The magnificent Mt Fuji

July 16, 2018September 9, 2024 by elainevitikainen ♥ 0 Leave a Comment

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After taking a very expensive Shinkansen ride from Kyoto to Mishima, it took a bit over an hour to reach Fujikawaguchiko on a Thomas’ Land bus. It was a lovely surprise to get on a Thomas’ Land bus. It was the cutest bus I’ve ever been!

850_3331 Arriving in Fujikawaguchi, Mt Fuji’s presence can be easily felt. It is very domineering that there is no way to miss it. It is behind the bus station and it shows itself at the restaurant while eating a bowl of soba.

Then a further 25 minutes ride on another bus led to Lake Kawaguchiko where Mt. Fuji reveals itself in all its majesty.

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36518196_10156990265472137_1575591314970378240_n And by the Lake Kawaguchiko, I also saw the prettiest manhole ever!

Mt Fuji can also be seen from the guesthouse’s window while having breakfast and dinner. Even when taking a shower!

All photos by Ari Vitikainen @ arivitikainenphotography.com

Beautiful Kyoto

July 11, 2018September 9, 2024 by elainevitikainen ♥ 1 Comment

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Imagine to be in a place so green with very beautiful trees surrounding you. Then comes the rain, a wonderful relief from the summer heat. You are sat under a shade, feeling calm as you wait for the rain to pass by.

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Then you walk by a beautiful garden. So pretty, so breathtaking. It represents peace and tranquility.

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Then imagine walking pass traditional houses lined up on the narrow road. You walk in silence as not to disturb anyone. You are amazed at how clean these roads are. How quiet, how peaceful.

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This is Kyoto. Beautiful Kyoto.

I love Japan

July 11, 2018September 9, 2024 by elainevitikainen ♥ 3 Comments

It’s really hard not to fall in love with Japan. There are just too many reasons! And the Japanese ukiyo-e artist Hokusai never failed to inspire. So you can imagine how happy I was to see the original The Great Wave off Kanagawa. The original The Great Wave off Kanagawa was published in the late Edo period sometime between 1829 and 1833 as the first print in Hokusai’s series Thirty-six Views of Mount Fuji. It is Hokusai’s most famous work and one of the most recognisable works of Japanese art in the world.

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And I did this pretend thing where I was watching aged Hokusai at work with his daughter, Katsushika Oi. Amazing! It felt so real this diorama.

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Then there’s the International Manga Museum in Kyoto. I’m seeing this form of art in a different way now after I learnt a lot about it. It was very inspiring that I ended with art supplies. But let’s see how I will manage to find time to try my new pens, especially now that I got my own Hanko in Kanji characters!

Then there’s the Japanese food. I love Japanese food because it’s just so good! And I was even amazed how ordering a meal can happen by dropping coins into a machine.

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Japanese people are also very respectful, helpful and kind. The busyness of Tokyo gives a sense of serenity because people are not loud, no loud music, no talking on the phones… Just peace and being considerate of each other at all times. Japan is also unbelievable clean. Kudos to Japanese people!

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Germany, finally

June 4, 2018July 29, 2018 by elainevitikainen ♥ 1 Comment

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It’s true. I have to admit. I am such a sad person. My very first entry point to Europe was Frankfurt. After that I have been passing Germany many times. In Frankfurt, in Munich, in Hamburg and other stops where I don’t even try to remember the names of the places. Yes, stops. I was at the airports with no intention of going out. Sorry to say but Germany was one country that I was not attracted to. I can’t even pinpoint why. Maybe because in my mind, I associated Germany with physics, numbers and formulas. I pictured it with industrial buildings and nerdy, very efficient, no non-sense people. Even my former German colleague has a PhD in Chemistry! And in my travels, I want arts. I want arts badly. Yes, I am a sad person.

So when I went to Hamburg in September for an event, I was embarrassed to say that it was my first time to go out of the airport. And even more embarrassed because I was there meeting artistic people! The first person I got talking with was an artist who showed me her sketchbook of landscape drawings. I even went out with a group of Germans to do Urban Sketching. Then I met this lovely lady whose art I crazily admire. My heart skips a beat every time I see her sketchnotes. So my idea of Germany came tumbling down!

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So this time was the second. This time in Berlin for a workshop about visuals! I was so wrong. So wrong that I feel the need to apologise. So to reverse this embarrassing situation, I’m supposed to be posting a photo of a German artist but that didn’t actually work out. I was so admiring his work that I forgot to take photos when the light is right. But then I finally got signed copies of his/my books! The amazing artist is Malte von Tiesenhausen.

Bosnia and Herzegovina

May 15, 2018July 29, 2018 by elainevitikainen ♥ 0 Leave a Comment

32525887_10156872454747137_2623059599955066880_n It took 3 hours to drive from Dubrovnik to Mostar in Bosnia and Herzegovina. The good thing was the border was not busy at all as it usually is. It was a good experience to know more about Bosnia and Herzegovina, how it was in the past and how it is in the present.

The main thing people go to see is the 16th century Ottoman bridge on the river Neretva which connects the two parts of the city. The bridge is called Stari Most which means old bridge. This bridge stood for 427 years but was destroyed in 1993 during the Croat – Bosniak War. A temporary cable bridge was constructed in its place. Stari Most was rebuilt and was in used again in 2003. The steps of the bridge is made of Tenelia stone which makes it very slippery to walk on.

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Ćevapi is a recommended food to try. It is a dish of grilled skinless sausages. Ćevapi originated in the Balkans during the Ottoman period. The biggest surprise for me was the huge portion. There were 10 pieces of Ćevapi covered with the flatbread. Three could have just been enough for me. And yes, you counted it right. I already ate one!

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What not to love about Dubrovnik

May 14, 2018July 29, 2018 by elainevitikainen ♥ 0 Leave a Comment

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If you know me, you know that I’m not an active person. I don’t exercise. I don’t go to gym. So I must say it was a genuine miracle how I survived every step that I had to take in Dubrovnik. And no, I’m not talking about the act or the movement of putting one leg in front of the other, but the placing of one foot from one level to another. So here’s the thing, there are lots and lots of that movement to be made when visiting Dubrovnik. Even the hotel didn’t have an elevator. Although the hotel instruction says that in case of emergency do not use the elevator!

b2aa3-32187840_10156860366542137_7615681996034932736_n But what not to love about Dubrovnik! Staying on the beachfront. Waking up to the sound of the waves. The refreshing water of the empty beach. The wonderful cool breeze. The golden sun pricking my brown skin and preparing to manifest an amazing sunset. It was a perfect holiday! The song in my head, A la playa yo quiero ir a bailar…

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Also visited the Lokrum Island where I know that Rome is somewhere beyond the Adriatic Sea.

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This Friars Minor Franciscan Monastery reminded me of Saint Paul de Mausole in Saint Remy de Provence I visited in June last year.

Also, went to Cavtat to enjoy a lovely meal, learned about Vlaho Bukovac and saw some of his paintings at his old home and ended the day to experience yet another breathtaking sunset.

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Unexpected in Barcelona

February 20, 2018July 29, 2018 by elainevitikainen ♥ 0 Leave a Comment

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I gained weight during a week in Barcelona. Paella, Tapas and Sangria. Don’t forget the Crema de Catalunya. Even brought home some Turrons. One unexpected thing was to be given a room with a balcony. I didn’t reserve a room with balcony because it was much more expensive than without. But arriving at the hotel, the room with a balcony was presented with the same price. So here I am in a room in Rambla with a balcony. It was so cool, to be honest. I got to observe the ins and outs of Rambla.

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There are many things to see in Barcelona. There’s the Sagrada Familia, of course.

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The Gothic Quarter.

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The Park Guell.

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And Joan Miro’s painting!

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And of course, Montserrat!

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But the Mercat de Sant Josep de la Boqueria was the best of all! There I learned that I can eat dark chocolate with olive oil. Have you tried it?

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Mondolkiri, Cambodia

January 1, 2018July 18, 2018 by elainevitikainen ♥ 0 Leave a Comment

If you ever find yourself in the capital town of Sen Monorom in Mondulkiri, there is only one place to go for breakfast. You will not regret it. You will enjoy the most delicious breakfast in town at the Cinnamon Cafe and Bakery.

Screen Shot 2018-07-17 at 20.22.20 The coffee was the best. I had enough of those bitter coffee from other places in Sen Monorom. Here, I can enjoy the coffee without being suspicious of its origin. The owner, Kia, told me that the coffee beans were bought in Phnom Penh. It does feel good!

For breakfast, I had an all day English breakfast. This meant two scrambled eggs, fried tomatoes, bacon and homemade bread.

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I also had homemade yoghurt with mango, passion fruit and muesli.

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And since I can’t get enough, I had pancakes too served with lime and sugar.

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I’ve met Kia a few times before. The last time was in Bangkok some years ago. I know that she is known to be the best baker in town. She has many orders everyday from individuals and some from organisations too. Really cool! She related to me how everything started, how an expat couple who worked many years in Mondulkiri got her started and encouraged her to continue. It was a beautiful story.

(All photos by Ari Vitikainen @arivitikainenphotography.com)

Beautiful Iceland

July 31, 2017July 12, 2018 by elainevitikainen ♥ 1 Comment

Beautiful Iceland

Renting a car is inevitably in Iceland. That is the only way to get around and see the beautiful places. Then you also get to stop at amazing places for coffee. These were good stops.

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But if you don’t know yet, Iceland is expensive. If you like, you can get a bowl of soup for 25 Euros and one egg (uncooked, that is) at the grocery store could cost 1 Euro. So it’s not a backpacking kind of place. In fact, I don’t recall seeing any backpackers there. There is this very popular bakery in downtown Reykjavik. There was a long queue, I tell you. Fresh, fresh bread…

Beautiful Iceland

Iceland is a breathtaking country. I haven’t seen skies as high and as wide. And why was I wearing a pink raincoat? Raincoats are for rain, right?

And for the Gullfoss waterfalls,

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for the Atlantic sea,

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for the coast of Vik that’s known for its killer waves (can you see me?),

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for the Geysir although not showed here as you need to google it yourself,

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And really, for many, many more…

Beautiful Iceland

I’ll end here and would not bombard you with lots and lots of information. Although, if you know me, I’m not the active kind of person. But I did climb this crater. I must find photos for proof!

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Les Alyscamps, Arles

June 18, 2017March 10, 2019 by elainevitikainen ♥ 0 Leave a Comment

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I’ve never been anywhere as spooky as this place. Pigeons were everywhere, making creepy echoes…

This is Les Alyscamps in Arles, a prominent burial place during the Roman times. Van Gogh and Paul Gauguin painted here together. I’ve always thought Van Gogh painted benches when actually they are sarcophagus. Lots and lots of them.

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There was no one around. So capturing the mood of this abandoned, very eery location was even more spine-chilling. It was a perfect spot for a horror film.

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