June 25th - Friday

Today we think we'll to something different and take the Shinkensen up to the coastal area that
is said to be the most beautiful place in Japan. Sendai is an inlet with over two hundred
little islands and is was made renoun by one of Japan's most famous poets. In fact, there is a box at the train station where other would-be poets can deposit their haikus which were inspired
by the scenery!!

Rocks rise from the sea
Covered with trees and grasses
Nature ever-changing

In order to catch the train we don't have time for a leisurely breakfast. Instead we grab goodies at the station and eat on the train. The sandwiches are gourmet! Ginger's has brie and ham! I've also picked up a bun of some sort that is vaguely green and has chunks of something sweet, perhaps dates? Betsy has four slices of fruit and nut bread. Anyway, it is all grand!

The shinkensen this time is a double decker and although we have reserved seats they are on the
lower level. There is a concrete retaining wall that extends higher than our windows, so we have zero view of the countryside. At least I'm not distracted while I try to catch up our blog! I work until the computer threatens to hibernate on its own; but we are nearly there, so it's okay!

When we get off the train we charge up to the front to get a picture of the elongated nose of the engine. A woman asks Ginger if she would take a picture of her and her daughter and grandchild posing by the nose, so we don't feel like such tourists! After all, they are Japanese! We pick up a local train and during the ride decide to take the ferry to the next station and then
decide whether we want to take another boat ride.

We can purchase our ferry tickets right there in the train station! The helpful young man points the way to the ferry and we take about a ten-minute walk passing more of the amazing,
unreal-looking trees and a magical boat that looks like a multicolored bird with seagulls sitting on his head! Our ferry isn't quite so whimsical; but it does the job!

We take a one hour tour among the islands in the inlet and Ginger and I run back and forth across the boat searching for the quintessential "rock island" shot. There is a lady feeding the seagulls and I think she helps us out a lot! The photos are a lot more interesting with the
feathered foreground! The recorded narration is a bit confusing since sometimes the lady's
voice says "right side" and means "right side" but sometimes she means "left side"! It keeps
us on our toes and besides, it's the thrill of the hunt that counts!

There is a red bridge to one of the closest islands which has over a hundred different kinds of
grasses, and if we had infinite time we would probably cross the bridge; but since Nick isn't an ungulate and isn't interested, and since the rest of us are starving, we go off on the never-ending forage for dinner! Along the way we see bonsai azalea bushes! And an older man carefully plucking off the blossoms which are past their prime.

We are again successful! After checking out a couple of places, we settle on one where Nick and
Ginger can get pork with all the trimmings (rice, miso and other goodies) and Betsy and I can
get fried fish (tempura) and vegetables. Our fish comes in several pieces, one of which has the fin attached, and another is the tail. Betsy eats the tail and says it is great. OMG, she's right!
You'd never know it was tail because there is so much meat there and the tail is undetectable in
your mouth! We finish every morsel! Betsy even eats all the rice but I'm too stuffed.

Back to the local train station and then to get our Shinkensen tickets. Nick finally gets the man to understand that we want to sit up top! Turns out it doesn't matter much because a lot of the trip is in tunnels and when it isn't there are lots of farms and, later, big cities. But at least it isn't claustrophobic!

As we emerge from our station there is a beautiful young woman playing the keyboard and singing for the small crowd of attentive men of all ages. She is hoping to sell her CDs and is chatting with the guys between songs. Betsy had been wondering where all the street performers were!

We go back to the hotel and decide that since Ginger and Nick are hungry while Betsy and I are
still filled to the brim, we will go our own ways, them to find dinner and us to find dessert and explore the neighborhood on this, our last night in Japan - sniffle!

We discover a little park with a pair of clown/jugglers! They aren't too spectacular, but they are fun to watch for a few minutes. Further on there is a pedestrian mall that is totally crowded with young people and more mature men. There are virtually no mature women! All the shops, pachinko and game arcades and restaurants are open and there are lots of security people with walkie-talkies and ear pieces. We never figure out the reason for their presence.

While we're walking we run into Nick and Ginger! They are still looking for a restaurant and we
stay together for a little while; but split up again. We're ready to search in earnest for a
bakery or patisserie or even the Krispy Kreme in the train station, but nothing seems to be open! We see a great noodle place but that's not dessert! We check out the train station where they had
set up a farmer's market earlier in the afternoon but by now nothing much is left and we can't
figure out how to get into the basement of the department store! Even Krispy Kreme has
disappeared! Apparently they roll down the metal store-front covers before ten!!

Back on the street we find the Italian Tomato coffee shop and buy the last two pieces of chocolate cake! When we get back to our room and Nick and Ginger join us, we start to giggle because Nick is carrying a box from there, too! Betsy is making tea and I've gotten an Asahi from the vending machine. The computer is up and Stu IMs me from work!! He is appalled that I'm having a beer at 9:00 a.m.! Of course it's 10:00 p.m. here! I make it worse by telling him that we are about to open our gift bottle of sake! He tells Betsy that Bridget and all the crowd miss her and she is able to tell him how to get something he needs for work. Gosh the internet is great!

After our showers we notice that there is a clear rectangular area of the mirror that isn't fogged! Maybe they have a heating element behind it??? To bed for the last time in Japan. The
mattress is firm and offers wonderful support and the sleeping is great!