Next stop,  Hiroshima, come rain or shine!!!

The humidity is gone for now,  rain has arrived and there’s another Typhoon on the horizon!! Bit of confusion regarding the path of the Typhoon, but no doubt we will find out soon enough.

So, as we left Osaka this morning at 07.45 for a bus journey of 600 kilometres, we donned the rain jackets and sweaters, as the temperature has dropped and it’s raining!

Leaving Osaka, traffic was busy, but I did get a start, to see a train whizzing past us on what I thought was the Motorway. Apparently, the train tracks run between the Motorway lanes. Train travel is huge in this country with between 60 and 70 million people travelling daily.

67% of this country is covered in vertiginous mountains and much of our journey today was through this terrain. This also explains why urban areas are so densely developed and populated. It is actually very beautiful and calming .

At the chance of being indelicate I have to mention the very topical subject of Toilets! Electronic, automatic, and with  heated seats, they are a subject of much wonderment and chat!!! So our opening address from Mike, early this morning , was on this subject and how the current trend has developed and how extensively it is now used. Suffice to say it’s intriguing and I will not bring the subject up again!!! Nor post a picture, you will be glad to hear!!!!

So off to Himjei Castle, built in 1601, a UNESCO World Cultural Heritage Site and deemed a National Treasure. A magnificent ediface, it is also known as White Heron Castle and is the most visited Castle in Japan!!This is because of it’s soaring Keep and white plaster walls. It underwent two massive reconstruction periods, the most recent only completed in 2015. One must remove ones’ shoes and take off raincoats or jackets in order to preserve the brilliant wooden interior. So, as with all things Japanese, with  amazing efficiency, we are given large plastic string bags in which to carry our shoes!

You climb on the exterior for quite a bit before you enter the Keep, where there, now barefoot or in stocking feet, you climb 110 steps through 8 stories to reach the top, where the views are stupendous! Although quite busy, everyone is polite and takes their time, climbing quite narrow and very steeped steps. The structure is wooden and in the last refurbishment, it was completely stripped down to the basic wooden frame, the model of which, is on view. 2 central colums extend from basement to the 5th floor, one of which was made from a single 35 meter tree trunk!

Of course no visit would be complete without the story of the Maid who was killed for stealing dishes, but still comes up through the water tank every night to count the plates and the sad story of Princess Sen daughter of the Shogun,but she made a political marriage to bond warring tribes together and endrd up having  a tragic life.

We then walked in the rain to the fabulous Koko-En Garden, one of the most famous gardens in Japan. It covers over 9 hectares and has 9 distincively different gardens, each one more tranquil and beautiful than the others. There was “soft ” rain falling during our visit,  but that coupled with the sound of the various garden water features, made for a wonderful calm experience.

While the Lotus is not Japanese, it is part of Japanese culture as it symbolises rebirth, purity and spiritual enlightenment. One stem was blooming weakly adjacent to this notice but i am told that in April, there are many blooms of the Lotus here. There was a Bamboo Garden, a Pine Garden, a garden of Summer trees to name but a few. Each distinctive and each more beautiful than the previous one

I could have spent hours there in peace and contemplation.

How lucky to have been able to visit.

Then it was off for 4 hours in a coach to Hiroshima…in the rain!!! We were staying in the Grand Prince Hotel and one of the Group who had Googled it informed us it was on a beach, 5 star and it was where there had been a Summit some years ago!! Happy Days!

We arrived in tired and were blown away by the magnificent foyer!!

And then to my room!! The crappiest hotel room I have ever stayed in!!! Tired , old fashioned, the air conditioner unit sitting on top of the safe that was on the floor, the bed about four inches off the floor and the bathroom looked like it was designed for Lilliputlians!! It is a three Star, overlooking a Port and the G7 ( before it became the G8) were here 5 years ago!! Bet none of them stayed in my room!!!

Anyway, pity about me, I know, the view was lovely and dinner was wonderful with fun!!!

Gin and Tonic calls, more tomorrow!!!