17 March 2010

Mum, Emily and I had a day out to meet Toshiko. We took the train down to Kamakura, where we met her, then continued on the dinky little Enoden line to Hase station. At Ofuna, Emily was very excited to see the 'white lady' (ie. Kannon-sama) as we passed the huge statue near the station.


We walked up to Hasedera temple first. Though the cherry blossom was not yet out it was still very attractive in the gardens there and we spent more than an hour strolling (well, Mum and Toshiko strolled while Emily and I did our own thing).

The maximum temperature was supposed to be only 12C, but out of the wind it felt warmer and it was mixed cloud and sun. The viewing platform had great views out to sea and over to the Miura peninsula.

Down in the bottom garden I was surpised to bump into Victoria with a sleeping Soraya. Yet another second-time pregnant mum. Emily was fascinated by hundreds of tadpoles in a pond, and also seemed very taken with a modern representation of Jizo.



Feeling peckish, we crossed the street to Cafe Chaca, where we enjoyed a lovely lunch. For once Emily ate fish and rice (mine), though she barely touched the savoury waffle I had ordered for her.Up the road a bit further is Daibutsu, or Great Buddha. This bronze statue is massive, but very serene, I think. Emily seems interested in many religious images lately.

10 minutes walk away is a beach and Emily played there for half an hour, though there was a very cold, strong wind blowing.

Naptime came and went and I decided to try to get through without it and go for an early night instead. We took the Enoden back to Kamakura where we had coffee and cake, then parted from Toshiko and rode the train back to Tokyo.


Emily fell asleep in the buggy as we approached the apartment and slept on the sofa for 50 mins. When she woke she was hysterically upset for quarter of an hour. A new boxed set of Peppa Pig DVDs finally dried up the tears, but she got upset again when I paused it for dinner. We watched more afterwards and again she got upset when I took her off for her bath.

Grandad is still in hospital. He is responding OK to antibiotics but John told Mum he doesn't think he will last much longer. They may send him back to the home to be with Grandma until the end.