After Annie had been on the go for well over 24 hours, she finally arrived in Fukui City.  Declaring she was ready to go out and start exploring, we went to Akiyoshi for dinner (beee-ri famous yaki-niku), and then out for a drink.

Nothing was to prepare her for the pub we found.  Yoda, and his friend, Yoda, were there.  And yes, they talk.  To each other.

Upside-down am I, see you I can, fun it is.

Day 2, and it was time for something cultural.  We made for the Yokokan garden - to walk around the traditional-style house, admire the garden and experience Japanese Tea Ceremony.

While we were looking round the house, a lady who works there came over to chat to us, and gave Anne a bag of fish food so she could feed the carp!

The very nice ladies who performed the tea ceremony with us!

(Yes, Annie actually drank two cups of tea!  Never thought I'd see the day ;) )

After lunch of soba noodles and tonkatsu with Tom, the three of us went for a walk up Asuwayama.  We explored the Prefectural Museum of Natural History, then found this statue of an Emperor...

In the afternoon Tom had to go back to work, so Annie and I drove out to Katsuyama to explore Heisenji temple (and fight the hoards of mosquitoes), and to enjoy the very Japanese experience of fresh Jersey Ice Cream! 

(it's true, there are herds of Jersey cows in Katsuyama!)

On the way back to the city, before doing some clothes shopping in JACK (just love 'em Engrish t-shirts), we stopped to admire the view over the freshly planted rice fields

Evening, and after a lovely meal at Tengu it was, of course, time to make for Bear's bar.

"Live Long and Prosper"

(Keisuke's having a few problems with the Vulcan thang...)

Mary, and some of Keisuke's friends

Annie and I enjoying a well-earned drink after spending the day exploring Fukui

Keisuke and Machi posing with their friends

Oh dear!

Day 3, and it was off to Kyoto...

...first stop (after lunch, naturally), Kyoto station and the Skyway

At the top of the station, Tom and Annie admire the view

Yasaka-jinja (kicking and screaming, we dragged Anne to another shrine ;) )

But Yasaka jinja is a very impressive one

After a really good Indian dinner, we went for a walk in Gion, and found a party of geiko (Kyoto geisha) and maiko (trainee geiko) just finishing at an enkai.  Don't ask me how, but I struck up a conversation with one of the geiko, and she summoned over a maiko to have a photo taken with Annie! 

Pretty fab. experience, really ;)

Down by the river, we encountered a group performing a traditional Japanese Sword dance.  Which was really funky, until...

...suddenly these guys appeared, ran around, yelled a lot, and...

...took their boxers off, threw them in the river...

...and ran off, completely starkers, into the darkness.

Weird.

Day 4, and it was time for a temple - Kiyomizu, built into the hillside up on stilts (the temple on stilts, that is, not the hill)...

...very cool!

(would have been more cool if the hill was on stilts, though)

Tom, me and Annie, standing in height order...!

Tom tries to lift the huge iron ceremonial pole thingy

Anne gets accosted by some of the (many, many, many) students on a school trip to Kiyomizu....

...and, after practicing their English on her, all pose for a photo

Annie and Tom at Jishu shrine, in (near?) the Kiyomizu temple complex.  This is the famous Love Shrine, which contains two rocks.  Apparently, if you can walk from one rock to the other with your eyes shut (no mean feat given the throngs of people), you will find love very soon. 

After nearly (inadvertently?) grabbing the backside of a high school boy, Anne made it to the second rock!

Love is on the way!

Kiyomizu temple, and lots (and lots, and lots) of school kids!

Tom and Annie, posing in the gorgeous sunshine!

A pretty shot of a Japanese scene...!

Filling up cups on poles at Kiyomizu, in order to drink the famous water

Time for some macha (frothy, thick green tea), and some ame (Japanese sweets)

After a sushi lunch (at a place recommended to us by a random Japanese couple), next stop:  Nijo Castle

No Tom, it's not a giant breast...!

Parting shot of Nijo castle