Nijo, Tokugawa’s castle from the 1600s, can be reached via train. It was still a hike, but we knew we’d be close to our hotel afterward.
From the outside, you see the first moat.
The imposing main gate has thick walls and stout doors.
Next, you find inner gate.
Inside, you reach the palace residence and receiving hall. We went in, but photography was not allowed there. It’s so beautiful and opulent. And it has nightingale floors. You can’t move through the hall without the boards squeaking from most every step.
Here is the garden. Though, I couldn’t do it justice in the storm. A gusty thunderstorm rolled in and my tiny, cheap umbrella was worthless. Thankfully, Mike and I had raincoats. We ventured about the grounds until we gave up on the storm passing quickly. The main castle was under renovation, so it wasn’t worth trudging through the rain to see. We zipped inside to the safety of the gift shop.
Since I couldn’t take pictures of the residence, I picked up a book. :D
By the time we were done there, my ankle was really protesting. So we headed back to the hotel and Mike zipped out for more combini food. (I highly recommend the fresh veggie sticks with miso mayo!)
I soaked in the bath, put up my feet, and took some ibuprofen. My best guess to the problem is I might be walking over my new shoes. It also may have been from walking on very uneven terrain. Or wearing 40 lbs of armor today. I don’t know for sure. But I’ll do my best to be kind to my ankle.
I’d brought my Crocs and was careful only to wear them inside like slippers. They feel good on my feet and I am able to walk in the hotel room. So my Crocs will get to venture out into the world tomorrow.
We have a few things we’d like to see, but it’s also laundry day tomorrow. So we’ll see how much we venture out. We’ve done so much already on this trip!