daily slice-of-life photo blog of a Gen-X dad
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After work today I went for a walk into town. To get there, I have to cross one of the bridges over the Ibo River. I like taking photos here, and I enjoy hearing the water rushing by below. Maybe someday I’ll make a video of it, but honestly I’m not really into making videos. I much prefer photographs. In fact, I really preferred when Instagram was just photos. 📷
When I got home I tried another non-alcohol beer. This one tasted pretty similar to the last one, with an aftertaste that reminded me of incense. Not the best. I have several more to try though, and I’m confident I’ll find one I like eventually. 🍺
Today we visited some friends in their town of Aboshi. It’s about a 25 minute drive from our home, and this was my second time visiting the town. We enjoyed a delicious crepe and iced coffee at their shop, then took a short walk to an old bookshop. It was fun to spend the afternoon hanging out with new friends! ☕
Today we went to Himeji for lunch, shopping, and a light dinner. We started at a small izakaya for drinks and kushiage, and it was all so yummy. The place was full of people enjoying lunch and drinking quite a bit! There was only one guy running the whole restaurant, and he was busy pouring bubbly for everyone. Amazing.
After that we did some shopping at Loft, Hands, and Junkudo bookstore. I picked up a couple of books, including volume 2 of Hirayasumi. I really love that manga. 📚
Later we had a special Himeji style white miso oden before catching the train back home. What a fun day in the city! We really like visiting Himeji. It’s a medium sized city with lots of the same stores as Tokyo or Osaka, but without the overwhelming crowds. And the food is cheap with fresh seafood. Love it! 🍢
On our walk to dinner we crossed the Tatsuno Bridge, over the Ibo River (Ibogawa). Then on the way back home, I grabbed a few more photos while there was still just a little light left in the sky. 🌆📷
Today we ate curry for lunch at 温（おん）, and it turned out the building used to be a sento, a public bath. The owners kept part of the original baths intact, and there are actually dining tables set up right inside where the tubs used to be. Such a neat idea!
The curry itself was really good too. It wasn’t like typical Japanese curry at all, more like an Indian curry with all kinds of spices layered in. The plate was loaded with different veggies, so every bite had a little surprise waiting. Such a fun lunch! 😋
Today I went to Himeji and took a leisurely stroll around the castle grounds. Quite literally, since I didn’t actually enter the castle this time. I just walked around the grounds, visited Himeji Shrine, and got my omikuji (fortune) in English. And I got a good one! Yay! 🙌
I skipped going inside because I’d been there before and remember it being a pretty strenuous walk. It’s a huge castle, and getting up to it means climbing a big hill. Add in today’s heat, and I was happy just admiring it from outside.
As an aside, I used my new umbrella, the one with UV protection, and let me tell you, it’s a total game-changer for sunny days. What a difference in comfort. I highly recommend picking one up if you spend any time walking around in the sun. ☀️
Before heading home, I got a Himeji Station stamp for my stamp book. It’s filling up nicely.
On today’s afternoon walk I visited Kura Terrace again and treated myself to a shoyu flavored soft cream. It was featured in a recent episode of Tsurube’s tv show, so I figured I would give it a try too. It was pretty good! Honestly, the shoyu flavor was very faint, but that was okay by me. I was a little worried it would be overpowering, and I’m glad that wasn’t the case.
After getting back home, I relaxed with a non alcohol beer, and there are so many to choose from here in Japan. We’ve actually bought several different kinds, and I’m doing my own informal taste tests to find a favorite. 🍺
