A read and an afternoon nap on the banks of the Peace River 
  Off to find the second hand book shop with English books! 
  We had been wanting to try Okonomiyaki, a noodles and omelette dish known as Hiroshima’s soul food but both times we tried there lines down the street and a two hour wait.

 
 On the way back from the book store we found this restaurant with not a queue in sight. We decided to try it even though we were worried that a lack of people out the door and down the street might have meant they did really bad Okonomiyaki. Much to our relief there was a queue at the top of the stairs

 
  Liz went for the first one, Daisho-yaki, I chose basic with garlic chips, even though the beaf sinew was tempting.   
  View out the window  
  The guys were cooking up a storm! 
   Oh Lordy , it made the heart sing 
  And cry out Hallelujah ! 
  
  It was indeed food for the soul! 
  A walk home through the Peace Park, past the Peace Dome 
  And into bed with a book

 

My best evening yet. 

I’m still trying to catch up on last week and the final days of Liz’s pilgrimage. However I am going to start blogging in real time as well , so here’s a timeline  for you (and me!)

Mon 14th – free day in Marugame

Tuesday 15th – Temples 78 – 80 (81 & 82) were way way away and we were running out of time!)

Wednesday  16th – Rainy day in Takamatsu

Thursday 17th – Temples 83,84 (85 was wayyyy up a mountain)

Friday 18th – Temples 86 & 88. The pilgrimage is done!

  
Saturday 19th – Free day in Tokushima

Sunday 20th – Travel to Hiroshima

Monday 21st – Hiroshima 

Tuesday 22nd – Travel to Kyoto

Wednesday 23rd, Thursday  24th – Kyoto, city of Geishas

Friday 25th – Travel to Tokyo

26th, 27th – Tokyo

28th – Last day 

29th – Home!!

The idea was to take the train to Takamatsu, then Liz and I were going to do a couple of temples while Sarah, who’s knee wasn’t being kind to her, had a rest day. 
Nature had other plans, we woke to rain, and it rained and rained and rained some more. 

   
    

 The outlook was bleak when we got off the train in Takamatsu  

So instead of walking we decided to visit the ruins of Takamatsu Castle instead. It was basically a lot of stone walls like this

  

   

 

 

Rain forecast again tomorrow!

My first day of walking. We visited temples Goshoji, Tennoji, Kokubunju
 

   

 

     

 It was quite cool when we set off and we found 78 ok. Full of confidence and armed with Google Maps Liz strode off to find 79. We arrived somewhere but were not too sure we were at the right place, getting hotter with  tempers fraying, we sought advice from numerous folk,there was lots of pointing, lots of talk, none of which we could understand !  

 

Liz disappeared off and came back full of purpose and off we set through the streets once again. 

 
 Liz wasn’t amused but Sah and I thought it was hilarious. And it turns out we were in the right place to begin with. 

After all that walking and getting flustered we decided to take the train to the next Temple

I can’t really remember which photos are from which temple now, so I’ve just added an assortment. 

  

 

 
 

  

 

 
    

 

 

 
 

 

Temples done for the day it was time to visit one more shrine