Train stations.

 Last week the guys bought our tickets to go to Kanazawa and as it would have taken two subway trains to get there we got taxis to Tokyo station.

Tokyo station north, we were there around 10.20am, it does look deserted but there were plenty of people around.

Warren waiting with our luggage while I took photos.

Two trains together.

This is the spot at Tokyo station that everything is measured by, like it's xkms from there.

Our streamlined train, it's so pretty, I think we travelled at 255kph.

Outside train station at Kanazawa, the time was shown with water fountains and changed with every minute.

Broken case

Totted my case along the pavement last week, we had 500 metres to the hotel, it seemed longer.

After a couple of days, I noticed the big crack in it, split down one side about six inches.
 

Luckily by this time we had sussed out a shopping street, so I bought a new case and a leather handbag for 9800 yen, sounds an awful lot but really only $117. Warren had bought a new suitcase before we left and his was $270 with 30% off. Mine may not be the same quality but it will do the job.

400 small shops spread over two or three blocks, we visited a few times but only made the one purchase.

Hop on hop off bus

 We did two loops yesterday, caught the red route at 10.10am, we left hotel at 8.30am, preparing for an early start, none of us had checked when they started.

Nothing seems to start early, storesdont open until 10am.

Four stops and we were at Mitsubsi building and Tokyo railway station.

Shoppers waiting on department store to open.

Open topped bus that we travelled in around the city.

Security guard at Mitsubishi building, there was a call button on the side for assistance but it was mainly cameras.

One of the many parks we drove past.

Tokyo skytree.

We had lunch near Tokyo station

1000yen bought a bowl of rice with raw salmon and tunas slices and a prawn, pickled vegetables and miso soup with a big tankard of iced tea. Omgood it was delicious about $12.

Raccoon Dog

We had been walking down a street and there was a small entrance in the hedge and a stone path, we decided to go in. Some people were paying their respects to the raccoon dog.

Earlier we had seen couples dressing in kimonos and having their photos taken. It was mainly girls. The girl in the white and her partner took her photo and he was also dressed in period costume.

Small fountain.

This was the statue they were paying homage.

Very old tree, the area was not much more than the size of an average house with small paths

 

Temple visit

 Mother's Day yesterday and was quite busy out.

This was to the side of the temple, there was about thirty steps up, I didn't go up, there was enough to see otherwise.

Large bells/lampshanging

Oldest stone bridge in Tokyo built in 1618,no longer in use due to age but a second bridge is just in front, I took the photo from second bridge. Lots of large carp swimming in the water.

Shopping street

 This is near our hotel and I think it was my fourth trip. It is a nice easy walk from hotel.

I spent some time at Panda Park

These two back onto a subway/metro station.

Seating around this area.

Sign on a side area No walking while smoking.

Vending machine for soft drinks water and bottled coffee.

Street are very clean, this was at 8.45am and the store had just taken the rubbish out ready to be collected. Very organised and neat.

Meals

 

Our first night dinner was Burger King and I sat next to a woman on a bench along the wall while Warren waited for our meal to be prepped. Then the "woman" started to snore she/he was sitting over a tray and yeo had gone to sleep, was snoring and a bloke, he did have long dark hair.

Saturday the boys went to parkrun and the girls tried out the buffet breakfast at the hotel. 1500yen $18.50? gives scrambled egg,ham. Little sausages, cereals, fruit juices, bread for toast,tea and coffee.

The above pic was lunch today, miso soup and an apple juice 640yen $8 for both of us. I had not eaten miso soup until last night.

Dinner at a very traditional Japan restaurant, salad first then king prawns and pork cutlets with blue something rice. This was rice with finely chopped herb like mint looking, never tasted that taste before. Quite mild and good.

Yesterday lunch was called a ladies set

My meal was pork cutlets cutlets with large steamed road beans to go on top.

Three meals today for both of us was 5600 yen in our money $64

Japanese, Indian and Italian cuisine I didn't take a photo of dinner but we ordered at the table into a iPad didn't see where to pay so I went to the cashier and gave the table number and he was able to see what we had ordered so knew what to charge me, then dinner was served to us by a remote robot. Way to go.