Day 7/8 The next morning I had a spa in the Onsen (opting for the indoor one due to my cold) the outdoor one would have been an experience with all the snow around. Having a cold in Japan was a bit difficult as culturally blowing your nose is not polite. You sort of have to go to a corner or hide behind you hand. Many Japanese wear face masks when they are unwell to prevent spreading germs I think. Then a change of plans was made as the sun was shining and our leader Tatsuya had seen that Mt Fuji was visible on the internet. So we delayed our leaving and jumped on a bus to a different viewing area. It was well worth the trip. I thought that we would only see Mt Fuji ... read more

Day 3 We spent the morning in Tokyo. First was a visit to the Imperial Palace gardens, the actual Palace itself is not open to the public often. A quick trip on the city loop to the Sony building in the Ginza area (expensive shops like top of Collins). Here were the latest on offer from Sony, including a new organic screen which will likely replace LCD. Only available in 10 inch so far. Then off to the Takeshita Dori (Street) famous for outfits and trinkets for young and trendy Japanese. A little shopping back in Ueno (travel alarm) and then off by Shinkansen (fast train) and then an ordinary local train to Nikko. We purchased a bento box for tea onboard the train. This is a partitioned tray with various foods, mine had pickled things, ... read more

Sorting out the house is progressing...bins are full and piles are ready for filling them up again once cleared. The quotes for the backyard are coming in. And the trees are down! See the "before and after" shots. The tree was becoming a nuisance (dropping leaves and also dead birds in all the hot weather) and I'm sure it was nowhere near finished growing, however I will miss the view out the kitchen window (especially when it had rained and all the needles sparkled with the drops). I've compiled a daily weather spreadsheet so now I'm ready to purchase some warm clothes (as long as the daily averages are accurate!). The coldest temperatures I'm expecting (according to the averages) is -8 minimum and 6 maximum in Ulaanbaatar (Mongolia). Speaking of traveller, we have been visited by ... read more