Bubbles goes to Japan

Bubbles goes to Japan

May 2018

 

I always enjoy helping with the packing when I am going away - I have advised Helen to pack four pairs of shoes - little does she know she will only actually wear one pair.

 

I have been told that time stands still at airports and that it is always gin and tonic time - but it is one way of killing time before our flight.

 

Here I am on the plane just checking that the pilot is heading in the correct direction, I've been wanting to check this for ages but Helen keeps insisting on watching films, I'm hoping that she will go to sleep soon so that I can take control of the screen.

 

At last we have arrived in Tokyo - we are all very weary and it is very nice to snuggle down in this lovely hotel bed.

 

Oh dear - I hadn't realised that going to the toilet was going to be so complicated and I don't think I really like a warm toilet seat - it makes me think that someone has just been in before me so I am going to set it to hot - no ones bottom is that warm.

 

This was just outside our hotel and it is the busiest intersection in the world, or Japan or somewhere, but it was very, very busy!

 

So here we are on the coach - off to see the sights - I have carefully read all the safety instructions so everything should be fine, thank goodness everything is in English too.

 

This is Laura our 76 year old Japanese guide.

 

 

 

So today we have visited Meiji shrine a Shinto monument and I now know the difference between Shintoism and Buddhism, we have been to a lovely peaceful garden and here we are at the Asakusa Kannon Temple - it is very busy, there seem to be an awful lot of Japanese tourists here.

 

There are a lot of souvenir shops but I'm not allowed to go in them in case someone buys me by mistake

 

There are lots of groups of school children too - don't they look smart!

 

Lots of helpful and informative signs

 

And here are some Shinto priests walking in a line - they only do this twice a month so we are very lucky to see them.

 

We saw a bride and groom getting ready to ride off in a rickshaw, her hat seems a little bit on the large side.

 

It's been a very busy day!

 

Here I am travelling in style again off to see some more of Japan

 

This is the great Buddha - he is 750 years old

 

He is protected by these lion dogs which look very ferocious but this one was quite friendly

 

Nice to find a quiet spot to have a little rest

 

Not sure who these two are, I found them by Lake Ashi where they were trying to spot Mount Fuji through the clouds

 

Everyone knows what Mount Fuji looks like so just use your imagination and put it somewhere behind these hills

 

 

Well if you can't quite see the fabled Mount Fuji the next best thing has to be a cable car ride over a volcanic sulphur mine!

 

And a nice cold glass of Japanese beer is always a good consolation

 

Thankfully we were able to see Mount Fuji very clearly the next morning as we were waiting for the bullet train

Here I am on the bullet train, it went very fast but you couldn't really tell that it was going fast but we got to Kyoto very quickly

 

We went exploring Kyoto and found the Philosophers path by the canal which some Japanese philosopher used to walk along every day philosophising as he went, we tried philosophising but found that we weren't very good at it.

 

This was the view from our hotel window

 

Next day Mike had the responsibility of carrying me

 

Today we went to see the Kinkakuji Temple which is covered in real gold.

Then we went to Nijo Castle but we weren't allowed to take photographs (I think the Samurai might have come and got us if we did) we had to take our shoes off and the floor made bird noises as we walked on it to warn the Samurai that we were there and might attack the Shogun.

 

 

Next we went to Fushimi Inari shrine which has hundreds of Torii gates stretching up the hillside, it was very hot again and there were lots of Japanese tourists but they weren't allowed to use their selfie sticks so they all looked a bit sad.

 

These chaps were all a bit stony faced

 

In the evening we went for a walk round the area where the Geisha's live, Mike kept hoping that a door would open and that he would be welcomed in but I don't think the Geisha ladies were very interested

The fences round the bottom of the houses are called dog fences - that are to stop dogs weeing on the houses because houses made of paper would collapse if dogs weed on them.

 

After such a busy day I was very hungry - Oh more sushi!

 

Today we had quite a long journey by coach but there is always something interesting to look at - I especially liked the ladies picking up the non existent litter at the services on the motorway.

 

Travelling can be very tiring but thankfully there are lots of places to rest

 

The Japanese don't seem to have quite got the hang of what to do with all their electricity cables

 

Today we were in Hiroshima, I wasn't allowed to be in any of the photographs.

 

But then we went on a boat to Miyajima Island and it was a bit like the seaside.

 

And this is the floating Torii gate - it isn't really floating though!

 

I am a bit disappointed that we weren't allowed to have sparrow for tea, I'm sure it would be very tasty.

This is the tallest pagoda in the world - or Japan or somewhere but it was definitely very tall.

 

Always good to be well informed

 

Mike and Helen went out for Okonomimura for tea which is a speciality of Japan but they forgot to take me so I didn't get to taste it but they told me that it was delicious.

These are the ladies cooking the Okonomimura

 

 

Today we drove to Osaka and we stopped at Koraku-En one of the three great gardens of Japan

 

This couple were celebrating their engagement

I liked the Ninja Turtles the best

 

I'm sure these kindergarten children would have loved to play with me.

 

We certainly didn't want to eat at the Atomic café!

 

If I point at what I want to eat I won't have to attempt to speak Japanese

 

Today started nice and peacefully with a visit to a museum of old Japanese houses

 

Dotonbori was hot, busy and very noisy

 

Then we went to Osaka castle which has been completely rebuilt in concrete.

 

Always good to find a rest room.

 

Mike making friends with the locals

 

 

Sunset over Osaka

 

On our final day it rained for the first time all holiday. We did battle with the Osaka metro system to go to this art gallery - but when we got there it was closed because they were changing the exhibitions! So we went for a beer!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

May Merriness at the White Hart

Julia joins the (geriatric) Gellys!

9^th May 2018

 

 

Will she? Or won’t she?  And, finally, Julia, after months of anticipation, ventures out on her first outing with the babes.  Whilst not a full immersion into an activity day, a meet up for a meal is a good start.  In error, we nearly called her Pam, but as Pam is a babe-who-does-lunch, and Julia was joining us for an evening meal, it didn’t seem appropriate.  Also, Pam was standing next to Julia, so it would have been very confusing to have two Pams in the room; one is enough! 

 

Joining Julia for her induction evening we were, in order of seniority: Maggie, Pam, Jo, Alison and Helen J.  We realised that the average age profile of the babes had plummeted, so Julia can definitely stay in the group, if only to keep the babes young!  We missed the other young-at-heart babes: Charlotte, Lynn and Helen M.

 

As you will have guessed by now, this is a wordy record, as very few photos were taken, but just to prove we were all there, here is the evidence:

 

 

Yep, Julia, definitely not photo-shopped in!

 

And after several attempts at using the camera… 

 

Maggie gets the hang of the new-fangled technology!

 

Despite recent reviews of the White Hart, some babes threw caution to the wind and were very tempted by the 20% off all pizza’s offer. Fortunately, by the time they arrived, the pizza oven had thoroughly heated up, so there was no sending back… well, not from our table. 

 

There was a lot to catch up on and the conversation almost tripped over itself in trying to keep up.  Occasionally we needed to repeat a well-worn anecdote or tale to make sure Julia was up-to-date.  But a reminder and bit of repetition are all ‘par for the course’ for us more senior babes.

 

But here are some of the stories which make it to the blog:

 Helen J is not going to the Eurovision song contest in Portugal to catch up with the lad she used to babysit, who now happens to be a world famous songwriter of ”You’re beautiful” fame,  the very words sung to help him go to sleep over forty years ago.  How time and (missed) opportunities fly by.

 

To prevent car theft from one’s drive, one must now put one’s car-keys in a biscuit tin.  I hasten to add (for those not present), no babe has had their car stolen, just a bit of sound advice from Alison. But, she didn’t make it clear whether we needed to eat the biscuits first. Crumbs, what a dilemma!

 

Apparently loyalty to one’s bank-in-a-building is to be admired, no, I meant, archived.  “Internet bank switching is very rewarding!” announces the now newest member of the babes.  A bit of head-scratching followed,  as some babes ponder how she manages to get cash into and out of her computer;  we have many new things to learn.

 

 

An uncanny likeness ....

 

 

The new north-south divide of Wirksworth was touched upon.  All it needs now is a football, some goalposts and a few pancakes. Banish the thought; it will never catch on!

 

And, the wariness of what might appear in the blog didn’t last very long.  Shouts of “bring back corporal punishment” has made it into the blog.  But, fortunately, I’m not quite sure now what this referred to.  Perhaps best forgotten, eh, Pam?  

 

We obviously talked about past and future holidays which led to eye watering revelations about how some countries deal with anti-social behaviour.  Beware of chewing gum, crossing one’s legs and salt sensors in lifts!  Communicating in a different language might come easily to some in the group, and whilst the rest of us are waiting for the development of the ‘babel fish’,

 

 

google translate will just have to do.  So here’s one for the next babe off on holiday:

 

日本、ヘレンであなたの箸を管理する楽しみを持っています

Nihon, Heren de anata no hashi o kanri suru tanoshimi o motte imasu

 

As the evening drew to a close, we left enough time to exchange cards and presents. And, being a babe, one must follow the self-imposed strict rules of opening cards and presents, which should only happen on the day in question.

 

In anticipation....

 

 

And, as we all agreed that Lynn, will have a special babe-birthday sometime later this year… and Jo can let her have her Christmas pressie too!

 

By the time this is blog is posted, at least two birthdays will have passed.  But only one of them could have possibly received this card.