We departed to the local station and then
took the train to the fish market. Most of the activity and auction at the
market takes place at 05.00 in the morning but you wernt going to get us there
that time of the day as late morning would do us. So we had a good look around
the market and then all the little restaurants surrounding the place mostly
selling sushi buts as it was still a little early and there were queues of
around 20/30 people waiting for a very small restaurant we did not bother to
stop.
We left the market and walked via a
coffee shop to Shimbashi about a mile or so away and walked around the old
station which has been reconstructed for heritage reasons after it was
destroyed many years ago in the great fire following an earthquake. Then on to
the new station where this a huge steam train standing, it has been there for
many years but now it is partly surrounded by a smoking area. Japan now has
strict laws about smoking in the street and basically it’s not allowed and so
there are little shelters or similar where one can puff away and enjoy one’s
cigarette along with several hundred other smokers.
We were a little peckish now and stopped
for a bowl of noodles, done spaghetti style which was excellent. Two largish
bowls of spaghetti and two drinks, not bad for £ 8.00.
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From there we went on several trains out
to the place we used to live called Nakamashi with the nearest station being
Kaminoge. We had both tried to find our old Tokyo house on Google earth but
could never find it and thought that perhaps it had been demolished. We walked
down from the station, it was partly familiar but it was in 1985/6 that we
lived there so quite some years ago and don’t always remember the details. We
gor a little worried and then low and behold we located our house which the
brochure at the time called Plam Springs or Palm Springs as it should have
been. Its hasn’t changed very much
except across the road which use to be smallholding’s are now flats and where
the old Kirin brewery distribution plant used to be where Michael would always
be there with the workers on their fork lift or doing their morning exercises
has now gone and it’s all apartments.
Time to leave and we both fancied a cup
of tea and we found a large bakery shop which sold tea where they bring the egg
timer to time the tea being brewed and we then also cheated and had a slice of
chocolate cake which was delicious. From there we took the bus up to Todoroki
and the Kinokuya supermarket to stock up on some food for tonight and then on
to Megero Station to connect with the Yamanote line to Shinjuku and from their via another bakery to get some
croissants for tomorrow morning back on the bust to our Hotel.
A satisfying but tiring day again and we
have walked a lot over the last few days but well worth it.. Dinner tonight was
a chicken and ham salad followed by apple slice and some very unfrozen ice
cream.
