crowd this year!


Kampai, Sandy!


This seems like a weird soup, but it was actually potatoes & cheese (a German thing, maybe?). Chunks of pretzels were sprinkled on top after serving.


Love this guy's kilt. Yes, I asked -- his wife told him he HAD to wear underwear . . .

Nancy & Eldon in Italy

Received these pics from the Kirkhums, who were in Venice recently . . . thanks for sharing!




Here they are at their "new" house near Vicenza, located in a vineyard.


What a view! Miss you two . . .

Kelly Plays Hand Chimes at Church!

Take a look at these great videos of Kelly performing at church last Sunday. She looks so serious and Heather said she told her she played every note perfectly. . . of course she did! Hmm, wonder where she gets that ? ? ?

Chimes first song 10-18-09

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C3B7o_vyDuU

Columbus Day Weekend - Saturday

We're off to the station to ride the train to Hiroshima again, but we're biking a different route today -- the "new" road that turns right after you leave the main gate & it goes past the Sinfonia & the back side of the train station. We don't know it's name or road # but it's nice & wide, and sidewalks might be an easier bike ride , since those along Hwy 188 are very slanted and a little more difficult for me on my 3-wheeler. Oh - I love those red flowers!


More autumn flowers.


Fire Station manhole cover.


Oh there are always lots of cosmos blooming this time of year.

I love pink & white cosmos!


And a perfect sunflower. We've driven this road many times, but I just see more on my bike. There are some nice houses & beautiful gardens along the way.


Riding along the river looking for Stan's "shortcut" to cross the old bridge - it's a pedestrian (which includes bicycles) bridge only.


More cosmos behind these houses.

We're on the "old" bridge, looking at the "new" bridge -- the one that cars drive on to get to the back side of the station. The river is high today.


We're back on the main road after some riding around in circles! We'll look for a more direct way on our way back tonight . . . We're headed toward downtown. That's Stan in front . . . the sidewalks are nice & level here, as well as wider, and there's not as much traffic as on Hwy 188.


Futons are hanging out to air over a high-rise balcony. There are special plastic clamps to hold them.


Although there's bicycle parking available on this side of the station, it's not covered, so we decided to ride through the tunnel that goes under the tracks & park on the main side.

Walking toward the station from the bike parking, we see some bikes parked over a sign (NOT ours!) . . .


Oops . . . it says "no bicycle parking here' -- wonder if they'll get towed, like we saw once in Hiroshima?


On the train now -- the river looks swollen from all the rain we've had recently.


Cute little American boy on the train. He reminded me of Larry . . .


This train has a sign for "peace" on it. I agree . . .

In Molly Malone's now. It's become our regular "Hiroshima hang out" & it's convenient -- near the dentist & covered shopping area.


While Stan's at the dentist, I'm having a late lunch -- a BLT with fries. Yikes! That's an American (or Irish?-size) portion, but I didn't eat all of them! My grilled sandwich was delicious!


When he returned, we decided to split a chocolate-chip cheesecake. Delicious, but different . . .


Back in Iwakuni, we're riding back over the "old bridge" -- it's not for cars . .

It was a beautiful, clear night, but too dark to get more pictures from the bridge. It was an interesting shortcut, but I'm not sure it's any faster (or easier) than just going down Hwy 188 to the station . . .

Sunday - Otake & Okonomiyaki

After a lazy morning, we've driven to Nishimura Joy in Otake (north toward Hiroshima) to look for cat grass for Sachi.

They are all out, but while looking around the pet department, we found these packages of doggy piddle pads. This one has an extra piece that you can stick up the wall, so male dogs can lift their legs . . . how thoughtful.


Stan liked this little doggy puppet - "Pa-Pet"


We wanted to eat at Kiki's (steak house) next to You Me Town department store, but the owner's son who usually waits on us, was not there today, and their menu is all in Japanese with neither pictures nor plastic food. The father does not speak any English, but we could tell he was very sorry to send us away. But we'll try again another day. Their food is sooo good!

So, we decided to return to Iwakuni for okonomiyaki. This is the same place that used to be downtown behind the YMCA, but moved to across the road from KFC on Route 2 a couple of years ago. It's all new & the parking is free. We recognize it by it's blue awnings. I think it's called Tokugawa . . . ? They even have a parking attendant to help you park and unpark your car, since it's on a busy road. After about a 10-minute wait, we were seated and ordered our appetizers. These are my first fried oysters of the season - yum! and you can see bones from a chicken wing Stan traded me for one of my oysters. The service is so fast here, that we have to order our appetizers first before we order our main course, or else it all comes at the same time.


Here's how our okonomiyaki comes -- all ingredients in a bowl. First, I take out the pork strips (really like bacon) and place on the grill to cook. Then I removed the shrimp to cook later. The remaining ingredients (eggs, cabbage, onions, little ginger, and sauce) are mixed together in the bowl and placed on the pre-heated grill like an omelet. This type of Okonomiyaki is Osaka-style (with cabbage). Hiroshima-style has noodles instead, and is cooked in layers. I really like this kind better . . .

And our okonomiyaki cooks on the hot grill between us.


It's browned on the bottom, so after I turn it over, I grilled the shrimp for just a few seconds so it would not be overcooked & sprinkle on top. The pork is cooked first -- I like my pork crisp!


And it's now ready to eat! I've decorated with special sauce, mayo, shredded green seaweed & fish flakes. Yum! This is comfort food on a slightly cool autumn day.


Look at the stack of child booster seats near us. Space is so well-utilized here.

Monday - Bike Riding

Look at the cool display at the MCAS Fire Station (on base)! We've ridden our bikes over here to try to find the indoor pool at the Japanese gym. I've been told by the Aquatics manager that I can swim there until our indoor pool reopens on Nov 3 - but we could not find it, so we decide to ride off-base. It's a beautiful day!


We're near 3-corners off base trying to find a bicycle shortcut to the community center where I have my chigerie class. Now that Ingrid is gone until mid-January, I'll be riding with Barbara (thanks, Barbara!), but I thought it might be good to know how to get there by bike -- just in case.


The streets are very narrow in this very quiet neighborhood, and we keep running into dead-ends. At the bottom left of the photo is a folding fence across someone's driveway.

Another narrow "street" and all we've done is go around in circles!


That's Stan stopped outside a temple.


Look at the beautiful roof detail & pine bough.


Beautiful sign in someone's yard. I think it gives their family name. We've been told that addresses are extremely difficult to find here because the numbers are not in chronological order by location, but have to do when the house was built . . .