On Aug 21, 8:53 am, mtfes...@netMAPSONscape.net wrote:
> Declan Murphy <declan_mur...@hotmail.com> wrote:
> > I don't know why, but the approach of each summer fills me with dread.
> > Age or something perhaps. It used to be my favourite season in Japan.
> > What about you guys?
>
> I always liked spring and autumn when I was in Tokyo. Summer was too hot.
> However, in Shikoku, somehow, the summer heat seems, I dunno, the
> natural order of things, and the occasional thunderstorm made it that
> much better.

I agree on all of the above, but Shikoku (for me) in summer involves
getting to & from there in endless traffic jams, so I haven't bothered
since 2004 or thereabouts. I only went as far as Mie today, but in
total spent at least 3 hours driving at less than 30km/hr. Either I
have a lower boredom tolerance, or its something else.

> > I'm off to Mie tomorrow with a busload of students to visit windfarms,
> > dams, national parks and whatever, after which I'll open a bottle of
> > wine or two and raise a glass to the end of the summer from hell.
>
> Supposedly, Japan is starting to make some decent wines from its own
> grapes (they used to make some bad wine from domestic grapes, and decent
> wine from imported Australian grapes.) Can you verify or refute that?

Can neither verify nor refute. I drink mostly imported wine. Italian
(mainly from Piedmost, mostly Barolo), French or Australia/NZ.