Art Field Trip--Hokusai and Hiroshige in Southern Ehime

Sat. Saijo City-->Seiyo City
So, here's the route I had to take from my city to the Ehime Prefecture (my prefecture's) Culture And History Museum. It was, one way, about a 3 1/2 hour trip (yikes!) But I was on a mission--to go see the famous woodblock prints on display--until today, Tues 11/3. So, this was my last chance to go..even though I had a couchsurfer coming in that afternoon (!) and i had to pick her up in matsuyama. So, I got to matsuyama and had to change trains...and I told the station attendant that I had to go to Seiyo. She then smiled and said to me: No trains go there. Is that OK? So, not to be outdone with nonchalance, I just smiled back and said, Sure, thats fine! Then promptly ran off crying to the folks at the ticket booth. Luckily a much more helpful lady got me the name of the station I was going to, directions to the museum from the station, and this lovely picture I'm holding of the flier for the exhibit. Then, off I went! I took the express train from Matsuyama to Unomachi, the station for Seiyo city, and it had these pictures on the side. How adorable! They are of Anpanman and his friends, a popular TV show for kids in Japan. As you may have noticed, they are all shaped like food, and have special powers. What more could you want from your superheroes?
From the train I saw this slightly less impressive small mountains and this cool lookin old school locomotive. There ya go. So, I get to the station, and yeah... I thought my town was small...how the prefecture's museum wound up in This place, I have no idea...(who bribed who.) But armed with a map and a sandwich for lunch, I set off for the museum with about an hour to look around once I got there..
...so I'm walking for about 20 minutes, knowing where I'm going, feelin pretty good about it. Then I see the museum.
It's right to my left.
and about 500 feet up at the top of a hill.
THAT wasn't on the map.
So... I groaned and bugged these two ladies talking in a field to ask how to get up the dang hill...so, after that pleasant exchange (and laughter after we fudged through an english/japanese hybrid mix of instructions) I sucked it up and started climbing up the winding road to the top of the hill at 1:30 in the afternoon. (*yay*)
So, get to the top after a good 15 minutes, and buckets o'sweat, and this sight greeted me:
Beautiful trees just beginning to change color, including this bright brick red number there in the middle.

The view on the right is from the balcony of the restaurant where I got some ice cream.










Well, toured the exhibit and got to see some works of art that I have only seen in books---right in front of me. As close as I wanted. Including some works by Van Gogh, inspired by the Japanese ukiyo-e master Hiroshige. It was interesting to see Japanese works rendered in western Dutch oil paint style. Talk about a global world! After touring the prints, I even got to make my very own ukiyo-e print myself....nice, right? check out the sail, what detail! It was easy to make...rolling ink on the upraised stamps, then stamping on the different colors at different times...red, yellow, blue, green, and black ink, in that order. It was eye-opening to see how easy the process is. Much easier to understand once it's done by hand.
Then it was time for the train ride back, and meeting Khaya, my Russian/American couchsurfer. That's a whole other story!