We got to see Mount Fuji from the plane, on our way home to Toronto!

 

Steps on stairs were all irregular and stunning!

We enjoyed some sweet potatoe ice cream and it was delicious!

Nanette finally found the right size bubbly!

 

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We also had bought some delicious mandarin oranges,  Best ones we ever tasted!

 

We had some authentic Japenese lamen (ramen) for lunch and Vicky shows that slurping is mandatory!!

 

More adventure awaited us at the Hirayama Ikuo Museum of Art.

He was a Japanese style painter born in 1930. His younger brother led the tour. Hirayama was surrounded by islands of Seto Inland sea as he grew up and he became of the most renowned painters in Japan. It showed painting from his youth, sketches and drafts.

 

Last, but certainly not least, we drove to…. Sunset Beach, a 800 meter stretch in the Chogoku and Shikoku regions. The shallow beach with gentle waves washing over beautiful white sand was An unexpected treat.

Arigato!  The sun was shining and we all enjoyed being outside in this beautiful, tranquil part of Japan; so different from the busy cities of Tokyo and Kyoto. A perfect end!!

Drive back to the hotel past more gorgeous scenery.

This was out last day, and the end of our fabulous trip.

I would like to thank everyone for travelling with Womens Travel Network and I hope all the ladies enjoyed their trip. It has been a privilege to be your tour leader.

We hope to travel  with you again soon. Please don’t forget that Debbie is a full service Travel agent, who can book any type of travel or flight for you, anywhere – not just her Womens tours!

Nanette

SeeA bus picked us up at 8:30 to take us to Omichi, about 1.5 hour drive through     Beautiful scenery and over three new suspension bridges. It was a very enjoyable drive.

We started our day with a visit to th Kosanji Temple + Museum, part of Jodd Shinshu School of Pure Land Buddhism. It was founded in 1936 by industrialist Kozo Kosanji as a family temple that he built in dedication to his late mother.

 

Mr. Kosanji loved the Phoenix Bird

 

The Kosanji Temple is now a museum.

 

 

See how enormous this statue is!

We visited the Miraishin no Oka = Hill of Hope, it is environmental design site which was created with 3,000 tons of Cararra marble and opened in October 2000. It covers 5,000 sq. meters and filled with various monuments both large and small. The theme of th garden is `Family Ties` and it represents a peaceful world that is filled with hope for the future.

 

 

We left on a tram for an hour to the Miyajima Ferry Port to take a ferry to the  beautiful island of Miyajima, the scene of one of the very best views in Japan; the vermillion tori of Itsukushima-ninja, which seems to float on the waves at high tide.

Trains were very clean and even had a conductor on board.

Japanese young ladies are very fashionable!

Taking the ferry to the island.

A wonderful haven – at high tide.

This new church high up on the mountain honors all kinds of religions!

At high tide, boats go under the O-Torii Grand Gate for good luck

The gate is 16 meters tall. The circumference of each main pillar is about 10 meters. It is one of the biggest woods torii gates in Japan.

High tide and one woman stripped to her bathing suit and went swimming.

The Shinden style shrine was first built in the latter half of the sixth century and remodeled in 1168. It was designated in 1996 as a Unesco World Heritage site.

After visiting the shrine, we took two Miyajima Ropeway gondolas to the top of Mount Misen and enjoyed the scenery from the summit over the Inland Sea.

Monet, Pat and our tour guide Kim.

Nanette, tour leader, Jan and Kathy

Mt.Misen is the highest mountain on the island and rises 535 meters above sea level.

We visited the Daisho-in  Shingon Temple, decorated with prayer wheels and Buddhist images.

Henjyokutsu Cave: Contain the sand and the principal Buddhist icons of the 88 temples of the prestigious pilgrimage route on Shikoku.

See no evil, hear no evil and speak no evil.

Beautiful old wood carvings

Dai-hannyakyo Sutras: it is believed that touching these sutras will bring you enormous fortune.

 

It was low tide when we came back from the mountain and could walk to the gate

Fishermen drop coins in the water when going through the gate, and later these men collect them!

 

Another fabulous day with beautiful weather. It just keep getting better!

Only one more day, and we will go back to reality.