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A few notes on some random topics: The weather has been hot with clear blue skies. Very, very hot. The day we were in Pico, the car read 42 C which I think is 107 F. Most of the other … Continue reading
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After breakfast and a quick dip in the pool, we drove 90 minutes to Orvieto. Orvieto is a medieval city perched on top of tufa rock from the Etruscan period. We stopped along the way to fill up the car … Continue reading
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On Sunday we spent the entire day in Monte Melino. We woke to the bright sun beaming through our open windows and hearing many sounds of animals. We’re guessing that we heard cows and pigs, but not sure. Definitely seeing … Continue reading
Ciao! The Lilla family has connectivity again! If I sit at the main house of the villa, outside on a bench under the kitchen window, the wireless works. So I’ve spent a good part of the day here uploading pictures and trying to get the blog to work. Bear with me as the posts are out of order chronologically, but at least they are published. We should be back to our regularly scheduled program of updates moving forward!
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Today (July 6) is our last day on the Amalfi coast, so we had a quick breakfast and hopped on a bus to Amalfi. From Amalfi we took a high speed boat to the island of Capri (it stopped briefly … Continue reading
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(July 5) Today we hired Tony, our driver from yesterday, to bring us to Ravello – a town on the Amalfi coast which is different than Sorrento, Positano, Amalfi, Minori and others because it is high up in the mountains. … Continue reading
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Today (July 7) we start the third leg of our trip. At 8am we left Minori via van and picked up our rental car in the city of Salerno. The trip for Minori to Salerno, along the Amalfi coast, made … Continue reading
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(July 6) I’d had three hours sleep and although my eyes are heavy, I just could not get to sleep. So, at 5:30am I ventured out of the hotel room to see Minori in the early morning hours. The full … Continue reading
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This morning we finished laundry at the apartment and got ready for our second leg of the trip: the small town of Minori on the Amalfi coast. We chose Minori since it has beach versus rocks (better for the kids,) … Continue reading
It’s currently the 5th of July and we’re heading to the hillside town of Ravello this morning and to Cetera (pronounced che-tah-rah) to visit with friends in the afternoon. I’ve written an update on our travels from Rome to Minori on the iPad, and have dozens of pictures to share, but wireless is scarce in this town. Only my iPhone works. So extensive blog updates and picture uploading will just have to wait. Too much detail to convey over the small iPhone keypad, but wanted everyone to know we are well even though you may not see updates from us for a few days.
Ciao from the costa amalfitana!
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Including some pictures from July 3rd in Rome. The video of salami heaven might have to wait until we return to the States. Sistine chapel ceiling Zucchini flowers Pasta with sheeps milk cheese and pepper … Continue reading
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The first half of today was spent in Vatican City, the smallest independent state in the world by both area and population. Paul, the kids, and I, had pre purchased 9am tickets for the Vatican Museum since Big D really … Continue reading
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Hot, hot, hot! The weather has averaged 96F every day in Rome. We’re taking advantage of all the “nasoni” around the city dispensing cold water, and of course had gelato again at one of the oldest gelaterias in Rome, Giolitti … Continue reading
Happy to toss coins and cool down at the fontana di Trevi
A collection of pictures from a busy day 2 in Rome.
D and the gladiators at the Coloseum
Inside the Coloseum
Outside Sts Cosmos and Damiano Basilica
Pizza, mozzarella and more
Enjoying trofie al pesto
Campo dei Fiori spectators
Europe Cup viewing at Circus Maximus
Europe Cup viewing at Circus Maximus
Ending the night strolling The Forum
Dinner was awesome. Don’t know where to begin to describe it. At Obika in the Campo dei fiori , we dined at a FOAK (first of a kind) mozzarella bar. Started with the “gran degustazione” aka grand tasting of 5 different buffalo mozzarellas from Campania. We were instructed to enjoy the mozzarella in order from Paestum, then Pontina, then a smoked mozzarella, then a ricotta and a burrata. Oh. My. God. It was served on a bed of baby arugula with half cherry tomatoes and olives. So yummy. D enjoyed what we like to call “green pasta” in our house (trofie al pesto) which is trofie shaped pasta with cut green beans, potatoes and pesto. Paul had a delicious lasagna with beef ragu made with Chianina beef from Tuscany and buffalo mozzarella, and Miss M had a pizza with mozzarella, roasted tomatoes (which were so delicious, and she picked them all off) and basil (which she tossed onto Grandmas plate along with her pizza crusts.)
Had our fourth gelato of the trip with flavor choices selected by the family ranging from multi-berry, Baci, nutella, Ferra-Roche, nociolla (hazelnut), lemon, and more.
The Euro Cup finals began while we enjoyed gelato, so it was fun to watch the crowds watching the game at all the outdoor bars with such fervor. Since we’re one block from the Campo dei Fiori, Paul and I quickly got the kids to bed, left them with Grandma and Papa, and high tailed it to Circus Maximus for the second half.
We’re estimating there were 100k people at circus Maximus. The crowd was despondent, but calm and quiet. No yelling. No profanity (that I could tell.) In Boston you’d see some type of drunk fan making an ass of himself, but not what we witnessed. When the score reached 4-0 and firecrackers were being shot off, we bailed. Spent the next hour taking in Rome by night…the colosseum, roman forum, wedding cake, etc. We ended up back at campo dei fiori for drinks with 1,000 of our closest friends. The campo dei fiori reminds me of the Boston Haymarket (open air market in the morning and night life at night.)
Pictures forthcoming.
Today we walked to La Bocca Della Verita but didn’t wait in the long line to put a hand in the mouth. At Circus Maximus we saw set up for tonight’s Euro Cup finals (italy vs spain) which will be broadcast live on large screens.
After that, bought tix for the Colosseum at Palatine Hill (the ticket works for Palantine hill, colosseum and roman forum but it’s a much shorter line to buy there vs waiting in line for 2 hours at colosseum in the sun.) D’s favorite part was being up high and finding some “ancient” rocks to bring home. M enjoyed finding “ancient” rocks too and says she liked everything about it.
For lunch, the kids loved their spaghetti carbonara and pasta with pomodoro with large lemon and blueberry granitas to drink.
Sts Cosmos and Damiano basilica was nearby, but closed. Walked by the Forum, saw plenty of Cesar statues, and the kids have counted 125 SPQRs so far.
A short walk to the Trevi Fountain which was crowded and the kids want to return at night to see it illuminated. We refilled water bottles a bunch of times during the day from the public fountains, and it’s so hot the kids have been routinely dumping the bottled water on their heads.
Another round of gelato (menta, nutella, and two amarena) and more walking before reaching the apartment at 4:30p. A long day and the kids were troopers!
As part of experimenting tonight with uploading pics from various devices, here’s some taken with the iPhone and uploaded via the WordPress app on the phone versus the iPad. #needsleep
Nervous D visiting Marco in the cockpit
Opening his “Bulgari for men” toiletries
Dinner and a movie
Random building
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We’re traveling without the laptop on this trip relying solely on iPad and iPhones. Struggling a bit with how to get photos from camera and iPhone onto iPad, and publishing pics using WordPress on the iPad brings a whole separate … Continue reading
A vacation three years in the making, our family is now in Italy for three weeks. Paul and I, our daughter M age 8, son D age 5, and my in-laws Papa and Grandma.
We flew Alitalia flight 615 from Boston to Rome, D loved the take off and landing, and even got to visit Marco in the cockpit before take-off. D enjoyed the personalized tv screens and amenities of “Magnifica” class the chair that laid almost flat, soft blankets, the Bulgari toiletries and eye mask. He wanted nothing to do with the calamari, shrimp and octopus appetizer, but ate some prosciutto, melon, and more than his share of crusty rolls.
Leaving the plane I saw my former coworker Joanne and her husband heading to Venice for a vacation/cruise, and Grandma and Papa saw their orthapedic surgeon from Boston. Our friends from Belmont, who were also on the same flight, helped connect us with our van driver. M had a tough last hour of the flight and van ride with nausea, but perked up quickly when we saw our two floor, three bedroom, three bath apartment with private terrace, view of various churches and rooftops, and kitchen/living room. The kids love their room with two twin beds, windows with shutters that open, and their private bath. Damian washed his hands in the bidet so we quickly clarified the purposes of all appliances in the house.
We picked up fruits at the campo di fiori where the vendors fed the kids cherries and kept them entertained while grandma and I browsed all the fruits and vegetables. We enjoyed an early morning gelato, and stocked up on some basics at a nearby market.
After a quick break in the a/c of the apartment, we ventured out to piazza navona and the pantheon, enjoyed our second gelato of the day.
It’s currently 3:45p and Papa needed a rest. So we’re back in the apartment with some wine and beer before heading out for the night. So far, a successful first day in ITALIA.
A few observations that I realize I touched upon but never wrote about in great detail:
1) white glove service – the taxi drivers and people at the hotel all wear white gloves. even the people who handle the baggage.
2) bowing – I saw some bowing, but not a ton or maybe I’ve grown immune to it? Definitely not in the office. More of a Japanese to Japanese person custom. But in places where people are performing a service it’s more likely: the ticket taker before boarding the bus to the airport, department store and hotel employees. Even when the bus arrived at the airport, there were luggage attendees waiting for the bus and bowing upon its arrival, and departure from the terminal.
3) taxis – the door is controlled by the driver so that one’s hands do not interact with someone else’s germs. And they do not open the door until the payment transaction is complete. Not because they are afraid someone will run out on a bill, but because it would be impolite to rush.
4) currency – not sure if I mentioned it before, but this is a very cash-centric culture. I was warned the day before departing home that I would need more cash than I expected, so to be cautious I doubled the amount of cash I planned to travel with. Good thing that I did as that amount lasted me until yesterday (see ATM excursion.) In addition to 1, 5, 10 yen coins, Japanese currency includes 50, 100 and 500 yen coins, so I was carrying around more coins than usual. Halfway through the trip I dumped out all of my change with the hotel’s cashier desk just to make things lighter and exchange for some bills!
5) silence – Japanese are very comfortable with silence. People will collectively sit and think in meetings. Reminds me of a phrase that I love: you have two ears and one mouth for a reason.
The 1 hour bus ride between the airport and city center was completely full, and extremely silent. No one talking on their phones or even to each other. No rustling of newspapers or the sound of music coming out from someone’s headphones. There’s a small bell on a gift that I am bringing back for Marianna, and it’s stashed in a bag within a bag within a bag in the overhead. And, the bus is so silent that occasionally I hear the bell chime. Looking around, I’m the only gaigin (foreigner) on the bus so it’s obvious that I am the one causing a disturbance in their otherwise orderly commute. Oh well!
6) saying no – the Japanese do not use the word “no.” Body language used to communicate “no” or “I disagree” would be someone dipping their head down a little bit and thinking. (sort of like how Buswell looks when we scold him). Or it could be someone looking up towards the sky. Or there are several types of grunts. Verbally, they would not disagree but instead use phrases to indirectly communicate their position on a topic. “yes that might work” means “no way.” “it is a good thought” means “you are an idiot for even proposing such a thing.” This provides an added element of complications in the workplace.
7) crime – I do not know the statistics, but Japan has a very low crime rate. You do not need to clutch your purse on the subway or fear pickpockets….even at tourist attractions. It would bring shame to the Japanese people if their country was perceived as having crime and was unsafe. There’s a lot of national pride here. Crime just doesn’t exist here like it does in other parts of the world. Yes, there is a Japanese mafia, but that’s the extent of it. School children ride the subways, alone, at all hours of the day and night. I think the safety factor is part of what ingratiates visitors to this country. Despite not knowing any of the language, and the food is a palate change for many, the safety of it all makes things that much easier.
All that being said, one of the leading causes of death is suicide. The pressure for perfection? The long hours in the office resulting in no family life and lack of work / life balance? The masking of one’s emotions? The widespread inability to say “no” ? The combined forces can grate on a person.
Food report: breakfast at narita airport. Ham, egg and cheese sandwich (with a smattering of ketchup on the bread), plain yogurt with fruit cocktail pieces in it and a dollop of jam on top, and a cup of American coffee. Price: 850 yen.
In preparation for this trip, I read somewhere that the Japanese do not regularly use the phrase most Americans know: “sayonara.” I recall the book saying that “sayonara” has a finality to it that the Japanese are not comfortable with. They prefer to leave their farewells open-ended and use some other phrase instead. So, I am not saying “sayonara” to Japan. Instead, I’ll use one of the few phrases that I think is more appropriate: arigato goizaimas — thank you very much.
A few random thoughts and pictures before heading to the airport. And of course I’ll start with food.
1) I think I actually gained weight these past two weeks in Japan. When I wasn’t splurging on pastries and other snack items from the convenience stores, I was eating really good meals and enjoying a beer every night. Definitely more calories than I’m used to, but that’s due in large part to the beer and snacks. The meals here have been so healthy. The beautifully presented little plates promote portion control and high concentration of protein and wide-variety of vegetables certainly help. The Japanese have the lowest obesity rate in the world. Japan accounts for 2% of the world’s population, but they eat 10% of the world’s fish. And they have high standards when it comes to the meat and fruit used in the country. The healthy diet is offset by the large number of smokers here, but even with that factor the Japanese have the longest life span in the world. I have REALLY enjoyed the food.
2) Including some pictures for Kim and Angelus of a sweets shop in Asakusa.
3) Including some photos for Rick of the Mitsubishi A/C displays in Akihabara.
My Japan host (an American coworker who relocated to Japan on his own dime – not here on assignment) met me at the hotel and was very excited to introduce me to two authentic Japanese experiences: eating Chinese food (LOL) and eating Japanese noodles.
After a short subway ride we arrived in Harajuku and waited in line, in the rain, for 15 minutes before getting a seat at the counter of Harajuku Gyoza. I knew Chinese gyoza were what Americans would call potstickers, but for the Japanese it has cache since its less familiar than their own cooking. We had some beer, a side salad of beanspouts with minced pork, and two types of the dumplings. The restaurant was down an alley and all locals. And it’s the only item the restaurant serves: gyoza, gyoza and more gyoza.
Another quick subway trip and we were in Roppongi heading to the original Ippudo for noodles. I had heard of its NYC branch but don’t think I’ve ever actually had an authentic bowl of Japanese noodles. It was perfect. I ordered mine with medium spice, and we has tree mushrooms and bamboo shoots on the side. Added in some condiments to turn up the heat and it was perfect.
Amusing to see the Japanese slurping their noodles noisily. It’s a sign that the food is delicious and an insult to the chef if you do not slurp. I first heard the slurping on the JAL flight to Tokyo where an elderly Japanese male was enjoying his soup with gusto. The plane was so quiet and all I could hear was the slurping!
Noodles was the one food item that I felt like I really hasn’t experienced yet during this trip. I couldn’t have asked for a better meal to end this experience.
For two weeks, I’ve looked forward to this day. A whole day to myself, site-seeing, enjoying Tokyo, without any schedule or real agenda. I would wake up whenever my body clock was ready, and do whatever I felt like, see a temple or two, do some shopping, no set plans.
But, today it rained. A steady, driving rain. All day. Out went the thought that I would spend the day strolling Tokyo and instead I bought an unlimited train pass allowing me to hop off and on the subway.
I started in the Asakusa district which used to be the entertainment district of Tokyo until 300 years ago — think sake shops, tea houses, and kabuki theaters. Now it’s the area most people visit to see the Seiso-ji Complex, a 17th Century Shinto shrine. It’s entrance is frequently photographed for its Kaminari-mon (Thunder God) gate with a huge red lantern hanging in the center. The gate is a replica constructed after WWII since the original was destroyed by fire. The main hall and five-story pagoda are also copies of the originals which burned down in 1945. Sumo wrestlers come here before matches and Kabuki actors visit here before the new season of performances to pay their respects. In one picture below, you’ll see people shaking a silver canister. Make a wish while shaking and a stick comes out. You need to match the characters on the stick to characters on 100 small drawers and you’ll find your fortune inside the drawer. If you are happy with the prediction (the message on the paper and how it relates to your wish), you tie it to the stands so it is further blessed.
From the temple I walked over to Kappabashi, an area where 200 wholesale dealers sell everything a local restauranteur would need for their business: kitchen equipment, paper goods, enamelware, and the plastic food models visible outside of a many dining establishments. I spent A LOT of time browsing these stores who only accept credit cards if you are spending more than 10,000 yen ($125.) I only had 2000 yen left in my wallet for the trip, and I figured that would be OK since I would put dinner and my train ticket back to the airport on my credit card. That left me $20 for lunch and buying something small. Well, I found things I wanted to purchase well beyond my 2000 yen, so I spent the next 90 minutes trying to locate an ATM. Lawsons and Family Mart have ATMs but only accept Japanese credit and bank cards. Thank goodness for mobile phones since a quick Google search explained that a 7-11 market is one of the few places that Americans can withdraw cash. I approached a guy who looked American to see if he knew where there might be a 7-11, and it turns out he’s from N. Smithfield (RI) and was fluent in Japanese (he’s been living south of Osaka for three years teaching English.) It was a miracle! He asked two shopkeepers in Japanese where a 7-11 was located, and escorted me a few blocks away. Phew!
Breakfast: A cup of coffee and slice of egg crepe at Doutor coffee shop. Since the slice of egg crepe was in the same case as the sandwiches, I assumed it was like a fritatta, but it tasted more like a cannoli.
Back on the subway this time to Akihabara — aka Akiba — which is geek/electronics heaven. This district was once all about electronics, but now it’s the place in where nerds go to indulge in computer game fantasies. It’s a whole subculture that I totally wanted to check out. A big focus on anime here too. In the pictures below, you’ll see all these people standing together in a mass playing multi-player games together. Some were huddled together inside of a large electronics store, and others were huddled together outside, in the rain, under their umbrellas. I spent a long time inside one of Yodobashi (see video) — an 11 floor electronics store (imagine 11 BestBuys) browsing all the electronics and toys. Did not have a chance to visit any of the anime stores or visit the cafes where the waitstaff is actually dressed up like the anime characters. It was downpouring, and Yodobashi was located conveniently close to the subway station. Grabbed lunch from Vie De France and hopped back on the train.
Back on the subway — next stop Ningyocho. Ningyocho, recommended by a co-worker, is a sophisticated part of Nihonbashi (where the hotel is located) so I browsed the streets while carrying all of my purchases from the day.
After eight hours in the rain, I was done. No more energy to visit shrines and my clothes were soaked. I didn’t make it to the Imperial Palace. I never did a tea ceremony or saw a Kabuki performance or a Kendo demonstration. No time for museum visits. The Tokyo SkyTree hasn’t opened to the public yet. And I never saw Mount Fuji. But I have assimilated pretty well. Feel comfortable ordering food and navigating the subway. Even though I stick out like a sore thumb — a lot of people stare at me riding the subway — I am so comfortable here. Two weeks and I have barely scratched the surface. I will definitely be back.
Friday night I attended a baseball game at the Tokyo Dome where the Seibu Lions beat the home team, the Yomiuri Giants. A 15 minute subway ride brought me from the Nihonbashi district to the Bunkyo district where the massive Tokyo Dome City is located. The “City” boasts a hotel, a spa, the Dome itself, multi-levels of shops and restaurants, and amusement park rides smack dab in the middle of the area. The largest ferris wheel I’ve ever seen, plus a roller coaster, water flume and merry go round are in the middle of the shopping plaza with the Dome in the backdrop.
Inside the dome most things are similar. It’s a tiny bit larger than Yankee Stadium with 55,000+ seats plus standing room areas. I was unable to find vendors selling merchandise inside the stadium – only food. And I didn’t have time to heed my colleague’s advice and bring snacks with me. Thankfully they didn’t seem more expensive than what we would pay in the U.S. They did offer a variety of Asian meals, snacks, beer and juice boxes. Outside the stadium, the Dome’s “pro-shop” sold a ton of merchandise….from Giants themed-chopsticks to clap sticks to key chains to t-shirts and game shirts. Similar to what you’d see in the U.S., but a larger variety of items appealing to Japanese society that embraces all things “cute.”
The game itself was a ton of fun. A steady stream of chants and songs coming from each team. There was a designated home team section — about 1/3 of the arena, a small section for the away team, and then mixed seating in the rest of the arena, plus standing room sections along the concourse level. The dome was very loud, but the sound was in unison and musical, unlike an American yelling an obscenity at a player from the stands. Each ball player has a specific chant or song dedicated to him.
Video of Giants fans singing their theme song
Video of Lions chant when they scored a run
Video of Giants fans when they scored a run
The Lions brought their own band and had people waving flags, and the Giants were loud too, but doesn’t come across as powerful since the home section was at the opposite side of the stadium from my seat.
Every one was given a game program with what seemed like a trading card glued to the back. At one point during the game something flashed on the screen, and everyone raced to open their card packs to see if they had the winner. I have no idea what the winning card looks like, and no idea what the prize was, so I didn’t bother to open mine – saving it for the kids. A LOT of people were purchasing orange towels with their favorite player’s number on it. When a run scored, they waved the towels in the air. (Gave me a good chuckle since we have TONS of Celtis towels from the games Paul’s attended where the Celtics give them away for free!)
Food report: 6 chicken nuggets (that didnt really look like chix nuggets) in the Dome, and a banana crepe from a food truck outside the dome after the game. I’ve seen a few of these crepe stands around Tokyo so figured it was worth a try. It was a bit soggy so I don’t recommend in the future!
Here’s two quick videos from the Tsujiki Fish Market experience yesterday:
1) The prep before the live auction: http://youtu.be/z1EbIKD4NNk
2) The beginning of the live auction: http://youtu.be/0YqmsHnmmag An auctioneer signals he’s ready to host an auction by ringing a bell for 60 seconds and then launching into the live auction portion. No matter how many times I tried, I couldnt time both the bell and the auction in the same video.
It’s our final day in the office and the Tokyo portion of our work assignment has come to an end. We’re handing out the remainder of the gifts we brought from the states, and reminiscing about the things we’ll miss:
Being my last day in the office, I picked up a creme filled pastry thingy plus coffee for breakfast from Doutor. Pics of breakfast and lunch follow.
Creme filled pastry from Doutor for breakfast
Shumai and tempura for lunch at the cafeteria
I’ve already written a bit about various cultural nuances, so consider this post a mishmash of observations that I want to document before I forget.
1) Elevators
Everyone stands in silence. No talking. And they jam in as many people as possible without any body parts touching. Everyone faces forward and when your floor is reached people kindly step out of the way so you do not need to push past someone to exit. This image is on the inside of the elevator doors at the office.
Say hello with a smile
2) Landscaping
The landscaping around the exterior of the office is beautiful. Here’s just one tree to give a sense of the exterior.
3) Running
Women in the office seem to run a lot. Part of it is the deferential culture, so when they are asked to do something by a colleague or superior, they want to do it quickly to please. So despite the office being very quiet, there’s the occasional instance of a female running. Same holds true in restaurants.
4) Hand washing
In addition to using hot towels to clean hands before dining, the country is now shifting to using cold towels for the warmer months. Even with take-out food there are wet wipes provided. In the bathroom, I’ve written about ways to conserve waste with everyone having their own small handtowels. I recently realized the faucets are set up to only turn on for a VERY small amount of time since they dont want their hands in water — only rinse. The soap that can be dispensed is very liquid – not thick – and therefore suds immediately when you put it on your hands resulting in hand washing without water. Then the water can auto-turn on very briefly just to rinse.
5) Family Mart
If I had more money, I would spend a chunk of change in the Family Mart. It’s like a 7-11 but sells all kinds of packaged snacks, some small toys, drinks, sandwiches and probably 100 beverages.
Baked goods aisle at Family Mart
Here’s a look at the “baked goods” aisle along with a close-up of the unrefrigerated German hot dogs.
Unrefrigerated German hot dog at Family Mart
Family Mart is also where I purchased two items for lunch yesterday since by the time I was done with meetings the cafeteria had closed. First, a triangle of rice wrapped in seaweed — I forget the name of this popular snack. The packaging is ingenious…you unwrap the snack and there are thin pieces of plastic separating the dried seaweed from the moist rice. When you pull out the thin pieces of plastic, the seaweed adheres itself to the rice allowing you to eat it “fresh” without the seaweed getting soggy.
The second item was two thin pink cake-like round pastries that I guess could be similar to donuts. Filled with jelly and cream…..super yummy.
Thursday lunch
Seaweed rice snack
Jelly and creme filled thin pastry
Last night I enjoyed yakitori (meat and veggies on sticks) arranged by one of our hosts in the Roppongi area of Tokyo. Roppongi is a fast-paced area with a lot of night life catering to males, but is not to be confused with Roppongi Hills which is similar to Beverly Hills in stature.
The food at Jomon was delicious and flowed for hours. Pictures below are listed in the order that the food was served. Also enjoyed my first glass of sake.
Today’s adventure begins at 4:30 AM for a visit to the Tsukiji Fish Market. Every day, more than 2,000 metric tons of seafood, worth about 19 billion dollars, changes hands here. A single tuna can sell for approx $20,000 here. A line stretched halfway around the block by 5am for tourists to view the morning fish auction.
We were given bright green smocks to wear so the hundreds of people working the market wouldn’t run over us with their hand-trucks, fork lifts and other vehicles used to transport fish and containers around the auction site. After an hour in line, our group was finally admitted into the auction where for 20 minutes we watched the scene unfold: HUGE tunas, workers buzzing around everywhere, and the auctioneers clanging their bells and working to get the highest price.
Afterwards, I roamed the side alleys outside the market and enjoyed a yummy sushi breakfast. Stayed away from the high end shops with lines out the door. My guess is any place in that area is getting their fish super fresh and it has to be good!
Lilla Travels 