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    Iron Heart Fall/Winter 2025 Collection Preview - Now Live

    2020 - Giles and Paula go to Japan

    Iron Heart Meet Ups & Travel
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    • GilesG
      Giles
      IHUK Crew
      Joined:

      All the fortified walls were internally braced by vertical granite posts at about every 3 meters…

      "OK face up to it - you're useless but generally pretty honest and straightforward . . . it's a rare combination of qualities that I have come to admire in you" - Geo 2011

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      • GilesG
        Giles
        IHUK Crew
        Joined:

        "OK face up to it - you're useless but generally pretty honest and straightforward . . . it's a rare combination of qualities that I have come to admire in you" - Geo 2011

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        • GilesG
          Giles
          IHUK Crew
          Joined:

          @Chap I guess you could have been a locum here if you'd got stuck in Kyoto….

          "OK face up to it - you're useless but generally pretty honest and straightforward . . . it's a rare combination of qualities that I have come to admire in you" - Geo 2011

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          • Madame ButtonflyM
            Madame Buttonfly
            IHUK Crew
            Joined:

            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

            AKA Mrs G

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            • Madame ButtonflyM
              Madame Buttonfly
              IHUK Crew
              Joined:

              And this must surely be every kid's dream of a school bus!

              AKA Mrs G

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              • GilesG
                Giles
                IHUK Crew
                Joined:

                "OK face up to it - you're useless but generally pretty honest and straightforward . . . it's a rare combination of qualities that I have come to admire in you" - Geo 2011

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                • AnesthetistA
                  Anesthetist
                  見習いボス
                  Joined:

                  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

                  IG: bluehandsslim

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                  • steelworkerS
                    steelworker
                    見習いボス
                    Joined:

                    Great photos!  I encourage you to ignore the signs and run around on the grass.

                    Those are my principles, and if you don't like them…
                    Well, I have others.

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                    • GilesG
                      Giles
                      IHUK Crew
                      Joined:

                      Last night we wanted Tonkatsu.  When we got to our chosen restaurant, it had closed - well it was 9PM  ::)

                      So we ended up doing Yakitori again…...

                      "OK face up to it - you're useless but generally pretty honest and straightforward . . . it's a rare combination of qualities that I have come to admire in you" - Geo 2011

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                      • ROmanR
                        ROman
                        Haraki san Prodigy
                        Joined:

                        Great pics @Giles & @Madame Buttonfly , They're inspirational. Thanks

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                        • PalmerP
                          Palmer
                          Iron Heart Deity
                          Joined:

                          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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                          • louisboscoL
                            louisbosco
                            啓蒙家
                            Joined:

                            ^sounds like the perfect time for a holiday.

                            "Loyalty is a two way street. If i'm asking for it from you, then you're getting it from me."

                            • Harvey Specter
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                            • GilesG
                              Giles
                              IHUK Crew
                              Joined:

                              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…..

                              "OK face up to it - you're useless but generally pretty honest and straightforward . . . it's a rare combination of qualities that I have come to admire in you" - Geo 2011

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                              • neph93N
                                neph93
                                見習いボス
                                Joined:

                                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.

                                «Stevie Heighway on the wing!
                                We had dreams, and songs to sing…»

                                • Dame Vera Lynn
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                                • gaseousclayG
                                  gaseousclay
                                  Joined:

                                  If you and Paula have the time, the Nikko Toshugu Shrine is an amazing site to visit.

                                  WTB:
                                  IHSH-129 size L (blue)
                                  IHSH-19

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                                  • GilesG
                                    Giles
                                    IHUK Crew
                                    Joined:

                                    It's 10 hours drive from here 🙂

                                    "OK face up to it - you're useless but generally pretty honest and straightforward . . . it's a rare combination of qualities that I have come to admire in you" - Geo 2011

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                                    • jordanscollectedJ
                                      jordanscollected
                                      啓蒙家
                                      Joined:

                                      Looks amazing there @Giles. Years ago i went to Mexico despite the swine flu warnings, and we had an entire hotel and most of Isla Mujeres to ourselves. Stay healthy and safe all.

                                      The podcast was a fun listen today, thanks for sharing.

                                      Did Haraki like the idea of the OD buttons for "pimping"?

                                      world tours:
                                      888 Fat guy chocolate WT
                                      Mad Red x2
                                      Wabidashery

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                                      • GilesG
                                        Giles
                                        IHUK Crew
                                        Joined:

                                        Have not spent much time with him yet…..

                                        "OK face up to it - you're useless but generally pretty honest and straightforward . . . it's a rare combination of qualities that I have come to admire in you" - Geo 2011

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                                        • GilesG
                                          Giles
                                          IHUK Crew
                                          Joined:

                                          Yesterday we drove from Shikoku to Kojima.  I wanted to explore some of the interior of Shikoku, so we plugged Mima City into the GPS and headed off.

                                          This is where it took us….

                                          Not really what I was expecting  🙂 🙂

                                          To get off Shikoku, we had to cross the Seto Ohashi Bridge.  I first saw it about 10 years ago when I was in Kojima and always wanted to travel over it (sad, but true)….

                                          https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Seto_Bridge

                                          "OK face up to it - you're useless but generally pretty honest and straightforward . . . it's a rare combination of qualities that I have come to admire in you" - Geo 2011

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                                          • GilesG
                                            Giles
                                            IHUK Crew
                                            Joined:

                                            This morning we went to a dairy farm with Fam Sarina….There is a little shop there, that sells ice cream made from the cow's milk, which I suspect why the kids like going to the farm so much... 😃 😃

                                            That was mine, but I made the mistake of giving it to Mia to carry up the stairs, I did not get it back…

                                            Keat took this, but it was well photo-bombed by Mia….

                                            "OK face up to it - you're useless but generally pretty honest and straightforward . . . it's a rare combination of qualities that I have come to admire in you" - Geo 2011

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