Woke up this morning at 7am feeling very refreshed and rested! The shower in my hotel room felt AMAZING, if a little small- and the shampoo, conditioner and body soap are quite fancy and smell like a little bit of spa heaven! I felt like a new woman after a hot shower! We took our time getting ready and decided to strike out on foot to explore the immediate area this morning. I had a Cliff bar (recommended by my nutritionist) for breakfast so that I could take my medication.....and we set out! The morning air was perfect for a nice walk! It was about 65 degrees, sunny and a light breeze. The sky is that very pretty azure blue today with not a cloud to be seen! We walked up to OASIS 21, Central Park and the Nagoya TV tower, taking in all the sights, sounds, smells and colors along the way. OASIS 21 is a large metal oval track-like complex that has a giant fountain on top. The top was closed this morning...but I want to go back when it's dark to see it all lit up. We got a glimpse of it last night on our way in. It's huge and very impressive architecture. We found a little patisserie type cafe and Steve got a raisin bun and I got some Matcha tea. We sat at a bar along the window so that we could people watch. Hundreds of serious looking men in black business suits and ties...lots of fashionably dressed women with high-heels (very few in sensible shoes!). Most talking on or looking at cell phones while they walked. Saw hundreds of bicycles....they don't even chain them up here....they just park them on the street. The streets are spotless too. No litter, no dirt. Swept clean!! Early in the morning all of the shop keepers were out washing their windows. It was a very cheerful scene to walk down the streets and the shops were just starting to open for the day.
We finished our breakfast and walked around the subway complex....lots of high-end shopping: Dolce and Ghabanna was a HUGE store...and having a big sale today, if the people lined up in the ques waiting for the store to open are any indication. We made our way thru Nagoya's Central Park with it's fountains, statuary, and seating spots to the base of the Nagoya TV Tower and we ended up going through the subway station again and getting a bit turned around. None of the street signs are in English....and we just had to keep guessing which way we needed to go. We ended up in Sakae and got to see Pachinco Parlors and bars and shops and cafes and thoroughly enjoyed our selves! There are bright and vibrant colors everywhere!! The smells from the restaurants were strange, spicy and enticing! Many places had large placards with their advertised "set-ups" (what they call a plate?) and prices listed right out side with big pictures of the food so that you can choose what you want. The Japanese are VERY big on presentation and it's so true when they say that you eat with your eyes first. Every dish looked amazing!!! No attention to detail is spared. We found the planetarium and realized that we were way south of where we intended to be and were able to readjust using the Nagoya TV Tower as a landmark to find our way back to our street. We took the Central Park path to get back down to our hotel, enjoying the shade of the trees, the cooing of the pigeons and the sights and smells that are so different from home. Now we're back in our hotel room.....I just had an espresso that was very yummy! and now I'm going to try to take a little cat nap to rest up for more walking this afternoon. Steve is already snoring beside me! haha! I'm feeling GREAT and so far, I am LOVING Japan! I can't wait for tonight to get to spend some more time with Alyssa! What an adventure we're on! A trip of a lifetime! I feel so overwhelmingly blessed and happy to have been able to come! Now, rest for the jet-lag and will write more later! Sayonora!
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