30. Chapter: Eagle over Maizuru or enough is perhaps enough

Maizuru is quite a large port city, full of merchant ships, warships, fishing boats, and excursion steamers. It is located around a wild and rugged coastline, which I actually wanted to see from above because I had seen photos of that view.

Early in the morning, I take a long walk to the one harbor filled with fishing boats, mostly small and very old, many nets and buoys on the harbor wall, moss-covered boxes and metal grids, all very picturesque. I had planned to find a breakfast café on the way, but such a place does not exist here.

On my way, I pass one of the city’s sights: a long, narrow canal full of boats and many old houses built right on the waterline, called “Maizuru's Little Venice,” truly lovely!

Here lies a small hidden shrine as well, and since there is really nobody nearby, I dare to shake the thick rope with bells on top a bit to wake the gods, clap my hands twice as I observed Japanese people do to catch their attention, and send a short prayer for everyone’s health to the Shinto deities, clap again twice and bow, since no one is watching! At some point during the trip, I also donated a candle, but I think that was with the Buddhists. Can't hurt....

On the quay stand some anglers, cigarette in mouth (“Surabaya-Johnny…”), trying to catch something, as I can see, with very moderate success and tiny little fish. They use a kind of paste as bait, which they smear into a basket. Above this, the fishing line is attached with several hooks stacked over each other, always about 30cm away from the next. They find it amusing that I am interested in that.

Above the group, five or six birds of prey circle repeatedly, for me, all eagles, but they could also be falcons or hawks, I have no idea about birds, hoping that the men will throw their meager catch back into the water.

When I still haven't found a café by half past ten, I decide to leave the mountain be. I had intended to find a taxi that would take me almost to the summit where the observation tower is located, but the prospect of having to descend about an hour through unknown terrain from up there, especially with the current bear hysteria in Japan, leads me to the realization that even my energy has its limits, and so I happily jump on the next train to Kyoto. (By the way, it's great on the trains that with a step on a pedal you can turn every seat completely around, so you always face the direction you want to look)

This was probably one of the last truly warm days and evenings here. So I sit by the river for the rest of the day and happily have a glass of red wine in the evening with jazz.