Our first day with no travel buddies! It’s been great sharing our travels with the Wilsons and McGregors. They are fun travel buddies.

Today we started fairly slowly. But as the sun was out we thought we should take advantage of it and get moving. We walked and found the loop bus. It runs around the city in a loop both ways, stopping at all the attractions.

We caught it to the Museum of Contemporary Art.

Set in a park it is a modern circular building with many art installations around it. Including the coloured structure above. With panels of different colours it changes your perspective of the world.

Inside there are various galleries some ticketed some not. It’s a great space and some fun art.

We’ve noticed there is no graffiti anywhere we’ve seen in Japan. No bins around either. But no rubbish. You are expected to take your rubbish away with you. Great idea.

There was a pool in a courtyard and when you looked in you could see people walking inside it. Great altered mind state.

We left the gallery and continued to walk. We came to the canal and met up with a lovely man who was there to feed the fish. He told us about the city and the fact that the city had many kilometres of canals circling it.

Our walk took us the old Samurai area. There we walked in the steps of the old samurai …..down cobbled streets past old wooden houses some of which are now occupied by art and craft shops.

I pottered in and out buying a few gifts as I went.

We stopped for lunch and opted for a delicious vegetable soup. Similar to a minestrone. Delicious. Especially with a beer Steve told me.

The rain had returned but not heavy so we stopped off at a department store back in the Main Street. It was beautiful but so empty of customers! it had a great food hall and u wanted to buy lots but opted for bananas for breakfast!

We waited for a bus and being a wanderer I said…let’s get this one and see where we go. It snaked its way in and around the city streets, crossed the river twice and before we knew it we were back at the castle gardens near our hotel. Perfect!

We dropped our parcels in and had a little rest before heading back out for dinner.

This time we walked the opposite direction into the old geisha area. It was charming. Still a little wet

We found a great Yakitori restaurant where we opted to sit at the bar and watch the theatre of the kitchen.

Drsssed with samurai type headbands the chefs were busy all night including giving a touching cheer as people came and left!

We had the set course which included an appetiser box ,

tempura, a hot pot,

chicken skewers , noodles and teeny tiny matcha panda cotta . All fairly small but delicious and we were full.

Luckily we had a walk back to the hotel.

It wasn’t late so I decided to visit the onsen. These public baths are everywhere in Japan. Most hotels have one. Japanese people are so relaxed because of these baths – in my opinion. And they have the smoothest skin!

I arrived at this one where a gaggle of older Japanese ladies were re dressing after their shared onsen. It quietened down so off came the gown and I had the obligatory shower before entering the bath. I there were only 2 ladies there with me. You take a small towel with you which you put on your head when in the bath. I wrapped my hair up.

When you get out you take another shower sitting on little low stools then soap yourself with the lovely products. Sitting in the stools all soapy is dangerous ! Getting up is a challenge.

Then into the change room to dry off before sitting at the mirrors in a towel to apply all the body creams and oil and blow dry your hair. Quite the experience.

Needless to say I was ready for a good sleep. And I found how to open the window for some fresh air.