March 20 Homeward Bound

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March 20, 2019


Our flight isn't till 5:30pm, so we still have a bit more time to soak up all we can.  Since the train to the airport leaves from Tokyo Station, we decided to go back to the Imperial Palace. 

We bit a fond farewell to Takadanobaba Station (what a mouthful!!) carrying our metaphorical sheaves.  


Though we travel light, we do eventually buy souvenirs.  We tried - and succeeded - to keep it all contained in one large duffle bag.  And, though we go forth with only carry-on, we return checking every bit of luggage we can! 
Once you include everyone's backpacks, the duffel bag, bags of food, and small carry-ons, that's a lot of sheaves to carry. 

 Not quite lost in Tokyo Station.  
We know exactly where we are. We know exactly where we want to go. We just don't know how the heck to get there. 


 Two super common things in Japan - bringing luggage everywhere and luggage lockers everywhere.
You will never see someone in public with anything larger than a purse. 

Our sheaves managed to fit in only 3 medium-large lockers. 


This is the walkway to get to the bathrooms. 


We've trained our kids to aways offer to take group photos if they see the camera swap-off.   Remember my previous comment regarding reciprocal photo taking?  
 
Jonathan had offered to take a photo of this lovely older couple and they returned the favor. 
After, of course, steps 1-3 of staring at us.  
In Japanese, English, and pantomime they indicated that it must be hard to get someone to take a photo, since there were so many of us.  

This photo is titled Missed Opportunity. 
In four days, these will all be in bloom. If you get close to them, you'll see all the petals beginning to break open.




 Yet another shrine in the midst of the city





 Usually we can find someone to take a photo if I wait a few moments and look pitiful.  At this point, no one was offering.  Finally I broke down and asked.  The kind lady could not even slightly figure out how to work our camera.


I kept jumping back and forth to show her the shutter, switch it to screen mode, etc. 
After a few moments of that, walking up the lawn comes the lovely couple who took our photo earlier. (We are now several miles from where we originally met them.)  They laughed a lot and offered to take over.  We gladly accepted. 

 The mosaic behind us is the theater - an octagonal building that used to be a sort of a beacon on the top of the hill.  There's now been enough trees and other buildings to obscure some of the beautiful artwork. 
The skyline of Tokyo as we head towards the airport. 
Home again, home again, jiggety-jig.





We had 4 days in California to visit family and beloved friends and then a joyful wedding! 
Steven flew home to attend his baby brother's Eagle Scout Court of Honor. 

 And so Rebecca and I - ending the trip as we started - drove all through the night to get home in time for choir. 

Total Trip Mileage 

Step Count - 143 miles
Trains, Planes, and Automobiles:  23,700 miles 



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