AS if on cue, the Fosters are here, it should be raining...our last day is defined to be wet and dap all over again. Although 24, its dreary so we drag our feet getting out after 11am.
After wearing all these nice comfortable cotton yukatas (like summer Kimonos) I am on the hunt for one to take home. Ted is bored to tears with my shopping but finally at Takashima I find not only a nice yukata but some lovely touristy souvenirs too.
Later I return to the food floor at Isetan. We buy glorious chocolate cake, French cheese, rice crackers and lots of inure, salmon eggs for a snack later.
After an afternoon rest and a bit of a repack, it;s off back to the little sushi resto we have been to twice already, but we have a reservation and it's not so busy this evening. But the whole area of Shinjuku is jumping. I have been very impressed with the mackerel up at the Sea of Japan but we find it unbelievably expensive as a sushi order here, and probably not so good. One set dish, several individual sushis and 2 beers is $100.
Back to our hotel, we savour the silky chocolate cake, finish the sake and the cheese and crackers.
On CNN news here the US election is sheer nonsense. Glad we don't have to listen to much of that.
Next morning we wake to sun, damp at first, but it;s too late for us as we return to Calgary today.
We are booked on Air Canada's direct Tokyo Calgary flight in Premium Economy. There are 8 of us in the 16 seats so Ted and I both have 2 seats (window and aisle) to ourselves, which is a comfortable way to come home. The food onboard is not Japanese! But the steak is very good probably their kobe or hido beef.
However, much to our chagrin, there is a computer problem on the Dreamliner and we sit 1.5 hours on the tarmac before lifting off. The pilot makes up half an hour by taking a southerly route south of Russia and Alaska but we still come in an hour late. I get about 3 hours sleep on the 9.5 hour flight, Ted none. I also watch a young and very amusing Nicholas Cage in "Raising Arizona" which whiles away a few hours.
Our house guest Deb Young is there at Calgary airport with our car at 11:20am so it's gonna be a long day before we hit the sack.
It's been a wonderful 70th birthday trip, many beautiful places, culturally so different from anywhere I've ever been before. I can't rationalize why so many nations still hate the Japanese or understand the things they did to people in the wars, when they are such nice, friendly, orderly people in their own country. Service everywhere was amazing even when they could not speak English. But the herd mentality is definitely still there, from kindergarten, and school children and adults dutifully lining up for everything.
After wearing all these nice comfortable cotton yukatas (like summer Kimonos) I am on the hunt for one to take home. Ted is bored to tears with my shopping but finally at Takashima I find not only a nice yukata but some lovely touristy souvenirs too.
Later I return to the food floor at Isetan. We buy glorious chocolate cake, French cheese, rice crackers and lots of inure, salmon eggs for a snack later.
After an afternoon rest and a bit of a repack, it;s off back to the little sushi resto we have been to twice already, but we have a reservation and it's not so busy this evening. But the whole area of Shinjuku is jumping. I have been very impressed with the mackerel up at the Sea of Japan but we find it unbelievably expensive as a sushi order here, and probably not so good. One set dish, several individual sushis and 2 beers is $100.
Back to our hotel, we savour the silky chocolate cake, finish the sake and the cheese and crackers.
On CNN news here the US election is sheer nonsense. Glad we don't have to listen to much of that.
Next morning we wake to sun, damp at first, but it;s too late for us as we return to Calgary today.
We are booked on Air Canada's direct Tokyo Calgary flight in Premium Economy. There are 8 of us in the 16 seats so Ted and I both have 2 seats (window and aisle) to ourselves, which is a comfortable way to come home. The food onboard is not Japanese! But the steak is very good probably their kobe or hido beef.
However, much to our chagrin, there is a computer problem on the Dreamliner and we sit 1.5 hours on the tarmac before lifting off. The pilot makes up half an hour by taking a southerly route south of Russia and Alaska but we still come in an hour late. I get about 3 hours sleep on the 9.5 hour flight, Ted none. I also watch a young and very amusing Nicholas Cage in "Raising Arizona" which whiles away a few hours.
Our house guest Deb Young is there at Calgary airport with our car at 11:20am so it's gonna be a long day before we hit the sack.
It's been a wonderful 70th birthday trip, many beautiful places, culturally so different from anywhere I've ever been before. I can't rationalize why so many nations still hate the Japanese or understand the things they did to people in the wars, when they are such nice, friendly, orderly people in their own country. Service everywhere was amazing even when they could not speak English. But the herd mentality is definitely still there, from kindergarten, and school children and adults dutifully lining up for everything.
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