Japan – Head in the Clouds – Feet in the Dirt

Japan – Autumn Images From Nikko

Hello!
Its a quiet night here at Norwich House! Pip is snoozing, Jeff has gone to bed and my parents are on the boat heading back to the mainland!
It was a lovely visit! Even the rotten rainy days were relaxing as we enjoyed the fire, the company (and a bit of knitting!)(Not Dad – he played some computer games and enjoyed watching the footy!)
We didn’t do so much today… my parents went for a cuppa with Ruby and had to pack their car (I made this more challenging for them which a bunch of stuff they are taking back over for me!!) Made some more raspberry jam for them, sent them back with 4 dozen eggs and a few other bits and pieces from here!
I hope their trip isn’t too rocky.
The wind and rain has been a bit higher today – and cold!!

So tonight I just chose out a few of the autumn photos from our Japan trip last year (that I am STILL working on) for you to enjoy.

Nikko is especially gorgeous in autumn.

The crowds were fierce, but there were places you could go to get a bit of space and enjoy the colours without the crush.

I really love the Japanese maples… so pretty!

I caught this gorgeous pair of friends doing the typical Japanese thing and dressing up in their kimonos to get photos by the pretty autumn leaves!
It was so cute.

Thats all from me!
Jeff is all fired keen for a walk tomorrow… right now listening to the howling wind and rain, I might have to work on my enthusiasm!!!
Hope all of you in hurricane/tropical storm areas are going ok!! Stay safe!

Cheers

Japan – Fushimi Inari

Hi!
I have managed to finally find a bit of time to start post processing the photographs from Japan from last November!! I can’t believe its taken me this long to get onto them!

Fushimi Inari-taisha is one of my favourite places in Kyoto… it was nice to take my parents there to show them.
As usual we had to wade through a ton of tourists!

Fushimi Inari – taisha is the head shrine of the god Inari.
Inari is the god of rice, but merchants and businesses have also worshipped Inari as the patron of business.

I took about 10 photos of my parents right here and they pulled faces in every one!! You’d think I would have them trained better by now!!
This was the best…

I really love the bold colours

The main shrine was built in 1499 but the earliest structures were build in 711!!

The foxes are usually depicted holding either a key or a jewel in their mouths

The best thing about Fushimi Inari are the tunnels of tori that wind their way up the mountain.

About 10,ooo of these can be found along the main path.
Each one donated by a business or someone who wants a wish granted by the gods

I have never had a chance to walk the full length of the shrine and hillside so its on my list for our next trip!

The further in/up you go the less tourists you get. So many people just come to gawk quickly at the main areas and bustle off again. I prefer to take some time and wander up and around and find some of those little forgotten tranquil areas.

Large bundles of brightly coloured origami cranes are found hanging at some of the shrines

Its a great place to walk through as you never know what you might find around the corner!

It’s a lovely day out and I highly recommend you put it on your list if you are travelling to Japan!

Cheers

Japan – Chalk & Cheese

Hello! Just a few photos from our recent trip in Japan – the end of day one and day two!

After we had checked out the Golden Pavilion and left the crowds behind, we had a bit of time to fill before the next bus came along.
There was a small shrine right near the bus stop so we strolled in for a look.

It was lovely and peaceful after wading through people at Kinkaku ji! No-one there but us!

I love the water features!

Special tree stump:

Quick tourist snap –

It really was a lovely way to finish up the day

The following day we descended into the madness that is Osaka

It was a holiday long weekend so the trains and streets were full.
First stop was my favourite camera shop in Nipponbashi where we sorted out my Dad getting a fancy new camera!

He was so happy and put it to very good use over his holiday!

Our next trick was to find lunch – which is not usually a problem, but my Mum can’t eat gluten, dairy and a few other things, and finding random safe restaurants wasn’t a walk in the park!
Most places just got scared and said no… until we found one restaurant that had a Brazilian chef who spoke English! He took the time to sit with us and work out exactly what Mum could eat and cooked it up for her!

All our meals were so delicious too!

I like these tables with the sunken leg space below the table!

Back out onto the streets we enjoyed wandering around the crazily busy shopping areas, filled with advertising, noise and people!

This guy is a crack-up! Angry Chef!

Anyone for puffer fish?

Time to jump back on a train & a couple of buses to get home!

Cheers!

Japan -Day 1 – Kinkaku ji

Hello!
It seems such a long time ago – our first day in Japan with my parents! The travel the day before had been such a long one. Early out of Melbourne, up to Cairns, breakfast and tour with friends, flight out to Osaka, train to Kyoto, car to accommodation!
Amazingly we were quite ready the next day to poke our noses out of the house and go and see something!

Kinkaku ji (The Golden Pavilion) wasn’t far away so it seemed a good place to start.

Not more than five minutes up the path and my parents were accosted by a group of Japanese school children who sought to practice their English on unsuspecting tourists! Its great fun. The kids are cute and try their best.

After two such groups, we eventually extracted ourselves and got into the temple grounds

Kinkaku ji – officially named Rokuon ji (Which translates as Deer Garden Temple) – really is quite a sight.
Lovely reflections in the ponds where the top two stories that are covered in gold leaf really stand out.

The site was originally a villa called Kitayama Dai. Its history dates back to 1397 when the villa was bought by one of the Shoguns and was then transformed into the Kinkaku ji complex and later the building converted into a zen temple

During the Onin war (1467 -1477) (mad dates from so long ago!!) most of the complex (aside from the pavilion) was burnt down

On July 2, 1950, at 2:30 am, (so precise!!) the pavilion was burned down by a 22-year-old novice monk and the current building dates from 1955.

Even though its one of the most popular places for tourists to go and it does get crowded, its actually not too bad. The temple is over the water so as you walk around you get good views without someone being in your way all the time.

The mossy gardens are lovely and the path leads everyone in past the pavilion then around the gardens and out (via a few souvenir shops haha)
So people keep moving and there didn’t seem to be a glut.
I’d still recommend go to these places as early as possible to beat the tour buses!

Small waterfalls and waterways crisscross the gardens

I love the stone lanterns and rock water basins

It was a bit early in the month, but there were some autumn colours starting to show

Jeff – always waiting for the photographer!

It was a nice way to start our holiday!

Cheers!

Home!

Hello! Home we are!
How wonderful to be back at Norwich House – not least of all seeing our very happy Pip who is sleeping on my lap as I type. Don’t think I am going to be allowed to go far without a shadow in the next few days!

Its raining. Go figure!! Actually there have been severe storms around Melbourne, but we seemed to have missed the torrential rain.
I went outside with a torch tonight to see what was happening and its an exciting jungle out there! Plenty happening and lots and lots to do… weeds are thriving but I see happy plants in there too! Can’t wait to get into it!

The trip home was long and fairly awful. We were seated diagonally behind a child that screamed/cried for three solid hours, then spent the remaining 4 hours intermittently doing the same. Miserable for everyone really.
It was an overnight flight, so basically once finished that leg having been awake all day and all night, we still had to front up to 15 hours more travel to get into our front door! I am feeling a little delirious right now!