First stop was Tokushima, which was a quiet kinda place but still interesting all the same. There are some famous whirlpools in Naruto which you can see under the suspension bridge you have to cross from the island of Honshu over to Shikoku. But...it depends on the tide and when I crossed, the sea was pretty still. Ah well I thought, there's always the return journey!
Tokushima is known for a famous summer festival called Awa Odori Matsuri. At this time, crowds of people parade down the street all performing various moves that make up the dance. As it was the wrong time of year, I settled with a performance at the Awa Odori Museum. Much to my surprise, I found it was an interactive performance where I tried my hand at the dance too. Let's just say I'm no expert but it was a lot of fun.
Next I ventured to the Tokushima Castle garden which was simple but beautiful.
I retired for the evening in my hotel which offered a complimentary Curry for dinner. After a long bath and some sparkling wine, strawberries, cheese and crackers, I was suitably satisfied and relaxed!
The next day I woke at a reasonable hour to catch the train to Takamatsu, situated North West of Tokushima. Once I had arrived, I visited a breathtaking Japanese Garden called Ritsurin Koen. There I sipped on delicious Matcha in an old teahouse and took in my surrounds. Talk about Zen-ning out! I got my dosage of Plum Blossoms too. There were SO many and the aroma was so sweet = Happy Ezza!
Next up was the ruins of Takamatsu Castle, one of the three big castles by the Sea in Japan. By then I was working up quite an appetite so when in Shikoku, what do you eat? None other than Udon Noodles. I had a nice big steaming bowl which some tempura Prawn and Lotus Root to boot! Mmm!
The weather turned bad so I settled in for the night watching a Japanese overdubbed version of "As Good As It Gets". Love that movie!
Day 3 in Shikoku was probably what I was most looking forward to. My visit to Naoshima! It's an Island in the Seto Inland Sea known for its modern art museums, archtecture and sculptures. It had a really isolating sleepy feel, but was also stunningly beautiful. I visited the ChiChu Museum which housed 5 Monet pieces and then to Benesse House which housed an Andy Warhol piece amongst others. Had a bit of time to visit the two famous pumpkin sculptures, snap a few shots of the unique I Love Yu sento and then pop my head into the 007 Museum.
Before I knew it I was back on a ferry in time to get a bus back to Kyoto, home sweet home. Well for another couple of weeks anyhow!
PS - I saw the Naruto whirlpools on my return bus journey, yay!
No comments:
Post a Comment