Midsummer Vespers
Darkness settles after eight,
So the oak leaves look like
Shadowy clouds.
The evening star is out,
And below it, a star-like airplane
Travels east, beyond the tips
Of distant pines and palms
I wonder what time it is
In Japan,
What time it is in Italy.
I still hear the voices of children
Playing in the cul-de-sac,
And the gloaming breeze
Has not yet come.
“Please,” I whisper,
In a voice that sounds like wind
Within me. Then I exhale,
“Thank you.”
July, with its warm nights and gorgeous dawns, is definitely the high season for summer vacations and traveling. Hawaii, where I live, has long been a favorite destination for individuals, couples and families who want to relax in a safe, comfortable, English-speaking location filled with beaches, mountains and exquisite beauty. The Aloha spirit and plenty of good food elevate Hawaii to the top of the list, not just among Americans, but among Asian tourists as well.
In summer sprinkles,
The stars still glitter on the
White plumerias.
Now that covid is long gone, the Japanese tourists are flocking to Hawaii again, and many of them prefer the convenience of spending their entire vacations in the charming city of Honolulu.
In the pink twilight,
The banyan’s long roots dangle
Into the canal.
The summer wind rolls
Through the city, making waves
On the swimming pools.
Honolulu is a smaller city than Los Angeles, New York or Chicago, and it is tiny compared to Tokyo. Hawaii’s capital city is an easy place to navigate on foot, tour bus, city bus or Uber, and for a relatively small city, it has a wide array of attractions. Wayne and I spent twenty-five years visiting Hawaii as tourists before we chose to retire from our pleasant life in California and become Kamaaina, or local residents. During that long space of years, we stayed on all of the Hawaiian Islands, the Big Island of Hawaii, Kauai, Maui, Lanai, Molokai and Oahu, where Honolulu is located. We chose Oahu as our home because it offers so many cultural and historic wonders and learning opportunities in addition to the natural beauty that can be found on all the Hawaiian Islands.
The full moon drags the
Low tide out to the reef; sand
Crabs have their moment.
Creamy hibiscus
Lifts in the wind; on the reef,
White caps ride the waves.
Honolulu’s cultural attractions include, in addition to some of the best hotels and restaurants in America, the glorious parks and beaches at Ala Moana and Waikiki, the Exquisite Hawaii Symphony, the Honolulu Opera, the magnificent Iolani Palace, America’s only royal residence, the historic Hawaii Theater, where local musicians, comedians and other artists from throughout the world have performed for more than one hundred years, a thriving Chinatown, museums, including The Bishop Museum where the world’s largest collection of Polynesian artifacts is kept and displayed, the charming Honolulu Zoo and Aquarium and the sobering and well maintained Pearl Harbor National Memorial.
At the U.S.S.
Missouri, silent tourists
View the Armistice.
Children stare up at
The huge whale, hanging in the
Bishop Museum.
At Iolani
Palace, a plover strides past
The ancient Banyan.
Before we decided to move to Hawaii, Wayne and I spent many happy years also traveling to other beautiful and historic tourist destinations, and two countries captured our hearts and lured us back for many additional visits—Japan and Italy. Though on opposite sides of the earth, both countries resonated for us with an elegant and timeless beauty, a historic reverence for art and spiritual values, and a culture that is dignified, welcoming and steeped in traditional kindness.
Kannon’s statue stands
Among blue hydrangeas in
The shade of a pine.
At St. Peter’s the
Young Swiss Guards stand silent as
The old Pope arrives.
Our book on this website, Sharing Tea: The Road Back to Civilization, reflects our love and respect for these two ancient countries. The “Calendar of Tea Parties” chapter begins with A Japanese New Year’s Tea, complete with a menu and recipes for preparing several traditional Japanese foods for your own New Year celebration. These easy recipes include Pickled Cucumber Salad (Cucumber Namasu,) Seasoned Spinach (Spinach no Oshitashi,) and two desserts of European origin adapted for Japanese fans of French and British pastries: Black Sesame Seed Shortbread and Green Tea Madeleines. My August 2024 Blog, “Tokyo, Trends and Traditions,” also includes a light and lovely Japanese dessert, Ginger Gelatin with Grapefruit.
Tokyo ladies sip
Cappuccino and nibble
Matcha madeleines.
Italy is also well represented in Sharing Tea, with An Italian Tea included in “A World of Tea Parties.” This menu, developed by my co-author and niece, Kathleen, whose paternal grandparents immigrated from Italy, contains some easy Italian classics, including Caprese Salad (a glorious blend of mozzarella cheese, fresh tomatoes and basil,) Polenta and Roasted Pepper Timbales, and some of Italy’s most famous pastries and desserts: Pistachio and Golden Raisin Biscotti, Amaretti (Almond Macaroons,) Panforte and Cassata alla Siciliana.
World famous Italian specialties also appear in Kathleen’s blogs. In her December 2019 blog, she shares her family’s traditional Seven Fishes Christmas Eve menu, including the recipes for several historic Italian Christmas Cookies. And her February 2019 blog celebrates Valentine’s Day with a heart-shaped Panna Cotta, Italy’s favorite gelatin pudding.
In Milan, workers
End lunch with strong espresso
And panna cotta.
Shortly after we settled into our condo in the Kakaako neighborhood of Honolulu, we were surprised and delighted to discover an elegant Italian and Japanese fusion restaurant less than a block from our new home. This lovely culinary wonderland is named Bernini, we assume for the Italian sculptor and Baroque style architect, Gian Lorenzo Bernini, who was born in Naples in 1598 and died in Rome in 1680. Among his other masterpieces, Bernini is best known for designing St. Peter’s Square at the Vatican. Here we have an example already of the shared Italian and Japanese appreciation of art and history. Both cultures also love good food, so we decided to celebrate our Sixty-Second Anniversary at Bernini.
This unobtrusive looking restaurant is located at 1218 Waimanu Street, near Piikoi, adjacent to the massive Ala Moana Shopping Center, a foodie’s paradise in its own right. We were welcomed graciously by the polite and attentive staff. This was our second visit to Bernini, so we were familiar with the extensive tri-lingual menu in Italian, English and Japanese, which changes seasonally. It is also apparent that the intended patrons of this rather formal restaurant are Japanese tourists. Italian food is very popular in Japan, and some of the best authentic Italian food we have ever eaten was in Tokyo, prepared by Japanese chefs who were trained in Italy. While the menu clearly offers Italian food, divided into sections for Appetizers, Soups and Salads Pizza, Pasta and Desserts, the ingredients reveal a nod toward Japanese culinary preferences. Wagyu Beef (American, not imported from Japan,) appears multiple times on the menu, as do various kinds of shellfish and seafood popular in Japan. These marine offerings include sea urchin, clams, king crab, lobster, scallops, shrimp and squid. Carpaccio appears more than once on this menu, featuring both raw beef and raw tuna. Carpaccio is essentially the Italian version of sashimi, the Japanese word for raw fish, often served on sushi. However, the Italian version, “invented” in 1950 by Giuseppe Cipriani, co-owner of Harry’s Bar in Venice, is usually not shellfish but flattened and pounded raw beef.
Japanese tourists
Order pizza and raw fish
In Honolulu.
For our anniversary meal, Wayne and I ordered randomly, not from any of the delicious sounding set menus. Instead, we chose a series of enticing items from various sections of this large menu all of which turned out to be exquisite. Here’s what we ate:
Pizza Rossa (Thin-Crust Pizza with Mozzarella, Prosciutto, Mascarpone and Basil)
Cold Sweet Onion Soup
Truffle Omelette
Carbonara Tagliatelle
Granchio Spaghetti with King Crab and Tomato Cream Sauce
Moelleux Au Chocolat (Chocolate Lava Cake) with Vanilla Gelato and Fig Confiture
Cappuccino
You may have noticed that the dessert portion of the menu, which also includes Strawberry Mille Crepe, takes on a bit of a French accent, and Fois Gras does appear on the Entrees section along with Beef Filet Mignon, but several favorite Italian desserts, including Classic Style Tiramisu, Affogato (Vanilla Gelato in Espresso) and Panna Cotta, served with the Hawaiian Fruits, Lychee and Lilikoi, are available from Bernini’s dessert menu, along with a very long list of wines and other spirits.
Obviously, our festive dinner at Bernini was hearty indeed. It was also perfectly prepared and professionally presented. Bernini is a place for special occasions, and patrons would be wise to dress appropriately, meaning no jeans or tee shirts, and to keep the loud conversations and excessive drinking to a minimum. As in Japan and Italy, the food is what matters in this dignified setting where people who love and respect each other gather to appreciate lovingly and expertly created meals. We intend to return, and if this blog has left you longing for a home-made Italian dessert, find my June 2018 Blog, “Eternal Italy: Milano,” and make my Over the Top Tiramisu for your loving family.
