Ruminations from the Silver Muse.

[drron]

The sushi, sashimi bowls are done as you order and were very good quality.









The roast beef was done as I like and sliced as you ordered.


My sashimi bowl.

 

[drron]

And the rest of my meal. Hokkaido ramen salad and a few appetisers.


My tempura.


Mrsdrron sweets. She got her plate first in case any ran out.


My roast beef.


My sushi. With this and the tempura you can have as much as you want. The woman in front of me brought a dinner plate along and was able to get 10 salmon and a dozen prawn sushi.


My sushi being prepared.





And finally my desserts.


I think we got our money's worth.

 

[Seat0B]

Until now I hadn't noticed any large fish but then I saw this.

Wow, that's a fish!! And those gardens are just magnificent. Feel like I'm right there with you.

 

[drron]

When we got back to the room they were loading
one of the ferries with small containers.


Thev 2 men are lifted by the fork lift and stand on a presumably empty container. here the blue one. A forklift then brings the intended container and puts it down beside them. They hop over,attach the container and then hop back onto their empty container and the intended container then loaded.



And more night scenes.



And then my first plate for breakfast the next morning.

 

[Seat0B]

That dinner buffet looks amazing.

 

[drron]

The next day the program was to walk Hama -rikyu Gardens. Started off going to one of the entrances to the moat that surrounds the gardens. It is also where some river cruises depart.




The only problem is that you often get this ugly building with the name Conrad on it.


There is an area where the clean up of the Sumida river and Tokyo bay commenced and they hoped to bring fish back in numbers.


Well they certainly were successful. further up the moat a nice shoal of flathead mullet.



The day was garbage collection day as little collections left on the kerb. This was all the rubbish from one apartment block.



Though there was some litter that wasn't there the day before but basically fast food containers and drink bottles and cans which are more likely to be from tourists as the Japanese consider it impolite to eat whilst walking.

 

[drron]

They have closed a couple of entrances so now just 2. I walked alongside the moat to the closest one. They obviously were forced to remove a tree.


I had a ticket already as the day before I had bought a combined seniors ticket for 200 yen -$A2.20. So walking from the entrance.

 

[drron]

An interesting pine.



They really look after their trees.





The rest rooms well disguised.


And a really old Pine.

 

[drron]

More of the old pine. In the second picture the upright trunks you can see are part of this tree.


So on with the ramble.




Then the flower garden.

 

[drron]

A peony garden and another wisteria arbor providing nice shade.



And from the other side the green srea is the next crop of the same flowers with obvious rows.



Next a little temple.





And a grove of plum trees.

 

[drron]

The water taxi gate which hasn't been reopened but there was a fellow working around it.


Then a fair bit further on -






And there is a set of sluice gates here.

 

[drron]

And some cherry trees.

 

[drron]

Duck blinds.



And the methods of capture.

 

[drron]

This garden actually began it's life back in the 1600's as a falconry for the Shoguns. It wasn't until 1654 that the new Shogun built his residence here. Around the Lake were several tea houses where the Shogun entertained guests.






And a cormorant drying out.

 

[drron]

Now the Hawk house.

 

[drron]

 

[drron]

Once again the care of the trees is inspiring.

 

[drron]

This really tested my balance.


But it was worth it.

 

[drron]

Then for a while I watched this fellow patiently stalking fish.

 

[drron]

And persistence paid off.


So I moved around the corner and he was back stalking.





Old cherry trees.


And a natural sculpture.


So that was my time in the gardens. off to the lower ginza 8 and 9. my computer mouse had died and i was trying to find an electronics place but with no luck.