タクシー運転手さんのお陰で Thanks to the taxi driver, 11時10分頃の電車で石山駅に向かうことができました。we head for Ishiyama station at around eleven ten by train.
駅に着いたのがお昼で、Arriving there around noon, we catch the bus at twelve ten, getting Ishiyama temple's gate about half past twelve. その後バスも都合よく来て、12時半頃に石山寺山門前に到着し、有名な蜆めしのお店に並びました。Not finding the restaurant easily, walking past it at first, but using the Google map, we manage to join the waiting line in front of it. すぐにどこかわからず、最初は通り過ぎてしまいましたが、お店の人がうまくお客をさばいていて、私達も先に注文し、釜飯を炊いてもらいながら待ちました。As the restaurant is famous for steamed rice with shellfish called shijimi cooked in a pottery pot, the servers are dealing with customers well, taking orders from them in line. 席に着いて5分ほどで出てきました。So the rice is served in five minutes to our table.
釜のまま出てくるので自分でよそいます。It's served in a pot so we put it in our bowl ourselves. 蜆汁
煮豆や小さな柏餅など付いて、Combined with a shijimi miso soup, cooked beans and a little sweet ricecake , it is 1800 yen. 1800円くらいです。他にはうなぎも名物です。Other than that, broiled eel is another local delicacy.
石山寺は中に入らず、We don't enter the inner part of Ishiyama temple, taking photos of the gate, going to the exhibitions of the NHK historical drama related to the temple. 山門を見て、その後大河ドラマ館に向かいました。
お寺はかなり階段が多いと聞いて歩けない気がしたのです。I don't think I can climb up the stone ladders just in front of the main building of the temple, I wish I had more physical strength. もう少し体力があったらなと思います。参道は新緑が綺麗です。The street to the inner gate is beautiful with fresh greens.
大河ドラマ関連の展示は2か所ありました。There are two exhibitions related to the drama.
これで見ると清少納言ももう一人の主人公なのでしょうか？This board shows Seisho Nagon on the left side is another main character with Murasaki Shikibu in this drama, both are famous writers in eleventh century. 十二単が華やかです。Her twelve layered kimono is gorgeous. むしろ紫式部は清少納言より地味ですね。Murasaki Shikibu, the author of the Tale of Genji on the right is dressed rather modest compared to her. 二人の宮仕えの時期がずれていた（清少納言が去った後に紫式部が来た）史実もあります。It is a fact that their service at the imperial court didn't coincide with each other, actually after Sheisho Nagon left, Murasaki Shikibu joined the female servants for the empress.
ドラマ館では出口に花を毎日変えて水に浮かべているそうです。It seems they arrange flowers in a water bowl every day at the museum, 平安貴族は十二単の色合わせや香道など、優雅な遊びをしていた反面、which reminds me that aristcrats in Heian period from 794 to 1184 played elegantly with such as color combinations of kimonoes and guessing games of purfumes. 勢力争いは現代と変わらず激しかったようです。While competions among the top officials were fierce just like today's.
道長はドラマより現実的で、Michinaga, the male leader of the time may have been more realistic whereas Murasaki Shikibu may have been more introvert than they are depicted in the drama. 紫式部はあまり社交的ではなかったと思いますが、清少納言のざっくばらんなところは枕草子のイメージとドラマが近い感じですね。Sheisho Nagon, however, looks frank and straightforward in the drama similar to the image of her character in her essay Makura no Soshi.
3時が近づいて、It is close to three, we have a tea flavored soft icecream corn outside. 天気の良さにつられてお茶のソフトクリームを食べました。有名なお店で、It seems like a popular shop, so the soft ice cream is rather expensive priced at 400 yen, but it is so good. 400円は高いと思いましたが、美味しかったです。
あっという間に2日間が経ちました。Two days pass ed so fast just in a brink. 駅に戻ると友達ともお別れです。楽しかったです。Coming back to the station, we have to say goodbye going in the different direction. It was so fun.
滋賀県は空気が良く、The air is clean in Shiga prefecture with fewer tourists than Kyoto, which enables us to visit many spots taking your time in a relaxed way. 人もそんなには多くないのでゆっくりいろんな見どころを回れます。今回はほんの少ししか行けませんでしたが、クラブハリエ（たねや）のお菓子も有名です。We just visited one of them briefly, but Club Harrie, a brand of Taneya's sweets are also well known.
また今度は別の季節、長浜や近江八幡にも行きたいです。I'd love to go again in other seasons to other cities in the area, such as Nagahama and Oumi Hachiman.
