Well, the second day begins with breakfast at a food stall.
Here is what I purchased.
Sandwiches.
The meat and bread are grilled over a charcoal fire in hot weather.
It is very hearty with a lot of ingredients.
The aroma of the charcoal fire stimulated my appetite and I ate it in no time.
After that, I went to the store to buy some Taiwanese tea.
I listen to the story with the help of my cell phone's translation app.
Eggs given during the tasting.
It tasted slightly like tea and was delicious.
The store's mother was making and storing boxes with flyers, and the father was watching a baseball game in his massage chair.
I had a relaxing time, typical of Taiwan.
The chatting was also done via an app, and I was surprised that while some of the nuances were a little strange, they translated at a level that was perfectly acceptable.
Finally, the father, who had been watching the baseball game the whole time, spoke into his cell phone and showed it to me.
It said in Japanese, “Enjoy your trip to Taiwan.
I was so happy that I gave him some sweets.
Then we headed for the museum, the purpose of this trip.
This is the entrance to the museum.
This is what it looks like inside.
I have always wanted to visit a tile museum.
Tiles made in Japan were brought to Taiwan and used for the exterior walls of houses.
It is said that a house where tiles were used was the mark of a rich person.
These people had their tiles custom-made in their favorite colors and motifs.
How luxurious!
This tile features a butterfly motif.
It is said that this pattern is often used because of the similarity in pronunciation between “蝶(butterfly)” and “福(blessing)”.
She told me that peony represents “wealth”.
I learned a lot from a lady who is fluent in Japanese.
I would have liked to stay longer, but my schedule was full and I had to leave the museum.
The lady I had just befriended recommended this lunch.
Cool noodles.
In the region here, cool noodles are served with mayonnaise-flavored sauce.
People in Nagoya also put mayonnaise on chilled noodles, don't they?
It was refreshing, yet mild and very tasty.
After that, we went to Taipei.
I took a bus from the Taipei Railway Station to the High Speed Rail station.
On the way, yellow wisteria-like flowers caught my eye.
Each cluster was large, and there were several on a single tree.
They covered the entire road for quite a distance, so it was quite a sight to behold!
The English name for these flowers is “golden shower.
It is not so easy to find a name that fits so well.
After getting off the bus, I found the same flower.
I have a feeling that this...is going to be a yarn eventually.
The HSR is a bullet train in both comfort and specifications.
A quiet farming village, colorful mausoleums, tropical plants you don't see in Japan... and then a city of skyscrapers that seem to compete with each other.
I arrived in Taipei in no time at all.
I left my luggage at the hotel and had a bowl of mango shaved ice.
I had eaten at the same place last year and it was so good that I had to revisit.
I was able to top it with pudding, which was said to be sold out last year.
The mango juice was still amazing!
It was raining on the way home, so I took out some food from a food stall and ate it at the hotel.
I used a translation app on my phone to place my order, but when I had trouble communicating, a customer who was fluent in Japanese helped me with my order.
Taiwanese people are really kind.
The boiled lettuce was delicious.
I think I can make it in Japan, so I will give it a try!
Travelogue will continue a little more.