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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name which means wine parties, the<br />
Umeshu & Sake Besshunkan Museum is<br />
a wonderful place to explore how alcohols<br />
were made in the Edo period. Along the<br />
corridor are huge jars containing sake<br />
and ume.<br />
There are different methods of making<br />
umeshu, but the most popular way is to<br />
soak the ume in sake. Umeshu sake has<br />
a distinct flavor. Some people also use<br />
Ginjo sake to make umeshu. Besides<br />
sochu, brandy, whisky, and rum can be<br />
used to make Umeshu such as Baiko<br />
Hyakunen - the standard umeshu of<br />
Meiri Shurui Brewery. This was also<br />
ranked Japan’s best umeshu in 2008.<br />
To make Hyakunen Umeshu, they soak<br />
ume in a mixture of honey and 5-year-old<br />
brandy. It features a bold sweet flavor<br />
and long aftertaste.<br />
Umeshu is as fresh and sweet as<br />
summer, and as pure as the color of<br />
amber and is also good for your health.<br />
A glass of umeshu served with a black<br />
forest chocolate cake or other delicious<br />
dessert is a great choice for the hot days.<br />
It’s easy to understand why visitors to<br />
Mito, the main city of Ibaraki, always buy<br />
a bottle of umeshu.<br />
Creative craft beer<br />
Another interesting thing that Japan<br />
offers visitors is the beer workshop of<br />
Kiuchi Brewery in Ibaraki where the<br />
famed Hitachino Nest beer is produced.<br />
Originally specializing in Sake, Kiuchi<br />
Brewery gradually began developing<br />
craft beer since they can produce beer<br />
all year round, unlike sake which is<br />
specific to winter. Apart from craft beer,<br />
sake, sochu, and umeshu are also the<br />
products of Kiuchi Brewery. The most<br />
exciting thing is that Kiuchi Brewery<br />
allows you to observe the beer making<br />
process and create your own craft flavors<br />
with different sorts of malts such as<br />
caramel, wheat, pale, and Munich. In<br />
Japan, it’s illegal to brew your own wine<br />
and beer; therefore, many people bring<br />
their own stuff to Kiuchi Brewery to<br />
create their favorite flavors. Some people<br />
even bring coffee syrup from Italy to<br />
create their own signature beer.<br />
You should buy the white and amber<br />
ales (traditionally made from humulus<br />
lupulus) - the two most popular of<br />
Kiuchi’s products. The red rice ale<br />
(made from Japanese red rice) or real<br />
ginger ale are also pretty good. If you’re<br />
looking for an “Ibaraki product”, then<br />
try Kiuchi Umeshu, a special liqueur<br />
distilled from Hitachino Nest Beer<br />
White Ale infused with local green ume.<br />
The slightly sweet Kiuchi Umeshu, with<br />
the fine flavor of ume and the fresh<br />
fragrance of almond, is a favorite for<br />
many women.<br />
Sake, Umeshu<br />
and Craft Beer<br />
Breweries in<br />
Ibaraki:<br />
Umeshu<br />
ü Meiri Shurui<br />
Brewery<br />
ü 327<br />
Motoyoshidacho,<br />
Mito-shi, Ibaraki<br />
ü Website: www.<br />
bessyun-kan.jp<br />
ü (Close every<br />
Monday)<br />
Sake<br />
ü Sudohonke Sake<br />
Brewery<br />
ü 2215 Obara,<br />
Kasama, Ibaraki<br />
309-1701<br />
ü Website: www.<br />
sudohonke.co.jp<br />
Craft beer<br />
ü Kiuchi Brewery<br />
ü 311-0133 Ibaragiken,<br />
Naka-shi,<br />
Kounosu 1257<br />
ü Website: www.<br />
kodawari.cc<br />
<strong>TRAVELLIVE</strong> 135
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