I have always loved going places by boat. My earliest memory is a trip from Campbeltown to Greenock on a steamer. I cannot quantify the excitement. Today I go from Okinawa to Tsuken, the island of carrots.
Notice Carrot metaphor
So Tsuken Island is a little patch of land off the east coat of Okinawa. 30 minutes on the ferry and you are there. The great joy of this trip is the birdwatching .
OK this is fairly specialized but stay with me. Okinawa stands out amongst other sea adjacent places I have lived in by having virtually no seabirds.
I live on an island in the middle of the East China Sea yet there are no Seagulls going “gaaa gaaa gaa gaa.” No Guillemots going, ” Gur gur gur gur.” The only seabirds are Terns and they are very difficult to spot. So great joy as my boat trip reveals two rare species of Terns.
Dudes ! This is the Black- Naped Tern. Bad photo I know but taken from far away from moving boat.
On the same seawall!
Roseate Tern! Black hood, red legs.
I arrive on Tsuken Island on fancy bike. Big Red don’t worry this is temporary
So many beaches! No one here.
Pluke
Hermit crabs party
Lady does carrot stuff
Old Boats
Groan, Pacific Swallow
The boat back was much smaller.
My bike and obscure root vegetables leave the island
Phew, it is getting hot.
The Quiet Ripple Defines The Pond 
Although I understand the word zanahoria and its linguistic relevance to the root vegetable growing growing industry of Tsuken, I can’t quite grasp the leap from Arabia/Spain to Japan. Can you expand ? By the way did you know that the original (purple) carrot from Iran was selectively bred into the orange variety by patriotic Dutch scientists ? (Cuidado, this anecdote may be apocryphal. Maybe the Dutch just “adopted” the orange genetic aberration to boost sales in the Low Countries) Either way, these carrots do put themselves about don’t they ?
Carrot does not have the same impact as La Zanahoria!
See:
Also check out the “Romans Go Home” grafitti scene from “Life of Brian”.
Pure Shed. R.I.P.
You mean Dead Shed?
Yes, that one. Joined the celestial choir (in Oxford) years ago but still well remembered at Pock with a memorial plaque in St Nicholas Court.
Barry has a photo of you & me on that steamer in his office – do you want a copy?
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