My Japanese Suffolk Puff Scarf - Make Museums a Destination - News from Yukiko

I have been meaning to share with you for some time a lovely scarf I bought while on holiday. It came from a museum boutique (of which more later) and it wasn't particularly expensive - 30 Euros. It is composed of tiny Suffolk Puffs about an inch in diameter in a subtle range of Japanese fabrics which I fell in love with at first sight. I spent ages just examining the cloth of each puff on my flight home. They are as lovely as jewels to me.
Here you can see how all those variegated fabrics are working together to create a wonderful long scarf. Maybe this is something you could make with your own nimble fingers. I know when I have a moment sometime in the next 10 years, I would like to make one in shades of indigo.

So, the museum where I bought it is the Musée des Arts Asiatiques at the very end of the Promenades Des Anglais in Nice, near the airport. When I was visiting they had a wonderful exhibition of Korean textiles. If you are in Nice, you could just take the bus down there. But I am a great fan of making my museum trips somewhat special, as you know, like combining them with a walk round a headland and a picnic. My favourite way of getting to the Asiatic Museum in Nice is to head in the opposite direction, to the flower market in the Cours Saleya in the early morning, buy a copy of Nice Matin and have a restful coffee in the sunshine. Then I walk through the arch to the sea at the top of the Baie Des Anges and plunge myself into the dazzling light. Across the road right by the side of the sea you can pick up a Velo Bleu - a rental bicycle - if you click here you can find instructions in English on how to operate this. It costs just one Euro a day if you are prepared to change bikes every half hour - or a little more if you want to stay with the same bike. So, I ride the whole length of the Promenade by the sea, being careful of children on roller skates, fur coated ladies with small dogs and courting couples because love is blind. Cycle for twenty minutes then look out for the next rental station to switch bikes if you are wanting to make the journey for 1 Euro. It takes about 45 leisurely minutes to reach the Museum - all on safe cycle path. There is another rental station just by the museum for you to leave your bike.

Not only is the museum heaven - it is open on Mondays - yes! Anytime you go you will find fabulous items there. And what is better - there is an Asian tea shop there where you can buy a lovely pot of special tea. And the boutique, located right next to the tea shop is a fabulous place to buy beautiful gifts and books. Click here to visit the museum now.
News from Yukiko who has two young children and lives in Kanagawa is reassuring. She says: I and my family are all OK. The nuclear plant accident is so scary for us, but it’s far from Kanagawa. Now many army and fire fighter make effort to stop this accident. I read on newspaper many people all over the world pray for Japan, and so many rescue team and dogs come to Japan from all over the world. So many Japanese feel we are not alone. We thank people who are thinking of Japan. We have 3-7 hours power failure weekdays now. Many shops sometimes open only 4 hours a day. So I feel some inconvenient, but that’s no problem because I have my family and comfortable home. Now I feel happiness to spend daily life, it’s miracle. We are very shocked to see Tohoku area. We went to Tohoku last Summer, we have many good memories of that area. I spent 3 years at Sendai in my childhood. Sendai is very beautiful city called forest city. So I’m very anxious about my elementary school teacher. Now my family think about what we do for Tohoku. Thank you very much for thinking of us. I would like to express my heartfelt thanks to you.We shall continue to think about you, Yukiko, every day.