Making the most of Kyoto’s central location, we hop a train bound for Osaka (1hr) and head to the Osaka Castle. Having a similar view to my mothers take on castles (seen one, seen them all…), and only being familiar with ones I’d seen in Europe, how wrong was I…having been turned into a museum, with four floors being dedicated to it’s long history, with beautiful paintings and costumes. It’s fifth floor showcasing it’s stunning 360 view of the city. Standing up there looking out you could easily envision times gone past.
Walking through the lovely grounds heading for the metro, we come across a small music festival. The locals get to see two westerners craning there necks to see what’s going on before we find a much easier view by the entry gates! So tempting, but we decide to stick with our plan of staying out of the sun, and of heading to The Osaka Aquarium.
Famous for it’s whale sharks, this aquarium is well organised, taking you up a long escalator to the top, where you then walk down in a spiral square shape through the different sections where some blend into others. I find myself sitting on the floor with the kids and teens, in the Ottar/Seal/Dolphin and Whale Shark sections, for longer at times that D had anticipated. We also find ourselves clapping in congratulations with the rest of the crowd when we stumble on a new Bride and Groom who are just leaving after being married in a separate section of the aquarium, overlooking the Whale Shark – unusually modern choice, but tre chic! I also find myself in the kids petting area stroking the Stingrays and Eels, which both delight me and gross me out, before making a quick exit past Jaws and the souvenir shop where I had a strange urge to purchase a furry stuffed Whale Shark.
Before heading home, and right beside the aquarium, resides a huge Farris Wheel, the biggest in Japan…hmm maybe the claims were more of a worldly status?! It’s pretty big, for someone who is not a lover of heights, but still…it takes a few minutes to release the knuckles and practise that yogic breathing, and I know the view will be as amazing as the ride down, but once up to the top, it’s spectacular! Being a port city there are many bridges zig zagging back and forth along with a beautiful dusk sky. My ride is made even funnier when I turn around to see waving teens and a near life size Winnie the Pooh in the next car. After we got out, the boys did too, but Winnie decided to go round again. It was a funny moment, mixed with slight relief as we pass the queue for the transparent pods….nutters!
WheresRu 