day 251 - ROYGBIV - midori

Today is GREEN

Kame (turtle) buns.

Saty Departo, Nozato

Moss-covered sugi logs.

Old Edo Highway, Tsumago - Magome.

Weird succulent.

Himeji.

Momiji (Japanese maples), Arashiyama.

"The Greening of Himeji."

Shinkansen overpass.

day 249- ROYGBIV - orangee

Actually the Japanese word is daidai (from a bitter citrus fruit. The commonly eaten sweet orange is mikan.) A Japanese English teacher always pronounced it orangee, so in my mind the colour will always be orangee!

Genki diapers.

Toys 'R' Us, River City, Shikama.

Cliveas.

Tsumago.

A tunnel of torii.

Tsuwano.

day 91 - Tsumago - Magome

Yesterday we took the shinkansen and local trains to Tsumago, an ancient post town. Today we hiked from Tsumago to Magome on a beautiful walking trail which forms part of the original Nakasendo, an Edo Period highway which connected Edo (now Tokyo) with Kyoto. It was an amazing feeling to walk on the very cobblestones that had carried travellers, merchants, samurai, palanquins, lords and commoners 300 years ago...

1. Just hanging on. A tree in front of the Odaki (Male) of the twin waterfalls.

2. Almost arrived in Magome.

3. Shrines in the sugi (Japanese Cedar.)

4. Bamboo forest.

5. Old Lyn on The Old Edo Road.

6. Rob & unidentified kanji. Can you help?!

7. Waterwheel outside the ryokan.

8. "Rocks On The Roof of The House with The Waterwheel."

9. Old zen koan: 'Do Straw Horses Sleep On Beds Of Horse Meat?'

10. The friendly Hanaya Ryokan. There has been an inn on this site for the last 300 years.