NAGOYA, JAPAN!

 UH OH!  Brisk temps and NO SUNSHINE was the forecast this morning, so I guess the Sports Deck will have to wait until next time!  John enjoyed his last room service breakfast and guess what?  The “Morning Mystery” did not happen!  He got everything he ordered and the coffee was nice and hot!  (Good job, boys!)

We boarded a bus for our very last tour with Regent Seven Seas Explorer.  (This time!)  And, we couldn’t believe it, but the sun had come out and was shining brightly!  (We have been soooo lucky!)  Our first stop was to the ATSUTA JINGU SHRINE

Branches with white paper streams were everywhere on the grounds.  Our tour guide, Kay, told us they were used to ward off evil spirits.  (If true, we were in a very safe space!)

Upon entering the grounds, there was a place where you could get a scoop of water to pour over rocks.  It signified a deep, personal act of prayer, purification and respect.  (Notice who did it.  Notice who did not!)

This old oak tree was symbolic as well.  It had a white snake that lived in a hole at the base.  If it came out and you saw the snake, it would bring you a lifetime good fortune, wealth, and happiness.  (We are doomed!  No snake eyes were seen!)

Plum, Pear and Cherry trees were budding everywhere we went in Japan.  In two weeks the Cherry Blossom will be in full bloom.  We will have just missed it—but will have just missed the crowded tourist season as well!  Springtime is beautiful in Japan, and the Atsuta Jingu Shrine was just lovely, filled with all the symbolism and signs of Spring.

We were not allowed to take pictures, however, we lined up and had the opportunity to say a prayer at the shrine, Japanese-style…

Bow to say “Hello.  I am here.” Clap two times.  Pray for only one thing as gods are very busy.  Bow to say “Bye -bye.”

(One of us said a prayer. One of us did not!)

Next up was the NAGOYA CASTLE.

To tour the inside, we had to take off our shoes.  I was the only one that was handed a pair of these handy dandy slippers!  I was the lucky one—everyone else had cold feet!

Touring castles in Japan was so different from touring castles in other parts of the world.  We walked single file on mats along corridors to view the empty rooms and the artwork.

The Japanese architecture interested both John and I even more than the artwork!

What a beautiful castle it was!

Our final stop was to the SHIROTORI GARDENS.  (My favorite!)  It was a beautiful day to roam around a beautiful Japanese garden.

Back on board the ship, we had a wonderful LAST lunch at Prime 7.  Each dish tasted as good as they looked!  (And they sure looked good!)

We enjoyed our LAST pre-dinner cocktails (made by our favorite Alvi and Jonahtan) while listening to the music (of our favorite Boogie and Kasia)!

During the evening announcements, our Captain suggested that everyone “Eat your soup first” at our LAST dinner, as the waves could reach over 12 feet again!  It was a memorable LAST Italian dinner with our favorite waiter, King!

John and I walked through the pool area for the LAST time and all the furniture was stacked while they scrubbed the floors.  

The LAST show of the cruise was a movie night with popcorn!  WHAT??? We talked to “the boys” who told us that Regent often does this since a lot of people don’t show up for entertainment on the LAST evening.  We went in and saw a bit of the movie, Sarah’s Oil, (it was a good show—we’ll watch it another time), but decided on a LAST cocktail while listening to Boogie and Kasia for the LAST time!  It was our LAST sleep and the boat rocked us to sleep yet again!  We’re going to miss this!