Bubble

Don't let it be forgot
That once there was a spot
For one brief shining moment



A chapter of our life is ending. It was a wonderful, dreamy time in a bubble. It is hard to accept that we each have to go our own way now. It is going to be tough to keep the dream when we are separated in a small individual bubble floating in the vast world and reality will strike us harder. But we will think back on all the tales that we remember of the days! (And let's see what will happen in 24 years from now.)

Flamenco

We spent half an hour or more debating whether or not we should go and see a flamenco show. And we did! The energy in the dance was incredible!



I couldn't help pulling out my sketchbook and try catching the movement and the lines.





Sometimes I can get stronger, fresher lines when it is quick.

Doñana National Park

We visited the Doñana National Park, the Europe's largest nature park and the natural heritage site. It was honestly "my day" during the trip!


ドニャーナ国立公園の玄関となる町は、巡礼の地として有名なエル・ローシオだ。セビリアからバスで2時間弱だが、ローシオ巡礼のときは、ペンテコステス（聖霊降臨祭）の日に向けて、セビリアやさらに遠くから、多数の人がこの町に歩いてくるという。数軒にひとつは正面入り口の上に教会のような鐘がついている。町中の道路は、馬が蹄鉄を付けずに歩けるようにと舗装されておらず砂になっている。時代感覚をなくしてしまうようなところだ。



Part of the Ermita de El Rocío.



Squacco Heron（カンムリサギ）
国立公園にはガイドがいないかぎり個人的には入れないようだ。午前中一杯の自然観察ツアーに参加し、四駆の車で保護区をまわった。ジブラルタル海峡を渡ってきた夏鳥が、もう盛んにさえずっていた。
There was a variety of big waders, purple herons, night herons, cattle egrets, glossy ibises, spoonbills, white storks and and...flamingos!!!



Corn Bunting （ハタホオジロ）
In the woodland and the field, we saw bee-eaters, woodchat shrikes, a great grey shrike, serins, a pied flycatcher, azure-winged magpies...



コキンメフクロウ
Our guide had an amazing eye and he spotted this little owl sitting camouflaged in the dead tree trunk.



セイタカシギ　
Black-winged stilt was one of the commonest birds there. When they sit on their nests, their long legs stick out strangely!

Andalucía

My friend and I made our farewell trip to Andaluía, Spain. We needed the bright happy sun. Spain was beautiful. The buildings have white bare walls with mustard coloured frames and black decorative fences and they all shine in the sun!



Glorieta Curro Romeo
I don't know how many hours we spent looking at this scenery talking about art and beauty and life and ethic. Orange trees were everywhere in Seville. I realised that how vegetation can change the atmosphere of the place. Seville looked tropical with the palm trees, bougainvillea, trees with entwined roots.



セビリアの理髪師のロジーナが顔を出すバルコニー



We also spent quite a long time under the huge wood structure looked like mushrooms, the Metropol Parasol. This is a sketch from there. Lots of tiles are used in the buildings. Lapis lazuli colour matches very well with the mustard frames.



We also visited Cordoba for a day. We found this lovely alley way with geranium hanging from the windows and started to sketch. While we were in the middle of drawing, a young man from the nearby hotel came out and asked us if we would like to see and sketch the roof top view of the city.



So some minutes later we found ourselves sitting in a comfortable chair with cushion on a terrace under a parasol. Thank you so much!

Water Voles

Water voles were very active and eating grass right next to a trail. They eat so fast and non-stop!



It was warm day and they looked like having so much fun swimming in the water.



I would have loved to stay there for hours and hours sketching. I wish I could go back there easily and watch them, thinking about the next story idea...



There was a tunnel that had one end on the bank and another one under the water. Sometimes, they poked their face out from the hole and looked around. They were so cute!



Nice couple of Wheatear.



Black-tailed Godwits were all turning to beautiful summer plumage. It was high tide time and they were roosting at the inland water with their beak tacked inside. So I was trying hard to draw the ones of preening and ended up with lots of lines which make no sense.

Lavenham

My friend kindly took us around to some beautiful fairly tale villages, Clare, Long Melford, Lavenham and Kersey in Suffolk. Many houses are painted in yellow and pink and orange, quiet version of Burano island, and either have pargeting or Timber-framed.



The houses are all leaning this way and that way because the timbers have moved over the century but they are still standing firmly and people are actually living in there! This is what I really love about here. Old buildings are not just kept as historical attractions or museums. So many of them are still used as somebody's daily home and because of that they are lively.



Although they are all in different bright colour and sitting right next to each other, somehow they look so pretty. It maybe because the colour are actually in quite similar shade and tone with lots of white in it.

Spring birdwatching

Garganey（シマアジ）



Nuthatch （ゴジュウカラ）
A nuthatch poked its head out of a nest box. I was quite surprised because it was using a nest box put up as low as about 1.5 meter in height. And then I realised that it maybe all right in the UK because there is none or very few dangerous snakes to invade their nest.



The sky was pure blue without a single cloud and it was reflected on the still surface of the mere.



A quick sketch of a bittern!（サンカノゴイ）



I am still not sure if it was a 1st winter female Stonechat or a female whinchat. But since it had a white throat rather than orange one, I am thinking it might be a Stonechat.



A sneaky sketch at the RSPB indoor meeting.

おめでとうございます！

ヤクザル調査隊の好廣先生の退官記念に。先週末にあったヤクザル調査隊による退官記念パーティには100人以上が集まったという。イギリスからは、とても遠くて参加できなかった。
普段は誰しも別々に生きていて、近くに住んでいても顔すら合わせないことが多いから、日本にいようがイギリスにいようがあまり関係ない。でもこういうみんなの思い出の１ページとなる出来事に参加できないと、間に横たわるユーラシア大陸が大きく感じる。結婚式や記念イベント、3.11の地震の記憶だってそうだ。みんなで「あの日」と思い出す、何となくの一体感がなくなるから、自分が別世界にいるような気がしてくるのだ。



Yakushima Macaque
Lino print with pencil on top. I fell in love with this method that Erin E. Stead does. I need more experiments!

ヤクザル調査隊

今年もヤクザル調査隊員の募集がはじまったようだ。わたしが参加したのは2006年、2007年。なんだかずいぶん昔のような気がする。でも先月、この調査で出会った知人がイギリスに来るというの連絡をくれ、二人で一日ケンブリッジ観光をした。いまだに続く友人関係と濃密な思い出を築いた調査だった。



Poster for the Yakushima Macaque research.
初参加者はほぼ先着順に参加の可否が決まるので、ご興味があればお早めにお申し込みください。

◇◆◇ ヤクザル調査隊 ◇◆◇
屋久島の山の中でキャンプをし、定点、追跡調査によりヤクシマザルの群れの個体数や行動圏を記録する調査。
2013年の調査期間
前期：8月10日〜21日
後期：8月22日〜9月2日
募集人員：約40人
参加費：15,000円（半期）、30,000円（全期間）
申し込み締め切り日：7月7日
本格的に社会人化する前に、わたしももう一度参加したい、と思っているのだが・・・。

Roma

After Bologna, we headed down to Rome. I love the funny shaped pine trees!



"Where do you live?"
"...Colosseum..."



ちょうど3月はじめに見に行った「トスカ」の第三幕の舞台、サンタンジェロ城。
先週、BBCラジオのプッチーニについての特集番組で、プッチーニは「トスカ」を作る際、写実を徹底しようとローマを訪れて、地理を把握したり、街で鳴る鐘を聞いたりと、さまざまなリサーチをしたというエピソードが語られていた。サンタンジェロ城からトスカが身を投げても、テベレ川までは距離があるので、川に落ちることはあり得ない、などという点まで言及しているらしい。
自然科学をベースにしつつお話を作ろうと思うと、話としておもしろくまとまるラインと、科学として正しいラインを維持するのに苦労する。写実主義の芸術家は、誰でも抱える悩みなのかもしれない。

And of all the amazing things in Rome, the Cappella Sistina was something beyond comparison. When I think back I can still feel the great, powerful atmosphere under the paintings and still hear the low voice saying "silent please!"

Now the Italy trip, one of the last and the biggest events of my pretend student days, is over. I need to move on and step forward somehow!