Hiroshima, Miyajima and Home

Part 7

Day 13 - Hiroshima 

Time to catch another bullet train, this time to Hiroshima.

 

We had decided that a trip to Japan wouldn't be complete without visiting Hiroshima.  We were met by our guide, whose mother had survived the atomic bomb and was now a healthy 88 year old.  It was a very poignant day and we were both moved by it.

Peace Memorial Park

We left our paper cranes at the children's memorial.

The Peace Bell

For lunch our guide took us to a restaurant serving the local version of okonomiyaki.

I had mine without the meat.

In the afternoon we went to the Shukkei-en Garden.

A couple were having their wedding photos taken in the gardens.

That night we were staying in Hiroshima.

Day 14 - Miyajima

The next morning we were met again by our guide and headed to Miyajima, Island of the Gods.

The mountains are said to look like a sleeping goddess.

The floating torii gate at Itsukushima Shrine.

All of this shrine floats, as in it doesn't have foundations as the land is holy.

There were deer here too.

We took two ropeways up Mount Misen

for panoramic views of the Seto Inland Sea.

Back down from the mountain, we visited Daisho-in Temple.  The path was lined with 500 Rakan statues, all with different facial expressions.

Touching these sutras on the way down brings good fortune.

Lunchtime

and it was Japanese vegetable curry for me

and conger eel for him.

Tea and a local speciality of maple bean paste cakes were had at a cafe.

Then we just had time to visit Toyokuni Shrine and the hall of one thousand tatami mats before boarding the ferry again

and taking the bullet train back to Osaka for our final night in Japan.

Back in time for coffee and cake before packing for the flight home.

Day 15 - Home

Kansai Airport

Flying over the east coast of Russia.

Still flying over Russia!

I love having a window seat!

Almost home.

We landed at Heathrow.

Sadly that was the end of our holiday, but we had an amazing time and have lots of memories.