Grandparents Visit - Sasebo, Miyajima, and Kyoto

My parents flew to Japan for a two-week visit over Thanksgiving.  It was wonderful! They arrived Thursday night into FUK airport; Jeff was there to pick them up. Friday happened to be Morgan's school assembly and presentation by the Principal for getting straight A's, plus won the citizen of the Quarter!  It was very special for my parents to be there.

Saturday we went out for the Turkey Trot and I won the women's age 18+ 5km in 20:20 (though I heard from people with gps watches it was closer to 2.9 miles than 3.1), and Morgan placed 2nd in girls 13 and under.  She's 9 and I thought the race was for 10 and over.  I was very proud that she went for it and ran the entire thing!  Sunday we went to a beautiful park to see the fall foliage.

The following Wednesday we started our road trip to Harioshima/Miyajima, and then onto Kyoto.  Jeff is a fabulous driver - there is no way any of us could have driven the large rental van down narrow streets to find temples and hotels.  Plus he did the entire drive back from Kyoto to Sasebo in one shot - about 11 hours.

The weather was perfect - cold but clear skies, with gorgeous fall foliage.  The hotel in Harioshima across from the ferry was perfectly situated for the morning ferry to Miyajima.  The air b&B a 3 minute walk from the golden temple with 2 separate sleeping areas, living room and small kitchen was excellent.  Thank goodness for Family Mart which kept us fed!  I really liked our '5-days of Gratitude' spending a day thinking about one person on the trip and what you were most grateful for - a very appropriate Thanksgiving exercise.

Here are photos from the first part of the trip.  What a wonderful Christmas present of memories for all of us - thanks Mom and Dad!  XOXOX

Mifuneyama, Saga Japan park

Imari Pottery (17th-19th century) 

Ceramic tile mosaic wall at the top of the hill in Imari

Hotel Lobby in Harioshima - Thanksgiving Morning 

Visiting Miyajima and famous floating Torii gate on Thanksgiving Day

Jeff's Movember - our own Fu Manchu

the super sweet docile deer... until you have French fries!

In Japan - the Buddha's have scarves, hats, and aprons knitted for them - and coins placed on their heads/laps

Fabulous Kyoto

This was my first trip to Kyoto, unless you count my 2nd birthday, and it was fabulous!  My parents had been 40 years ago, but all going together in the Fall was wonderful.  I am disappointed by my photos as they don't capture the true beauty but unless one was a professional photographer I don't know if it's possible to compare the real thing.

The 1st full day we went to 3 temples near our air b&B - the Golden Pavilion (Kinkaku-Ji) followed by Ryoan-ji and Ninna-Ji, and in the evening took a bus to Gion district.  The 2nd day we went to Arashiyama to explore the Tenryu-ji temple, bamboo grove and Jojako temple, and finished with the Fushimi Imari shrine.  The last day we went to the Silver Pavilion (Ginkakuji), the Imperial Palace grounds and garden, and the Nishiki Market.

Here are some pics.

Dance and Balloons

Jeff took the girls to the Father Daughter Dance and they had a blast.  Danced a lot and came home with a box full of loot - glass slipper, tiara, rings, champagne flute, and teddy bears!  This weekend was the annual Saga Balloon festival which was also fun.  It's gotten cold here - definitely fall weather.