Luxury PARK 600 RESTAURANT of ROYAL PARK HOTEL in downtown Rochester, Michigan

After checking in, it was still a little bit early for a usual dinner. I was not hungry yet. Tonight Collie has to go home to prepare for attending his friend's wedding tomorrow on Saturday. So we decided to have a quick meal at ROYAL PARK HOTEL. The restaurant is called PARK 600, which as you can see from the link, is a luxury restaurant. 

This restaurant has a lovely open terrace with a refreshing view of trees and a neighborhood. But I preferred an aisle table because it's chilly outside. Also, an aisle seat is more quiet than the center of the restaurant and I feel calm. Friday night...❤︎

It was a unique aisle & window seat. Collie asked me whether I wanted a salad, but it must be a big plate. I just ordered clam chowder for myself. I think "Soup du Jour - chef's inspiration - " was it. 

And Collie ordered "600 Signature Pepperoni" to take the leftovers so I can eat when I get hungry. I thought about it later. In America, you order on the assumption that you will take leftovers home with you. It's a big difference from Japan where people order just as much as they know that they can eat at the restaurant. 

So, ordering "Chopped Cobb" another time must be a good idea. I was thinking about walking to a local cafe to have a voluminous salad breakfast next morning. Though I don't order any salads this evening, I'm saving that pleasure for later. Poor Collie was still sick and felt he could have a bite if it was pizza. Let's share some salad here when we both are in a good condition and hungry, shall we?

"600 Signature Pepperoni" pizza has come! It's written "the best pepperoni pizza ever" on the menu. Actually, it's not what I expected. It was thin, pretty hard, and salty😅

Collie, I will take you to the pizza restaurant to show you how pizza is like for me when you come to Japan, though you don't like it very much...

At PARK 600, every dish is created utilizing locally sourced ingredients, offering us European flavors with an authentic local twist. I'm looking forward to visiting this charming restaurant again.

Then, we went out for a walk to downtown Rochester. We stopped to look at stunning roses climbing on my memorable donuts shop, Knapp's Donuts! 

I didn't intend to get my bangs cut this short. It needed more time to become longer before coming to Michigan...😓

If he was invited to the wedding as the couple, we could have attended together, however, he was not this time. He will drive to a distant city tomorrow. Near Flint?

I will enjoy being back in my favorite Rochester after a long time while he is not here. He booked a hotel in downtown Rochester for me so that I can come back and rest after exploring this charming city. It's so sweet of him. 

My vacation has just started❤︎❤︎　Rose

Collie !!! Long time no see... !

I arrived at Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport for the first time in 5 years. It's disappointing that only 3 or so immigration inspection booths were open for all visitors of the whole flight. I stood lining up with all the visitors for a very long time. I made it to the exit at last.

After 5 years apart, we finally saw each other in person. Collie!!! Long time no see...! His smile was as cute as before. We hugged. Collie was still Collie. The past and the present are connected as if nothing has happened.

Unfortunately, he was not feeling well. He felt nauseous with a little fever and also a headache. It's better I could drive instead of him at a time like this, but I am an inexperienced driver... So, I hopped in his car and he drove to Sylvan Glen Lake Park in Troy so he could have a rest on the way to Rochester, where I was going to stay that night.

Now Collie is sick and needs to rest his body. It's getting to an early evening. I was looking at peaceful Sylvan Glen Lake while he wanted to be alone.

My sixteenth visit to Michigan. Regarding this pretty large number of times, an immigration officer had said to me, "Why don't you guys think about one lives in the other country?" How many years ago it was?

He fells sick sometimes like this. I wish I could be with him here in Michigan. However, I am still in Japan. "Everything will come to you at the perfect time." So many years have passed, but still the time hasn't come?

We only live once. No matter what others say, we decide how to live by ourselves. I make my own path. I thought I should come to Michigan again.

When I look back on my life before I die, I don't want to regret, like, "I should have done more of what I really wanted to do." or, "I wish I had made more time to be with people I love." 

Time is limited, so let's do what I really hope to do. What is important to me? What is essential for me to live happy?

Collie is back. He says he's still sick, but he drove me to Royal Park Hotel in Rochester. 

This year, I got a new bigger suitcase (previous one was very small!) for myself. I didn't realize whether the restrictions on entering U.S.A. from Japan would be lifted soon or not when I bought it, but I liked the suitcase the first time I saw it. It worked! Collie lifts and carries it as usual without rolling it to avoid damaging rollers on the uneven cobblestones, - I like him for being so considerate - and, he is a strong man. 

Though we have been apart in Michigan and Japan, we have been together. On the contrary, it's amazing. There are various partners in the world. 

I've (we've) never stayed at this historical hotel in downtown Rochester. I appreciated he booked it. How it would be like to spend time here? It's wonderful!

It was Friday. My stay in Michigan started from a boutique hotel with the feel of an elegant English manor house.

And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.  I Corinthians 13:13

On June 16th 2023, I flied to Michigan for the first time in 5 years.

The restrictions on entering America lifted finally in May 2023. Now I can fly to Michigan without a vaccination certificate! I felt both excited and nervous. A series of immigration procedures must have been changed since I went to Michigan last time...it was 2018. I will see Collie for the first time in five years.

I'd been always using Narita Airport, so flying from Haneda Airport to Detroit is my first time. I also read some information about Haneda Airport on the net as well as other changed rules related to travel.

I bought my condo during the coronavirus pandemic. Since moving to my current house, Haneda Airport is pretty close by train. It's interesting when I think that way, I am living in a place near America in Japan. 

I looked everywhere inside the airport. Haneda Airport looked new and clean. Narita Airport is larger in terms of airport size. I felt a sense of elation at Narita Airport, like, "I'm going to fly to the U.S.!", however, I rather kept calm At Haneda Airport.

Since I've got a SAISON GOLD AMEX CARD, I should try SKY LOUNGE. The one I visited was TIAT LOUNGE. I can enter by showing the card. I had a good time enjoying coffee. I liked that there was a place where formed milk came out on the coffee machine! Drinking both a coffee & a cafe latte is too much, but I can taste both by adding formed milk to the same cup after I tasted a black coffee itself.

 

I purchased a discount airline ticket of Delta from trip.com. Though it was a type of ticket that can't reserve a seat until 24 hours before departure, I managed to find an aisle seat. 

It was initially forecasted to rain, but it turned out to be sunny. June was an only chance to take a vacation from work before I get really busy.

So... I'm all set.

I will enjoy my vacation. I wonder what kind of events await me? I will watch things to come in a place I haven't seen in a long time.

 

I am a regular customer at Quatre Avril, a homey bistro in Nishigotanda.

Ever since I tried it out, I've been a regular customer at Quatre Avril. It is a bistro of French homemade food in Nishigotanda, a district of Shinagawa, and the nearest railroad station is Fudo-mae Station on the Tokyu Meguro Line in Shinagawa.

Healthy and nutritious!  Lively ingredients!

The lunch menu is different every time I go. 

I am showing up here to enjoy lunch every week, so an owner-chef from South France gave me free dessert. What a joyful surprise!

The situation at that time is →→→ ❤︎a short video inside of Quatre Avril❤︎

Maybe you don't know...I solitarily started being on Instagram this year. Your likes and follows make me happy❤︎❤︎❤︎

I will start a Michigan travelogue from next time!  Rose

A Christmas time God gave me.

It was in January 2023 that I knew Fr.Callistus at FCC (Franciscan Chapel Center) had passed away last month. I was in the depths of sadness.

One day, I walked to Ballon in Nakameguro. It is a small vegan cafe that provides vegan food like falafel sandwiches, vegan soft serve ice cream, and more. 

This cafe has a very smooth organic coffee served with a nice cup. Taking a seat, I felt calm at the mild taste and foam. It's my cup of "coffee".

I realized they were playing Christmas songs in the store in spite of late January.

Since I lost my biological father in mid-December, I couldn't even feel the Christmas vibes everywhere in the city. But I could feel comforting Christmas through the quiet Christmas music played at the small place in January. I think Fr.Callistus went to Heaven at Christmas time. 

God, thanks for giving me a time to be with Fr.Callistus here.  －   This became my Christmas.

I didn't imagine that a falafel sandwich made of only vegetables would be this delicious! Not only healthy but also tasty...

  +  +  +

I showed up at Ballon later again in February.  It's just the time when I'd been thinking about quitting my job. 

I tried a vegan soft serve & a vegan banana muffin. Delicious, Healthy, Environmentally Friendly. Each has a gentle taste as well as a repeated organic coffee. Luckily, you can ask for soy milk if you want.  

+  +  +

Time has passed. Today is October 1st, 2023. My business at the present company is within this year. I went through the toughest time. I should use my paid holidays to take care of myself, so just a little more patience at work.

I sometimes think about my spiritual father & biological father. At times like that, I always pray, 

"May both fathers' souls be happy and in peace forever..." 

Dedicated to both fathers who ascended to Heaven in December 2022.

KUA'AINA is once a month pleasure.

My once a month pleasure is going to KUA'AINA! My favorite is TUNA & AVOCADO Sandwiches. If bread is healthy food, I can go there a lot, but I can't because modern wheat has undergone too much breeding. Repeated selective breeding, agricultural chemicals, and post-harvest at import from U.S.A or Canada to Japan... We should stay away from foods that are not good for the body.

I hope KUA'AINA bread is made with 100% domestic made wheat because glyphosate is not used for flour in Japan. But as long as the restaurant doesn't mention anything about the safety of their bread, there is a high possibility that they use imported wheat from U.S.A. or Canada which includes glyphosate. 

So...that is the reason why I'm trying to eat it just once a month. I am so sorry, I do love this sandwiches!

French fries here are not my type as I like ones without breading or batter, however, I appreciate that coffee is organic! French fries include enormous acrylamide to produce carcinogen. That's too bad...

Recently, I knew the fact that glyphosate was detected in flour used at Panera Bread, Pizza Hut, Outback Steakhouse, Papa John's, Domino's Pizza, Whole Foods, SUBWAY, Dunkin' Donuts, McDonald's. Glyphosate is found not only in imported flour but also even within U.S.A.! At the present time, many people are eating GMO flour including glyphosate without knowing.

I used to enjoy pancakes. Dreamy whipped cream is one of my favorite things. But also we have to worry about flour, and AGEs (Advanced glycation end products).

We should be careful about what we eat to stay healthy. Unfortunately, the better something tastes, the worse it is for you.

Welcome to my page！

It's been a while again since I posted a blog last time. I thought I should write every weekend, but I couldn't do it last weekend. I stayed home both on Saturday & Sunday. I was lying down on bed...

I had a headache today, too. It seems that I need to drink coffee or cocoa in the morning or else I'll get a headache later in the afternoon. So I am writing with a black tea with soy milk to have moderate caffeine. I am feeling better. I might not be able to sleep this night, though.

Too much work and stress keep me away from talking to people. I just want to be alone without thinking anything. I had to be out frequently taking care of personal business. August became another busy month.

Meanwhile, there was also good news. A landscape photo I took will be the cover photo of the ward assembly newsletter. It is a monthly one dropped in a mailbox of every household, 232,754 according to the census in August 1st, 2023. There is a web version, too.

I want to dedicate my time to improve my English skills after leaving the present company. I am hoping English will be at the center of my life. Another plan is staying in Michigan for a month or possibly more next year. 

Soon I can have an enough blogging time. It's one of the things I want to do in my life. So, the good news that my landscape photo will be printed on the front cover is encouraging! I will enjoy writing and sharing my photos with people who visit my blog.

Thank you, Rose