November 3 - 9, 2008

Enoshima Part II: It just so happened that on one of our 'long weekends,' Enoshima Island was hosting a candle festival at the base of the lighthouse. We decided to make a full day trip out of it and were so glad that we did. We enjoyed lunch on the balcony of a restaurant that had a cantilevered patio....we had a spectacular view of the ocean and the many hawks (tombi) as they flew around. There were so many sailboats on the water--the billowing white sails looked quite elegant on the deep blue water.

This picture above is the Dragon Bell of Love--something that we didn't have time to get to on our first visit. It's too bad we weren't aware of the tradition before coming, otherwise Ker and I could have brought a lock and written our names on it.....As you can see, it looks like quite a popular date destination.

After a thoroughly relaxing lunch, we wandered down the beach and spent the afternoon watching surfers and people galavanting about the beach. It was very easy to spend a few hours doing this--plunk us down in a place where there is good people-watching and we're set ;) At one point in the afternoon, it looked like a group of young adults were making a movie next to us. Wish I could understand Japanese--it would have been good eavesdropping! As soon as dusk started to set in, we made our way back to the island. The lighthouse was so beautiful with changing coloured lights that illuminate the glass frame. Come to think of it, it looks too fragile to be a lighthouse--good thing it has a large island around it, so it doesn't have too much exposure to the harsh elements!

When we managed to find the candle festival, we were blown away. It was breathtaking to see thousands of candles set out on the pathways through the garden at the base of the lighthouse. There were glass candle holders that were cream, purple, and red along the pathways, in addition to cream-only candle holders in the forested areas.....Magical is one word to describe it. Leaving no detail overlooked, the organizers also had jazz and instrumental music playing over speakers placed strategically around the garden. Wow, an unforgettable once-in-a-lifetime experience.

Pink Cow II: Later that week, we decided to venture back to the Pink Cow and take in their monthly jam session. Again, we were absolutely blown away by the talent that was present that night. The music was from all kinds of genres, from rock to folk to bossa nova to classic glam rock to a fascinating combination of folk/dance music....Two musicians really stood out for me. As David, the host and one of the regular performers put it, Ben Kemp has a sublime voice--he's also a playful storyteller and has fantastic energy in live shows. Check out his website when you have the chance--http://benkemp.co.nz/. The second performer who rocked the house was Sorcha--her lyrics were great and the mixture of guitar, keyboards, and dance tracks was superb! Check out her website--http://www.sorchamusic.com/. Kiss of the Spider Woman is particularly humourous ;)