I am sorry but I am a little too busy to write this blog now. So if you like please have a look at FAVORITES & DAILY LIFE.

少し忙しくしており、更新滞っております。よろしければ、FAVORITES & DAILY LIFE のページをご覧ください。日々のできごとなど、時間を見つけてちょこちょこ更新しております。

I went for a walk at Holland Park to enjoy the autumn colors. It is a relatively small park compared to more famous garden, for instance Hyde Park or Regents Park, but has many attractions including an orangery, a playing field for children, a cricket pitch, tennis courts and so on. Among them, I like the Japanese-style Kyoto garden. There is a pond with colored carps, an artificial hill and a waterfall. It is compact but the beautiful landscape makes me relaxed.

ノッティングヒルにも近い閑静な住宅地にあるホランドパークには、京都庭園という名の日本庭園があります。そう広くないスペースながら、錦鯉の泳ぐゆったりした池があり、築山や滝もあり、週末は家族連れなどで賑わっています。知り合いが送ってくれた日本の雑誌POPEYE によれば、ここはポール・スミス氏もお気に入りの公園なのだとか。10月半ばのお天気の良かった休日、夫とふたりで散歩に出かけました。美しい孔雀が数羽そぞろ歩くのは、（日本と言うより）東洋のイメージでしょうか。空間とのコンビネーションに目を奪われます。

As one of my friends recommended a nice antique market near her house I visited there, the Northcote Road Antiques Market. Some antique markets look exclusive for me but that market had a friendly atmosphere like I can drop in on my walk. I found out fiddle pattern spoons which I had always been interested in at the market. It is said that the name of fiddle pattern comes from the shape of the handle like a fiddle. Spoons I bought are Victorian silver-plate and carved a lovely initial. I heard that silver-plate has little value as noble metals. But it's no problem for me because I'm just collecting my favorite and useful old things. And I think it's good that these spoons with the initial were used well even if they are silver-plate. 

知り合いの住む街に、可愛らしいアンティークマーケットがあるというので訪ねました。Northcote Road Antique Market です。素人には、ちょっと入りにくい雰囲気のマーケットもありますが、ここは散歩がてらふらりと覗いてもいい感じ。ところ狭しと並べられた古い品々の中に、以前から気になっていた、フィドルパターンのスプーンを見つけました。柄の形が、ヴァイオリン（Fiddle）に似ているのが呼び名の由来だそうです。 19世紀のヴィクトリア時代のスプーンで、持ち主のイニシャルが彫られています。「純銀ではなく、シルバープレート（銅に銀をコーティングしたもの）だから、貴金属としての価値は低いよ」と言われましたが、「好きで普段使いできそうなものを集めているだけなので構いません」と答えました。純銀ではなくても、イニシャルを入れて大切に使っていた気持ちがとても素敵に思えます。

One old plate caught my eye at the Sablon Antiques Market in Brussels. The shop owner told me that it was a 18th century Dutch Delft plate. Delft is tin-glazed pottery made in the Netherlands from 16th century. I was attracted by its oriental pattern and imagined that it would be beautiful if I put it in my Japanese antique cabinet. I bought it in memory of the trip.

ブリュッセルのアンティークマーケットで目に留ったお皿。店主が、18世紀のデルフト皿だよと教えてくれました。デルフトはオランダの陶器。数枚のお皿のうち、これだけがオリエンタルな絵柄で、何となく心惹かれました。東京の住まいにある日本の古い食器棚に並べたらきれいかなとか、酒の肴をちょこっと盛り付けるのもにいいかなとか、あれこれ思いを巡らせ、旅の記念に買いました。

Brussels is well known for having many good restaurants. Why don't you choose a restaurant with tasty baguette if you can't decide which one to go. Scheltema is a brasserie that serves traditional Belgian dishes. Of course you are able to enjoy steamed mussels in white wine sauce but I really liked some appetizers, for instance, marinated sardines or shrimp in garlic cream sauce. It is good to have them with a homemade baguette and wine. I would like to recommend another brasserie, La Brasserie De Bruxelles. I think their specialty is a beef stew. Rich source goes well with a hot bread. Please enjoy it with freshly french fries.

美味しいレストランが多いことで知られるブリュッセルで、郷土料理はもちろん、自家製パンに自信ありというお店を見つけました。ご飯の美味しい和食のお店という感じでしょうかね。Scheltema は地元でも人気のブラッスリー。代表的な郷土料理、ムール貝の白ワイン蒸しはもちろんですが、イワシのマリネや、エビのガーリッククリーム炒めなど、酒の肴にちょうどいい、シンプルな一皿がどれも美味しく、さっくりしたバゲットと一緒に楽しめます。もう一軒おすすめは、熱々のパンが出てくるブラッスリー、La Brasserie De Bruxelles。こちらは、ベルギーの郷土料理のひとつ、牛肉のビール煮込みが看板メニュー。煮込みの濃厚なソースとパンがまた合います。揚げたてのフレンチフライと一緒にぜひどうぞ。

Which place makes you excited? I like an attic with old things and found a place like that in Brussels. Stef Antiek is a famous antique and vintage shop like a large attic (950㎡). Actually I was a little nervous when I moved deeper inside because I didn't know if I was allowed to enter there or not. But it made me excited more. Old things placed in a jumble looked like arts.

わくわくするお店ってあります。ブリュッセルで見つけた Stef Antiek は、大きな屋根裏部屋のようなアンティークと古道具のお店 (950㎡）。奥へ奥へと進むうちに、果たしてここは入っていいスペースなのか? と心細さを覚えるくらい。でもそれがまたわくわくを掻き立てるのです。雑然と置かれた古い品々は、アート作品のようにも見えます。

One of my favorite things while traveling is to wander a local market. Last weekend I went on a trip to Brussels and found an antique market on my walk. It was a small market and I liked its relaxing atmosphere. A small flower stall in the market caught my eye. I was attracted by lovely colors of flowers. I would have bought a bouquet if I lived near there.

旅先でその土地のマーケットを覗くのは楽しみのひとつ。8月終わりの週末、ブリュッセルに旅し、散歩の途中、小さなアンティークマーケットに出くわしました。アンティークより先に目に留ったのは、可愛らしい色合いのブーケを並べた花売りのお店。近くに住んでいたら迷わず買っていたのに･･･なんて思ったりして。

It is a good thing to walk along a cobbled street with a nice bouquet. I sometimes enjoy imaging things like that on my trip.

石畳の街中を、気に入ったブーケを持って歩くなんて素敵じゃないですか?  住人になったつもりで、そんなふうに想像してみるのも楽しい一時です。お店の主人も、さり気なくおしゃれな雰囲気の方でした。

One of the most useful clothes I have bought in London is a John Smedley easy fit knitwear. I like its looser and relaxed silhouette and enjoy it through all seasons. Actually, it is easy to coordinate with other items because it is basic and simple. The price is not affordable for me but as you know, the quality is fine and it is very comfortable. I think it is worth buying. I want to add a same item of a different color in my wardrobe this autumn.

A French man who likes cooking taught me a tip for making Ratatouille. It is to fry chopped tomatoes with garlic in olive oil and boil them about five minutes until soft before adding other fried vegetables. You don't have to add water or canned tomatoes. I cooked as I was told to and could make it better than usual. Today I will eat it with a grilled tuna steak for dinner. Seasonal changes make people sick. I feel that vegetables help me to be in good health. I want to enjoy his recipe again before the summer is completely over.

I feel that the sun's rays and the wind are announcing that summer is coming to an end. The days also are getting shorter. But we still have time to enjoy green of the trees in a park.
I like to take walks in the gentle sunlight.

I think I become more sensitive to the change of the seasons as I get older. It is just a little sad that bright summer days will end soon but Autumn is also a beautiful season. I want to enjoy a nip of Autumn in the air.

When I went to Lewes to visit antiques centers and flea markets I happened to find a nice little  shop, FREIGHT. This shop sells various items produced and designed within the UK. I liked their simple and beautiful products and bought a medium-sized dish which I loved at first glance. Although I thought it was a new thing  the shop assistant told me that it was a British vintage dish. I don’t need many things, luxuries and something special but I want to live with favorite quality things. This shop reminds me of the things like those.

I like farmers' markets. Also in Tokyo, similar markets are held several times a month but  they are small scale and not so common. In London, farmers' markets are held in various places　on a daily basis. I am happy that I can buy good local products easily at reasonable prices.

Finding lovely homemade products and seasonable foods is a lot of fun. If I want to have a gorgeous dinner I only have to grill steak meat and vegetables direct from the farm. My husband like fresh pasta with basil paste, both home-made. It's good to buy jam, juice and cakes with plenty of seasonal fruit for breakfast or afternoon tea. Of course I love wild flowers bouquets.

I am looking forward to next season market!

・London Farmers' Market

It's difficult to explain why I like antiques and vintage items. Old things add warmth and little spice to my daily life. So I don't mind whether they have value as antiques or not. When I saw three little bears at an antique market I imagined some joyful stories, like they were brothers. Actually the stall keeper told me that they were a family. I think that life to take good care of old things is lovely.

One of good things that I become an adult is being able to buy a cake by myself. When I was a child it was a special thing and I just had to ask my mother or someone to buy it. And it didn't always work good.

There are many lovely shops with cakes in London and I like William Curley among them. This shop's cakes always make me happy. I heard that Suzue Curley, a partner of William Curley, is a Japanese woman and a good pastry cook. In a word, their cakes are as Japanese ones with soft smooth texture. So sometimes, I feel I want to eat them.

Today I bought two cakes for me and my husband. Buying cakes give me a pleasure even now.

I went to Rye in April. According to a Japanese travel magazine Rye is a lovely small town
with a medieval atmosphere and we can see picture book scenery everywhere in there.
Many people were attracted by this town. Henry James, an American writer who spent most of his writing career in Britain, was also one of those.

The place I was most impressed with was an old cafe, The Apothecary. I happened to stop there to get out of the rain. I heard that the cafe was renovated from an old pharmacy. Warm old furniture created a good atmosphere. At the cafe I saw local elderly people. Some were reading a book or a newspaper and some were enjoying a chat. They looked like they knew each other because they exchanged greetings. I thought it would be good if I had such a place when I get old.

I like one-pot recipes. They are very simple but we can eat various foods at once. I often cook a one-pot chicken with favorite vegetables.　At first, in a pot, fry a season chicken with salt and pepper on each side until golden brown and remove them. Next cook the onion and garlic until soft in the pot. Slip the chicken back into the pot and add favorite vegetables with olive oil, salt and pepper. Then braise them with a small amount of water. Chicken becomes tender and soup is very tasty. Today I used celery, mushroom and broccoli in a fridge. I like to add cherry tomatoes too.

I went to Paris Giverny last summer to visit Monet’s garden. People who have been to Giverny said that I would be able to see all of the village in half a day. But I stayed overnight because I wanted to have a relaxing time. In more detail, I wanted to enjoy the tranquility of night and the fresh morning air.

We stayed at a wonderful B&B, La Dime de Giverny. The owner was very friendly and told us that he was a graphic designer and renovated hard a 18th-century house by himself. He introduced us to his lovely cat, too.

We had a dinner at a nice restaurant, Restaurant Baudy, near the B&B. We enjoyed local homemade dishes at outside on the terrace. All of the food was simple and really good. I had an Omlette Avec Canard Confit as a main dish. I heard that this dish was mom’s cooking for people of Giverny.

When I just came to London I didn't know how to cook Japanese dishes with British foods. At first, I went round and round in a supermarket because I didn't know what and where things are sold. I mistook turkey for chicken and confused parsnip with murie radish. But I have gotten used to that now and enjoy cooking.

This is crispy fried chicken with sweet-sour leek sauce. Recipe is very easy, so if you like, please try it.

How to cook crispy fried chicken
1. Cut chicken in bit-size pieces and sprinkle some salt and pepper.
2. Dredge the chicken in potato starch.
3. In a deep frying pan or a wok, heat vegetable oil to 180 degree Celsius.
4. Fry the chicken in the oil until golden.

How to make sweet-sour leek sauce
Chopped leek (2tbsp), Granted garlic and ginger (1tsp each),
Soy sauce, water, vinegar, sugar (2tbsp each), Sesame oil (1tbsp)

I dressed vegetable salad with sesame oil, vinegar, salt and pepper. 

I got up earlier than usual Saturday morning and went to a farmers' market with a bouquet in mind. There is a small stool that I like. He sells lovely roses and wildflowers. I can't decide which to buy because they are all wonderful. Today I chose a garden flowers bouquet. It brought the atmosphere of summer garden in our flat.

Summer garden is lovely. Of course I like every season English garden but I think that a summer garden with colorful flowers is like a casket. I visited Chelsea Physic Garden because one of my Japanese friends recommended that it was the second oldest botanical garden in Britain, after the University of Oxford Botanic Garden, which was founded in 1621. It gave me the impression of The Secret Garden by Frances Eliza Hodgson Burnett. I enjoyed a glass of lemonade at the garden cafe.

●　Chelsea Physic Garden