People are boiling in their sleep. It is very hot. The bedroom can easily get beyond thirty degrees. Although the government is warning that air conditioners should be left on all night – there have been an unusual number of heat stroke deaths in the last few weeks, we don’t have one upstairs (ours broke many years ago) : our cool place is the kitchen. At night the solutions are open windows; fans, nudity. It’s actually very comfortable. But some, old folks especially, up in Tokyo and other heat islands, leery of the immune weakening facets of the nasty A/C , retire to their rooms of an evening determined to sleep naturally – but then don’t make it through to the next morning.
Yet how gorgeous and woozy the light is at this time of the year in the late afternoon. The air is throbbing; slowly, moist and alive. Cicadas going crazy. Lilies, still; immune. Down a side street, I watched a young couple get down from a rickshaw and walk, in their summer kimonos, to the gate of this exquisite temple – Jufukuji – one of Kamakura’s finest – bathed in the melting sunglow of light…..without seemingly even breaking into a sweat.
Heavenly light. What a beautiful photo. Am shivering in my cotton shirt but knowing many would welcome this freshness. What are you wearing, on the skin? It all washes off, doesn’t it. Take care.
Yes perfume becomes grime very quickly in this heat as you will well remember
The sound of those semi!! Took me right back. I saw your intense heat combos, may they provide what you need. I think at the time I was wearing some Body Shop oceanic stuff….I kept a bottle of oil, just to take me back. And Shiseido grapefruit in the orange teardrop bottle. Can’t wear either of those now; my tastes have changed, as you know. Am in the middle of a jasmine jag—Ostens, Feguia, Lutens at the moment, and some real ones in my garden. The weather isn’t quite matching. I bought roses (planted in pots and flowering again now) that smell insanely good, and then a fox dismembered a child’s (full) nappy all over my lawn last night. Sorry, I should not spoil the picture.
No – you should. The roses will smell even more beautiful in comparison!
Tell me your jasmine favourites. I have been obsessed with it all summer.
Beautiful surroundings! Also, very serene.
Supremely ! There are real pockets of that in this city despite the overtouristed bits
The heat is worrying: I flag visibly in anything over 25 degrees. But the pictures are gorgeous, evoking memories of Kamakura gorgeousness
Oh good. I was hoping that would be the case.
The heat is fine. For me. But it can still go slightly over the edge…..I don’t think it would be your ideal cup of tea – you would be fainting outside the duomo
Sorry for late reply. Just those I mentioned, really. Ostens for a bit of sweetness, Fueguia Amalia for some green astringency, and Lutens in the evening darkness. I have to confess, I sometimes rub the flowers from the jasmine in my garden on me. I’m definitely eager to try others. I hope you’re doing okay.
I am/was planning a post on literally WEARING flowers, funnily enough : try hiding the flowers in a shirt/ blouse pocket for invisible charm.
I am doing alright, thank you for asking. Yesterday and the anticipation beforehand were an ordeal, but they seem to think I am doing all right : they are getting me standing and potentially pushing the zimmer in twenty minutes : yikes !
Ps isn’t Fuegia riDICULOUSLY expensive ?
It is in Tokyo – around ¥47000 a pop if I remember correctly
Ps
https://theblacknarcissus.com/2014/05/19/j-asmine-a-t-t-a-c-k-a-celebration-and-exploration-of-all-things-jasmine-featuring-jasmin-de-nuit-by-the-different-company-acasiosa-by-caron-jasmine-attar-by-amouage-vent/