Our next part of the Tokyo exploration took us to the Asakusa district. On the way we headed through a street that had some history related, I think, to the entertainment industry. There are a number of figures that are on the street or, more appropriately on and above it. These characters represent the history of the area and adorn a number of the buildings as well as the ground. They were pretty cool to try and spot.
Having trekked along the trails on one side of Mt Diablo, we decided to finish the day off by heading to the summit. This time we took a more motorized form of transportation and drove up there. We passed many cyclists heading the same way how all made me feel a bit guilty. I had just finished a hike, though, so didn’t feel quite so bad about my lazy route to the top.
The summit has a tower and lookout station which we took a look around. The views were very good, even if the haze was a bit of a problem further away. We aren’t terribly familiar with all of the area yet so we spent some time trying to work out exactly where we were in relation to the places we do know. It is a long drive to the top but worth doing. Soon the Amgen Tour of California will be making the climb too. I suspect they will head up there at a fair old pace!
Walking back from the Imperial Palace towards the hotel to check out, we passed through an area with many trees planted. Not only were their locations carefully planned, they also seemed to be beautifully manicured. The whole effect was very impressive. All of the trees in the grounds looked great. There was one particular tree that was leaning right over alongside the moat that looked like a lot of effort had gone into getting it just right.
We may have lived in Dublin for over six months now but, for some reason, we had yet to go and stretch our legs on Mt Diablo. Such a large mountain so close to us, it is hard to miss when you are in this area but we hadn’t got around to going there. It was time for a change and time to get a good hike in since we haven’t been out for a while.
Our hike started out in Clayton on the opposite side of the mountain from us. It wasn’t a terribly long hike since we haven’t exactly been keeping in shape. However, while it was only just under 6 miles, the terrain was a bit more interesting than we had expected. We certainly got some climbing in as well as some descents that had footing that took a little practice to master. The aim was to get to a trail that loops around some falls. We weren’t expecting to see anything at the falls since it has been a very dry winter but they were still flowing although not with any great force. The top of the valley provided a great view of the land below as well as the terrain around the falls and Mt Diablo above us.
It is hard to give a sense of scale in images like this. As I look at them, it reminds me of how cool it looks but also of how an image on the screed is no reflection of the grand vista I saw at the time. It was really lovely even if we were a bit hot and tired by the end of it. It will be interesting to see it at different times of year.
While I didn’t have an invitation from the emperor (and I don’t even know if he was home), I did have a wander around the outside of the Imperial Palace grounds. There is a substantial moat surrounding the palace itself so I was stopped from getting too close. However, it is still a very pretty area and worth a look, even if time is limited. One of our colleagues had said the palace is open for tours at certain times but, if that is the case, we weren’t there at the right time and had a busy morning planned so it was a quick visit. Well worth doing though.
Early in the morning of my half day in Tokyo, we had a stroll across towards the Imperial Palace. I guess we had missed the peak of the blossoms in the city but there were still quite a few of them that were in bloom. It just wouldn’t be right to have walked by without grabbing a few shots for the collection. Yes, they could have been taken anywhere but they weren’t. They were taken in Tokyo so they are Japanese blossoms. Whether they were cheery or plum I don’t know so I guess the story is only half complete.
Mum’s visit meant quite a few trips to places we have scoped out before. We headed to Point Bonita on one day to visit the lighthouse there. This time we knew about the timing so were there in plenty of time. I won’t repeat what I wrote about the place this time so will share the shots from this visit. The one thing that was significantly different this time was that there was a strong swell coming in from the ocean so watching the waves crash up on the shoreline was a lot of fun. I can watch the sea crash ashore for hours at a time so this was great for me!
These pictures will never be anywhere other than my blog. However, as we rode the train from Tokyo to Toyohashi, we went along the coastline that takes you south around Mt Fuji. Possibly Japan’s most famous landmark, it really is a bit mountain. Even from the train, I was quite taken with how big it was. It was a hazy day so not the best for taking pictures and taking them from a moving train (a very fast moving train) didn’t help. Neither did the various poles and cables alongside the tracks but I still had to get a shot or two as mementos. This is it!
Driving through Napa Valley with Mum, we were, of course, surrounded by vineyards. Mostly we just headed on up the road but once or twice we stopped to have a look. The prettier road through the valley is sadly a 55mph route so dawdling will not make you popular. However, you can always pull off and take a look without obstructing anyone. The patterns in the fields are very cool and that was what I was looking to get here. Of course, the middle of the day is not a great time to shoot but that’s when we were there so that will have to do.
There is a shot that I am on a quest to get right one day. I don’t know whether it is from growing up by the sea or not but I can sit and watch waves crashing ashore for a very long time without getting bored. One thing I particularly like is the way a wave that is just starting to break has a smooth shape to the top and backside that, as the light comes in from the front of the wave, glows a green color.
This appears for a brief time and then quickly disappears as the wave collapses in on itself. The smoothness and the color contract with the normal appearance of the sea and the waves and maybe this is what I like so much. I was down on the Pacific coast a few weeks back and the waves were pretty good with quite a swell coming in. The green glow was showing up a lot but this time I actually manged to catch some of it before it went away.
It still doesn’t replicate the image I have in my head from watching the waves but it is a lot closer than I have managed before. I will keep working on it so, if I get something better, don’t be surprised if it shows up here. The one below is from head on so doesn’t show the effect but it does give an idea of what it looks like from underneath.
