Knitting, again!

I had plenty of time in August, and I knitted the cap for my friend's kids. One is for baby Sara. Last winter, I knitted two caps and one was already just right size for her head. But it became small now. (Please see "first-time-knitting") The flowers on the cap are pretty cute, so I knitted another cap and reused the flowers on the new one.This time I added the earflaps and strings. It became more lovely!

              The flowers on the earflaps are different on the right side and left side. 

Baby Sara

 My friend said she loves the cap so much, and she tried to wear it even winter has not come yet :) It suits her very much, doesn't it? :)

I knitted another one for Haruto who appeared on my blog(Please see Day Trip to Kyoto). My friend told me he likes cars, Shinkan-sen(Bullet train) and tires... Even he likes it, it seems difficult to make it with knitting yarn. It was sort of tough to think about the design. While I was googling, I found the bus which is designed on the cap, and I tried to make the similar one on his cap... It looks very different, but I am satisfied it. Because it looks bus without doubt... hahaha. I don't know he likes it or not, but he called me the night he received and was saying something on the phone. I could not understand the baby talk　at all, but my friend translated it. He kept saying "Thank you" to me. 

Trip to Russia, Estonia and Finland

FInally, I completed my journal of last year's travel and it is posted on my "travel" tab. Please check it out!

KitKat Chocolatory at Tokyo Station

Found the specialty KitKat shop at Tokyo station, it was just opened on July 28th. The chocolate bars were created in collaboration with Japanese chocolatier "Yasumasa Takagi”  I got "Orange Flavored KitKat", "Sublime Bitter KitKat" and "Submlime Raspberry KitKat" for my friend and myself.

The sublime bitter and sublime raspberry (black boxes) are limited, and it is made from couverture chocolate. Maybe because of that, the price is pretty expensive. You can only find one piece of KitKat in the box, but I didn't know until I opened it...   I  think I too expected the  sublime one, and it wasn't much special to me. 

The orange flavored KitKat is less expensive compared to the sublime KitKat and the taste was good, too. There are four packaging in the box. 

Fujiko F. Fujio Museum

Since the museum was opened in 2011, I have been waiting for the day to visit. Finally, I visited the museum with my friend and her baby Sara. 

The tickets are only available at a convenience store called "Lawson". Each adult ticket costs about 1000 yen, and you need to make a reservation and get the ticket prior to visit the museum. 

The public bus is nicely decorated by Fujiko F. Fujio animation characters. According to the museum's website, there are four types of decoration bus and the one I saw at the JR station was decorated by Doraemon characters. 

First, we went up to the third floor to get a numbered ticket for the cafe. It was already packed, and the estimated time for our table availability was 1 hour 30 minutes later. If you register your phone number, you can receive the phone call from the cafe when it gets closer to the time. Until then, we walked out and checked outside exhibitions.

P-suke, Nobita and Doraemon

Dokodemo Door

Dokodemo door takes you to anytime-anywhere you wish through the door.

If I have it, I will travel all over the world.

　　　　　　　　　Dokan （Soil pipe?)　　　　　　　　　　　　Doraemon 

Dorami-chan
(Younger sister of Doraemon)

Obake no Q-taro(white) and O-jiro(yellow)

One of my favorite characters from the animation in my childhood.

Beautiful Gian

There is a lever to see the entire Gian should go up and down. Even he shows up from the watrer, he quickly goes back to the water.  You need to take an picture quickly!

Paman & Paman 2 are laying on the grass

Doraemon

Moshimo box 
This gadget is a telephone box takes you  "what if... world"  when you talk into the phone receiver. 

What Sara wished for it?

The entrance of SF theater.

Kid's meal

The stuff told us there are two secret gadgets on the plate, but I could not find them when I checked the plate from the opposite direction. Now I know, Dokodemo Door(Ham) and Takecoptor (drew it by cheese on the meat).

My friend and I ordered the Doraemon Hamburger plate.

There was not much special thing on the plate...Doraemon & Dorami shaped macaroni were top on the salad

Iced Latte with Doraemon & Chinpui

You can find the big Doraemon and Dorami-chan capsule toy vending machine neat the SF theater.

People who worked for the museum construction wore this pretty Doeaemon helmet. I can't imagine many men wore this and built the museum. Sort of cute...

Machi- no Schule 963

The store "Machi-no Schule 963" is in Takamatsu City, Kagawa-ken. It was new to me, but it seems it's already passed 4 years since its open. I had the lunch with my friend while I was home for the Golden Week holiday.

I got to the store right after when it was opened, but many people were already there and waiting for the cafe's opens. I added my name to the waiting list and waited until my name was called.

Just right after the cafe was opened, the seats were already full with people.

The lunch menu is only one, and the menu is changed twice a month. 

TofuTsukune

Two of Small dishes and Rice 

There is also shop on the same floor and it sells clothes, foods, dishes and etc.  I could enjoyed shopping for a while after the lunch.

Entrance for the store and cafe

The things I got at the store.

Right: Soy Sauce(Olive flower yeast was used instead of Koji Mold)

Middle: Sparkling Sake

Left: Orange Blossom Honey

Bubby's at Shiodome

I noticed there is Bubby's at Shiodome City Center building early this year on the way back from my office. As I checked their web site, it seems it opened last July. Just saw the sign of the restaurant when I used the subway, but I haven't been there until last Sunday. My friend and I looked for the place where we have the lunch on Sunday, and I remember she once told me she wants to eat pancakes. Over the last two to three years, Pancakes are tremendously popular among Japanese women. They wait for it 1, 2 or more hours, if the restaurant is famous one from abroad. Anyway, Bubby's not the famous restaurant for pancakes, but I recommended this restaurant for our lunch to her.  

I am not the big fun of pancakes, so I ordered spinach egg Benedict after I pondered among the burgers and egg Benedict.

My friend ordered sour cream pancakes.
One of my friend had the pancakes here told me that the bottle of maple syrup comes to the table with the pancakes. I  usually don't see this service in Japan...what a generous they
are! 



 After we both finished half of them, we got tired of eating the same thing... We switched our dishes, but I was too full to eat any more after two or three bite of pancakes. We switched our dishes again, and the egg benedict was back in front of me. She again ate little bit more of pancakes, but I gave up to finish mine. Both were really good, but it was a little too much for our stomach. 

Pies and cakes are available for your friends or family who wait for you at home :) Muffins and pastries are also able to buy near the entrance. I want to try something sweet next time. 

New Chocolate Shop "RINALDINI"

Where there was formerly a chocolate shop “Joel Durant” located in Ginza, there are now new chocolate shops “Rinaldini” and “Nicolas Charles.” Right after both shops opened in January and February, I tried to visit there couple times, but it was always packed and I saw many people wait a long line to get in, especially weekend. I almost give up visiting there until I don’t see the long line.

Finally, I could walk into “Rinaldni” a few weeks ago, and one of a shop staff who used to work for Joel Durand remembered me and we chatted for a while. Now they are offering 8 kinds of flavors and I could try some samples. I wanted to buy a box of chocolates, but I changed my mind when I checked the price. I allowed myself to buy three pieces of chocolates and the chocolates I got were Lemon, Orange and Caramel. Lemon peel, Orange peel and toffee bits were hidden inside for each chocolate. According to the staff, Rinaldini has won the first place in the ice cream competition couple times, and they will start offering his gelato from this summer. I can’t wait to have it.