TRAVELLIVE 04-2016
Istanbul, the first days of spring… I’m warming myself in the sun on a café’s balcony in the Old Town. The sunbeams are as stunning as the fine strands of newly reeled silk. Meanwhile the old oak trees give their morning greeting to the glossy stone road as their red-brown leaves gently fall. The Old Town is still half-asleep, like a lazy girl who’s turned off her alarm after ringing the first time. Sunlight visits each street, dancing happily on passers-by’s shoulders, making the atmosphere more intimate to me – the traveler’s first time here. I feel more amorous in Istanbul. I’m enchanted by everything, from sweet lokum to the light sour ice-cream with ground ice on top, or from the gorgeous domes of hundreds of mosques and palaces to their uniquely designed windows, and from the discreet eyes of Muslim girls to the multitude of boards and posters with the images of Besiktas – the city’s legendary football team. I have fallen in love with Bosphorus Bay since the first time seeing the seagulls hovering in the open sky, creating invisible strings that connect the two continents – Asia and Europe. The clear blue sky is reflected on the deep blue sea, giving me tranquility. I drop my last Lira into the water of the Bosphorus, not to make a wish, but in hopes that they will preserve my memories here. And somehow, the water currents might bring them somewhere else to be found by me again, or might accidentally be stumbled upon by a boy who is playing with sand on a sunny beach. Tomorrow, I will go to Grand Bazzar, buy some postcards, and write something to leave beneath the sun near a mosque before sending them to some friends of mine. I do hope that these postcards, together with the coins, will inspire and attract more visitors to this land. Uhm… will you come there?
Istanbul, the first days of spring…
I’m warming myself in the sun on a café’s balcony in the Old Town. The sunbeams are as stunning as the fine strands of newly reeled silk. Meanwhile the old oak trees give their morning greeting to the glossy stone road as their red-brown leaves gently fall. The Old Town is still half-asleep, like a lazy girl who’s turned off her alarm after ringing the first time. Sunlight visits each street, dancing happily on passers-by’s shoulders, making the atmosphere more intimate to me – the traveler’s first time here.
I feel more amorous in Istanbul. I’m enchanted by everything, from sweet lokum to the light sour ice-cream with ground ice on top, or from the gorgeous domes of hundreds of mosques and palaces to their uniquely designed windows, and from the discreet eyes of Muslim girls to the multitude of boards and posters with the images of Besiktas – the city’s legendary football team.
I have fallen in love with Bosphorus Bay since the first time seeing the seagulls hovering in the open sky, creating invisible strings that connect the two continents – Asia and Europe. The clear blue sky is reflected on the deep blue sea, giving me tranquility. I drop my last Lira into the water of the Bosphorus, not to make a wish, but in hopes that they will preserve my memories here. And somehow, the water currents might bring them somewhere else to be found by me again, or might accidentally be stumbled upon by a boy who is playing with sand on a sunny beach.
Tomorrow, I will go to Grand Bazzar, buy some postcards, and write something to leave beneath the sun near a mosque before sending them to some friends of mine. I do hope that these postcards, together with the coins, will inspire and attract more visitors to this land. Uhm… will you come there?
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One of the most engaging parts of our tour of Shirayuri Winery is<br />
getting to bottle and label our own wine.<br />
Down the cellar<br />
to find Sakura in<br />
Yamanashi<br />
Yamanashi is a must-visit<br />
destination for those who love<br />
green fields, sitting back in the<br />
shade of a cherry tree in spring,<br />
or enjoy collecting apples, plums,<br />
and cherries from orchards.<br />
Particularly, from mid April<br />
onward when “the kingdom of<br />
fruit” is in full swing, you can<br />
savor a glass of sakura amidst<br />
the backdrop of cherry blossoms<br />
and plum flowers, a memorable<br />
experience indeed!<br />
Sakura is brewed to greet the<br />
first cherry blossoms of the<br />
year. As I visit the Shirayuri<br />
Winery to hunt for bottles of<br />
sakura, a local expresses that<br />
people always talk about this<br />
wine but it’s so rare that very<br />
few people, even amongst the<br />
locals, have the chance to try it<br />
while contemplating the cherry<br />
blossoms. I’m so lucky to have<br />
met Takao Uchia, the president<br />
of Shirayuri Winery, during my<br />
visit. Mr. Takao Uchia is eager to<br />
show us around his winery, where<br />
fruits are collected, and points to<br />
the best views of Fuji Mount.<br />
The characteristic warmth of the<br />
people is one of the particular<br />
charms of Yamanashi. Here, I find<br />
myself welcomed by locals as if<br />
I am an old friend and not some<br />
stranger from a far away land.<br />
After a tour of the winery, I<br />
am guided to visit Shirayuri’s<br />
vineyard. To make wine, they<br />
plant grapes in hedgerows.<br />
Instead of letting the grapevines<br />
grow long to harvest greater<br />
quantity of bunches, they trim the<br />
branches so that there are fewer<br />
bunches but higher quality grapes.<br />
One of the most engaging parts<br />
of our tour of Shirayuri Winery<br />
is getting to bottle and label your<br />
own wine. After that, the host<br />
lets you try some signature wines<br />
from this region. L'Orient Sakura,<br />
of course, is not included in the<br />
list of free samples. But why not<br />
take some as it’s very special!<br />
Sakura is somehow like the rosä<br />
(the rosä wines here feature<br />
strawberry, orange, or citrus<br />
notes). It is made from Koshu<br />
grapes, and inside each glass of<br />
Sakura wine is garnished with<br />
three cherry flowers - Yae Sakura.<br />
Yae Sakura is just a touch pink<br />
and has slightly salty taste.<br />
SAKE BREWERIES<br />
AND SAKURA<br />
WINERIES IN<br />
YAMANASHI:<br />
SHAKE<br />
ü 2283 Daigahara,<br />
Hakusyu-cho,<br />
Hokuto city,<br />
Yamanashi<br />
ü Website: www.sakeshichiken.co.jp<br />
ü Taikan Shuzo Sake<br />
Brewery<br />
ü 57 Kamimiyaji,<br />
Minamiarupusu city,<br />
Yamanashi<br />
ü Website: www.<br />
taikan-y.co.jp<br />
ü Yamaki Sake<br />
Brewery<br />
ü Yubinbango,<br />
Takane-cho, Hokuto<br />
city, Yamanashi<br />
ü Website: www.<br />
yamakishuzou.com<br />
Sakura:<br />
ü Shirayuri Winery<br />
ü 878-2 Todoroki,<br />
Katsunumacho,<br />
Koshu-city,<br />
Yamanashi<br />
ü Website: www.<br />
shirayuriwine.com<br />
<strong>TRAVELLIVE</strong> 133
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