Story Japan 23rd March

 With Ann Caroline Lear 

Nagasaki 

8:15 start for Nagasaki. Paused at the station for Ann to be crowned ‘Queen’ for the day. The rest of the time she is just a ‘Princess’. Two trains later we were in time for lunch at the station. The local football team ‘ V-Varen Nagasaki’ were having a high end cake stall to raise funds for the club on game day. Plenty of people wearing jerseys. 

Piled our bags up at the hotel set off walking to the 26 martyr’s museum and monument

 https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/26_Martyrs_of_Japan

Down the hill, tram to the ‘Peace Park’ and museum, back to the hotel to checkin and have a welcome drink. The APA Nagasaki ekimae just happens to have an Irish Pub as part of the establishment. 

Later in the afternoon we headed for the ‘ Nagasaki Ropeway’  (cable car) by local bus. It has been an interesting learning experience to catch public transport here with plenty of blunders and laughs along the way. Fortunately we have a pretty laid back touring group of 19 who don’t mind a bit of friendly banter along the way. Up to the trig point and observatory while the sun was close to setting. 

Back to the Irish Pub for dinner! Well that was the plan! Half the area was taken up with a wedding (about 30) only three staff doing bar, catering and cooking . After an hour and a half  of having fun with and listening to the groom’s speech  we were informed our ‘Shepherd’s pie’ order had been burnt and there was no other to be had!  We pulled up stumps went to the local 7/11 for some chicken dumplings, boiled rice and a bag of salad.

(Ann) A more leisurely start to the day. 

Western breakfast or Japanese breakfast? that was the question.  Not much difference says Don. 

Our all-day public transport pass served us well, all day.

Budhist temples, with stone architecture and characteristic gardens, oldest stone bridge. The beautiful Glover Gardens high above the dock, where we stayed for about an hour. .  It includes a well preserved house and garden where Glover, the Scotsman and his beautiful Japanese wife and family lived.  He was a friend of Puccini. The composer was so taken by Glover's wife that he based "Madame Butterfly" on her.

We wandered down to the start of Chinatown and got in line for a table at a big restaurant. It had a magnificent view of the harbour, but we queued for more than an hour.. We ate the famous local noodle dish. 

Then on the tram again to Chinatown proper.  We were on the lookout for replacement glasses(mine had broken). I bought a black sesame ice cream (the principle reason Don came to Japan)

Then another tram fiasco.  We got word that there had been an accident between a tram and bus (at our feĺow travellers stop it turns out) and that there would be a delay.  So we took another tram, and then another and another. We met the rest of the group at the doorstep of the hotel.

Dinner on our own. We set out in the back streets of our very own neighbourhood. A bit daunting, but we were lucky with our choice. Ah salad. We chose Nagasaki salad and dumplings, like gyoza. We didn't dare go into the place next door, where the sign said :-

"we don't speak English. No children. Every customer smokes"