2020 - Giles and Paula go to Japan
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good to see kenta looking good. send my regards if it's not too late! kyoto's looking lovely from your photos. all my trips, i've only ever done day trips to kyoto from osaka. seems like i got to make it a point with staying there and slowly exploring it without any rush..
@Giles the international driving permit is not so much an issue with rental companies. it's basically for them to cover their asses in any unfortunate scenarios if an accident happens and the insurance company doesn't pay out. also, it actually acts more as a translation document that anything else. especially if you were to be pulled over by the cops or whatsoever. other than that, there's not much to it.
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Today, we went to Nijo-jo Castle. The castle that both heralded the start of the Edo period and also saw the end. Because of Coronavirus, the interior was closed to the public, but the grounds were stunning, so we did not mind unduly. Again, because of Coronavirus, the place was practically deserted, there were times when it felt like we were the only people there.
Firstly, more do-nots…
Damn, I really wanted to go down that hole….
My personal favorite…
And this one just does not have the heart, to give it an outright "No"….
And just how small do you need to be for this to be in any way relevant?
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Giles's photos are way better than those I took, a few of the cherry and plum trees in the lovely gardens at Nijo-Jo Castle are starting to blossom, in a couple of weeks it will be spectacular. As you can see, we were incredibly lucky with the weather today, bright sun and around 20 deg C
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And this must surely be every kid's dream of a school bus!
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Really enjoying the pics this trip, keep up the great work! That last pic of G is the best [emoji482]
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
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Great photos! I encourage you to ignore the signs and run around on the grass.
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Great pics @Giles & @Madame Buttonfly , They're inspirational. Thanks
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Looks like you're having a fun and private vacation! I can't believe the lack of other people in your photos.
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^sounds like the perfect time for a holiday.
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Today we drove from Kyoto to the Island on Shikoku. Connecting the mainland to Awaji Island (a stepping stone to Shikoko) is the longest single-span suspension bridge in the world, the Akashi Kaikyō Bridge. I was super excited about that, but of course, it was pissing down and vis was awful, this is the best I could do:
More here:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Akashi_Kaikyō_Bridge
At the southern end of Awaji is another shorter bridge which spans the Narutu strait. Home to what are claimed to be the largest whirlpools in the world, but I bet @neph93 will have something to say about that.
What is amazing is that under the bridge itself is a suspended walkway (covered and super safe - of course) and you can walk over some of the whirlpools.
Whilst we were there a smallish ship came through.
Obligatory "do not" notice…..
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These updates are awesome. With regards to the whirlpool, Saltstraumen (in my back yard), is deemed the strongest (as in most powerful), so I’ll let the Japanese off for claiming the Naruto straits as the largest, they’re probably right.
What marks Saltstraumen apart (as you know from first hand experience), is that it is an awful lot of water being pushed through a very narrow gap twice a day. The force of the current is what makes it special.
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If you and Paula have the time, the Nikko Toshugu Shrine is an amazing site to visit.
