Fashion and Food

Reading: Ulysses, James Joyce
Listening: Can't Get Enough of Your Love, Barry White
Craving: baked potato with all the fixings

Thursday, March 29
After a rough morning of checking e-mails and updating my blog, I lunched with Okabe-sensei at Pesce Vino, yet another wonderful Italian restaurant in Miki.

cream of potato soup

bread assortment (pumpkin roll, tomato-basil loaf, focaccia)

shrimp and clam spaghetti in butter garlic sauce

strawberry gelato

iced coffee

The food might not beat Osteria Dell 'Arancio, my constant favorite, but with iced water carafes in the shape of whimsical fish, Pesce Vino still ranks quite high in my heart.

After work, I caught the train into Sannomiya, finding a good travel partner in one of my co-workers (a computer teacher), who daily commutes ninety minutes from her home in west Kobe. I've barely uttered more than an "おはようございます。" to her, but on our forty minute ride, I learned that she loves art and British literature and has visited Hawaii several times. I think we'll make good friends. At the station, I bought four luscious pastries from Fred's before meeting Lena.

We visited the Hollywood Fashion Exhibit at the Daimaru Museum, where I only wished that I could steal away the two dresses worn by Audrey Hepburn in My Fair Lady.

"Words, words, words! I'm so sick of words!"

Even when singing in anger, Audrey looks beautiful.

The Ascot costume is not my favorite, but it's the classic dress of the film.
(I love the shimmering evening gown she wears to the Embassy Ball.)

Other dresses featured included ones worn by Marilyn Monroe, Grace Kelly, Barbra Streisand, Reese Witherspoon (Sabrina-style floral dress from Walk the Line), and Gwyneth Paltrow (lime green dress paired with matching Manolos), and costumes from films such as Titanic, Gone With the Wind, Fight Club, and The Matrix.

We found dinner at one of the nearby restaurants. Our server took our orders for steak dinners in English. No, we did not eat exorbitantly priced Kobe beef.

proscuitto and strawberries in a bell pepper sauce

corn soup

MEAT. Me love.

Lena concentrating on her bread.

strawberry tart and ohsocreamy vanilla ice cream

We checked out Antenor, a popular cafe nearby Tokyu Hands for after-dinner coffees. Overlooking a four-way crossing, this shop features choice seats for people watching. Oddly (or true to character), I was still a bit hungry, and I ordered a bacon and spinach quiche (buttery and light, paired with fresh olives and plum tomatoes) in addition to our cake sampler and coffees.

(L to R) chocolate raspberry cake, strawberry shortcake, cheesecake
matched with a chocolate crisp and smooth vanilla ice cream

My caloric intake for this day most likely exceeded that of two average persons. Bring on the weekend eats.