We left the Hotel around 0915 to get by underground to the Imperial
Palace where we arrived just about ten am and in time to join the short queue. The Palace was most impressive with the garden
and fantastic gardens spread over several hundred acres in the middle of this
city. After 2.5 hours looking around we then took the train to Takashimaya Department
store to meet up with Noel ex Osaka colleagues and we went to a brilliant old
Japanese restaurant where we enjoyed all sorts of specialities. A really
excellent lunch with tatami matting and, no shoes.
After lunch we wandered through the back streets and to a old Kyoto
style coffee and cake house where we continued our chats until about 16.30 when
they had to leave back to Osaka and us to continue our walking through the fish
market and then on to shops selling all sorts of clothing. The local girls seem
to where either short miniskirts or short trousers and boots whilst it it also
great to see many Japanese wearing their kimonos as a matter of course and walking
around the shops, it adds a certain charm and when the man is in his
traditional outfit what a wonderful couple they make.
We found a supermarket to purchase more bread to enable us to polish
of the Boursan Cheese and also the rest of the Kirkland Bordeaux special wine
whilst check out the location of our next Hotel and how we get there. There is
also the small matter of sorting an checking 224 photos and videos and writing
two days blog to be completed and also make a couple of Skype calls.
