Cotswald

I visited Cirencester, Barnsley, Bibury, etc. so called Cotswald. It was so peaceful place. I felt I could hear Beethoven's Symphony No.6 "Pastorale".
Early in the morning, though it became bright after 7:30, I enjoyed jogging around the hotel. A lot of birds, cows, trees, flowers welcomed me.
Nice place to visit, but qustion mark for living?. It was so hard to access internet. I could enjoy nice beer with fish and chips, but whatelse?
This is an urban visitors feeling. Residents in these area could enjoy fishing, horse riding, playing golf, reading, walking, listening to music, etc..There is another life style. Flower blooms where it is planted. (人間至所在青山）

Wiesbaden

I visited Kaiser Friedrich Therme (http://english.wiesbaden.de) at Wiesbaden in Germany. I was astonished that users were all naked,both men and women. I know some hot springs in Tohoku region where mixed bathing is popular. Oriental people feel ashamed with being naked in public, especially women. But German gentlemen and ladies seem unconcerned for nakedness. I felt a culture shock.
Wiesbaden is famous for its thermal springs and spa. Use of the thermal springs is first documented by the Romans. Among visitors to the springs were Goethe, Fyodor Dostoevsky, Richard Wagner, and Johannes Brahms. Fyodor Dostoevsky suffered from an acute gambling compulsion, he lost all his travel-money in Wiesbaden in 1865. He summed up his experience in his 1866 novel "The Gambler" (Russian Игрок), with a fictitious place "Roulettenburg".
It is a casual coincidence for me. I am now reading Dostoevsky's "The Brother Karamazov". I am very happy that Dostoevsky enjoyed the same springs.

Flamenco

During my stay in Madrid, I visited a Tablao, Cafe de Chinitas and enjoyed Flamenco. Dinner starts around 9 pm in Spain generally and the show starts from 12 pm. Diego Liori and Rosario performed splendid dance at the night. It is really a kind of art.

This reminds me of a movie, Carmen (1983) in which Antonio Gades, Christina Hoyos, Laura del Sol, Poco de Lucia etc., the best members at those days played. I tried to buy it in Amazon, but it has become a premium one.

"Carmen" is also famous as a French opéra by Georges Bizet. Carlos Kleiber's one is one of my favorite music.

"Flamenco" grew out of the unique interplay of native Arabic, Andalusian,Sephardic, and Gypsy cultures that existed in Andalusia prior to and after the Reconquest.

There are many Japanese who are attracted by Flamenco and Spanish food. We could now easilly enjoy Spanish taste here in Tokyo. Where to go?

Alps

Long time no see. I was on business trip to Spain, Germany, and UK.

When I went from Madrid to Frankfurt, I could see Alps mountains from the airplane.

It was so fantastic. I don't have special hobby for climbing mountains, but I would like to visit once in my life.

There are many mountain railways. The Glacier Express is the most famous express train which connect the two major mountain resorts of St. Moritz and Zermatt in the Swiss Alps .

Davos conference is held near St. Moritz. I might not be eligible to join it, but I will visit Alps one day.

German Reunification

The 3rd of October is a national holiday celebrating Reunification in Germany.

German reunification took place on 3 October 1990, when the German Democratic Republic (GDR / East Germany) joined the Federal Republic of Germany(FRG / West Germany). It started with symbolical event, the collapse of Berlin Wall. When the East German government announced on November 9, 1989, after several weeks of civil unrest, that all GDR citizens could visit West Germany and West Berlin, crowds of East Germans climbed onto and crossed the Berlin wall, joined by West Germans on the other side in a celebratory atmosphere.

Germany is one of the most advanced country in terms of guarantees of workers' rights. Before the World War II, the National Socialist German Worker's Party ( the Nazi Party ) had enacted various laws protecting workers' rights. They could or have to take leave for some period a year under the concept of work sharing.

I will visit Frankfurt am Main next week. I have some troubles due to above German situations.

The Brothers Karamazov

Do you know how many brothers Karamazov have ?

The Brothers Karamazov is the final novel by the Russian author Fyodor Dostoevsky, and is generally considered the culmination of his life's work.


I learned that the new translations by Prof. Ikuo Kameyama with 5 sets of pocket book are a million seller. I listened to his lecture for the novel in radio. I started reading his new translations of The Brothers Karamazov. It is actually very easy to read them.


I read Dostoevsky's Crime and Punishment in younger days with tough perseverance. It was very difficult for me to understand Russian background in late 19 century. Even though, Raskolnikov, the main character of Crime and Punishment was so impressive and attractive for me.


Prof. Ikuo Kameyama is now translating Crime and Punishment, it is said in his blog Cafe Karamazov ( http://karamazov08.blog17.fc2.com/ ). Which will become first, his publishing or my completion of reading ?

Manga

Manga in Japan is not cartoons, comics, funnies, nor caricature. It is similar, but different. There is the cultural tradition starting from Choju Giga （鳥獣戯画）in Heian Era, Toshusai Sharaku（東洲斎写楽）in Edo era, succeeding to Osamu　Tezuka（手塚治虫）、Hayao Miyazaki（宮崎駿）. It is not subculture, but culture itself.
I was so happy that I grew up with Tezuka's works like 鉄腕アトム (Mighty Atom or Astroboy), ジャングル大帝　(Kimba the White Lion), 火の鳥 (Phoenix),etc. He is one of my respectable mentors.
Seirei no moribito （精霊の守人）had been on air from April to September in NHK. Its original is a novel written by Naoko Uehashi, who is famous for fantasies, novels for children. The animation was so beautiful and artistic with detailed depictions.
The original are composed of 10 books. I am looking forward to sequels, Season II.