We went day tripping today to Kamakura to visit the many Shrines and Temples that make the coastal town popular. There was no doubt we were in a low lying area!
We started with "The Great Buddha" of Kotoku-in which has survived since the 13th century. I hadn't done much research before hand, I don't even think I looked up a picture on line because my first words upon seeing it were: That's it? LOL I somehow got it my head that it would be "great" like the one we visited in Lantau Hong Kong! nope. Sure it's big, but calling it great seems too much.
Next, we headed over to the 8th century Temple Complex of Hase. As usual, we preferred
the gardens
We also enjoyed the walking trails that gave us a view over the town of Yuigahama and the Beach. Easy to see why the residents must stay alert for tsunamis!
I'd love to know the story that necessitated this sign!
After this, we'd had enough but instead of heading back to Tokyo right away, we wandered up and down Komachi Street, a popular shopping street lined with shops and cafés. I saw quite a few authentic places for lunch that I would have liked to try, but Frank was just turned off. The cuisine is simply not for him. He graciously offered to just wait for me while I ate, but I turned down his offer and we just went for Burgers.
The street was quite lively, but it's really hard to get a picture that captures the mood.
We were back in Tokyo a little before 3 and explored another popular shopping street. It was full places like Hello Kitty stores, cutsie clothing stores, and just about every kind of animal café you can think of! Cat, Owl, Piglet, Otter... I didn't bother with many pictures it was impossible! It was just a sea of heads!
Takeshita Street, you can imagine the jokes.
Next on the agenda was the Meiji Jingu Shrine surrounded by a forest in the middle of the city. We thought we'd stop for a drink to rest a bit, then go visit.
There was a café near the main gate, and the weather was so nice for sitting outside. They served beer, no wine, but one was not even allowed to bring the beer to the outside tables. The vibe inside felt like a cafeteria, so we passed and just went straight to the shrine.
Browsing for a place to eat is not obvious. Many times, all you have is a picture or a poster at street level indicating on what floor in the building the restaurant is. Some times, you'll see plasticized representations of the dishes in a window - if there is one.
I spotted a street level poster for an Italian Restaurant (Blumare) on the 3rd floor of a building and said to Frank that we won't commit. We'll just go up and see if we like the vibe. We did, so we stayed.
Almost everywhere, you order on a tablet. I like this concept. You can take your time perusing and order when you are good and ready, re-order an item at any time (like a second glass of wine), and always have a running total of the cost.
I was glad that it starts getting dark by 630, it means I could enjoy the neon lights view of Shinjuku on the way home from supper and still have an early night! I really love these views!
Then for dessert, as per what I learned in my research, I picked up a Strawberry Sandwich at 7-11.
YUMMY!!!!
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