A rainy day on Miyajima island

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After a night of sailing through the inner Sea of Japan we arrived at a very wet Hiroshima. Having been to the Peace Park before, which is excellent if you come here, we decided to take the ferry across to Miyajima Island. The journey only takes 10 minutes and they are very efficient at loading and unloading. The first thing you see is the large red torii gate which rises up out of the sea. It is bright red to chase away any evil spirits. It was built in 1875 to replace a previous one. Behind it is the large beautiful Itsukushima Shrine which is lovely to walk through. It is guarded by the two lions one open mouthed saying "Aah" as a baby would shout at birth and the other one closed mouthed saying "Mmm" as the last breath leaves the body at death. Therefore they represent the whole of life. There are pretty stone lanterns lining the route. Barrels of Sake are in the Shrine. These are the first sake produced which is donated to the shrine as it is considered a sacred alcohol!. We saw another wedding and if the sun had been shining it really would be a beautiful place to explore further. There are pretty little deer on the island. They are protected so roam freely all over and are very tame. We managed to find a small bar for a beer before going back on the ferry. Won the Trivia more thanks to our partners than our own wits! Even gained a point at Name that Tune! The show was very good for a change. Only one more stop before we return to Tokyo. As usual time flies by. Hope the weather is better tomorrow or we may not see Mount Fuji.

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Comments

[paul]

That's a long way to go for April showers!
A very long way!