Weekend in Hiroshima

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Friday 6th - Monday 9th January 2006. A weekend in Hiroshima, a sort of late New Year's visit to see Chie's family.



Saturday 7th

Saturday 13:17
More phones than people!

Saturday 13:18

Saturday 13:18
Mmmmmm kimchi Ramen.

Saturday 13:21

Saturday 13:31

Saturday 14:56
Famous gardens in Hiroshima.

Saturday 14:56
We had the luxury of a guided tour!

Saturday 14:56
I think this is a tea house...?

Saturday 14:58
Lots of ponds etc.

Saturday 14:58

Saturday 15:00

Saturday 15:04

Saturday 15:04

Saturday 15:04

Saturday 15:06

Saturday 15:09
You have to take your hat off to this amazing tree - it survived the atomic bomb despite being very close to the epicentre. It is still growing (although currently a little bare because of the winter).

Saturday 15:09

Saturday 15:10
Apparently the nicest view point of these gardens.

Saturday 15:14
Bamboo!

Saturday 15:26

Saturday 15:29

Saturday 15:29
Apparently these jackets keep out insects.

Saturday 15:36

Saturday 15:41
I particularly liked the bridges.

Saturday 15:44

Saturday 15:45

Saturday 15:46

Saturday 16:33
Afternoon Tea in the Royal Doulton place in Fukuya department store.

Saturday 16:33

Saturday 19:51
The family assembled outside.

Saturday 20:20
In Sushi Tei - our favourite sushi place.

Saturday 20:20
A bit better - the last one had the white balance set wrong.

Saturday 20:21

Saturday 20:21

Saturday 20:34

Saturday 20:34

Saturday 20:35
Sneaky picture of our chef!

Saturday 20:37
Mmmmm beer!

Saturday 21:18

Saturday 21:18
Mmmmm sake!

Saturday 21:19

Saturday 21:32
...and of course there had to be karaoke.

Saturday 21:32

Saturday 21:38

Saturday 21:38

Saturday 21:49

Saturday 21:53

Saturday 21:53

Saturday 21:57

Saturday 22:09
Clearly a bit too much for Chie's hard working father!

Saturday 22:26

Saturday 22:27
Dancing seems to be involved too here...

Saturday 22:45

Saturday 23:05
On the way back home now...



Sunday 8th

Sunday 13:32 As is typical in Japanese families, Chie's Mum does the majority of the cooking at home. There are occasional exceptions to this however, and okonomiyaki are a particular speciality of Chie's Dad.

Sunday 13:43 A special vegetarian version made for me - not sure the picture does it justice, but it was very nice.

Sunday 13:47 Connoiseurs will of course note this is the Hiroshima style of okonomiyaki rather than the Osaka style - a heaver emphasis on noodles denotes the Hiroshima version. Oh, and it is of course served with beer.

Sunday 21:14 A little celebration to mark the day before Yuka's coming of age ceremony. It looks like Chie is attacking her poor father here!

Sunday 21:14 Yuka seemingly quite happy about the cake!

Sunday 21:15 Chie, Yuka and Dad, plus the cake.

Sunday 21:16 Blowing out the candles.

Sunday 21:20 Mmmm... cake plus sparkling wine. Both had kinpun (gold leaf flakes) on/in.

Sunday 22:54 The new clothes I had bought earlier in the day. I'm going for the former public school boy look.



Monday 9th

Monday 11:32 An unfortunate blue-ish shot of me and my new olive tree.

Monday 11:32 Me plus olive tree, and the shop I bought it from behind me.

Monday 11:59 Near Chie's grandparents house, I rather liked the look of this bizarre fruit tree.

Monday 12:50 It seemed difficult to have a meal at Chie's parents house without being given a beer to go with it! Plus also note the rather nice coasters - made from old whisky barrels.

Monday 12:57 We'd popped into a nearby furniture shop which makes furniture from old whisky barrels... You can imagine how much this is right up my street, especially as we have a new (and as yet largely unfurnished) flat to fill!

Monday 12:57 ...the barrels are from the Yamazaki Distillery, which I've visited.

Monday 12:58 I particularly liked these part barrels designed to be used as plant pots.

Monday 12:59 More free gifts from the Yamazaki barrel furniture shop.

Monday 13:22 Tempura for lunch! Chie cooked to give her Mum a bit of a break, and it was all really marvellous.

Monday 13:22 Very tasty assortment of vegetable tempura.

Monday 13:45 Chie didn't seem in the slightest bit embarassed of wearing this apron thing...!