Summer 2006

English Breakfast
DSC07218.JPG This summer, some of the teachers from England were feeling homesick,
DSC07219.JPG so they talked their friends who own a restaurant into letting them cook an English breakfast.
DSC07221.JPG Everyone enjoyed it, because we ate it at night, which is the time for greasy English food.
 
Toide Tanabata
DSC07224.JPG Toide's Star Festival
DSC07226.JPG Andy and Francie
DSC07227.JPG Once a year, two lovers separated on opposite sides of the Milky Way get together, so people hang wishes on bamboo for them.
 
Toga Leaver's Weekend
DSC07231.JPG Farewell party in Toga
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DSC07236.JPG Augie makes a funny face.
DSC07237.JPG Sarah eats her complimentary yaki-soba.
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ZuiryĆ» Temple
DSC07251.JPG National Treasure Zuiryû Temple in Takaoka.
DSC07255.JPG If you ever see a temple with a roof like this one, think, "Oh, a Zen temple," since that's what it is.
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DSC07265.JPG Meet the Beetles.
DSC07267.JPG (And snails, I guess.)
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DSC07278.JPG There's supposed to be a cool chandelier here, but not today.
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DSC07284.JPG Spider.
DSC07290.JPG I lived in Takaoka for a long time without seeing its National Treasure.
 
Nara
DSC07292.JPG Kôfuku Temple in Nara
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DSC07294.JPG Nan'en Hall.
DSC07295.JPG The deer of Nara, lounging about.
DSC07298.JPG This guy's scared.
DSC07300.JPG But Sarah's fearless.
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DSC07307.JPG Well, mostly fearless.
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DSC07313.JPG She's out.
DSC07314.JPG Eww, deer slobber.
DSC07315.JPG Oh well, most of the map is still there.
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DSC07322.JPG I think these girls were being kind of mean by giving the deer their fan and taking it away.
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DSC07326.JPG Eastern Great Temple.
DSC07330.JPG As usual, Japan fails to enforce the separation of church and state.
DSC07333.JPG The Great Buddha of Nara.
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DSC07359.JPG "Enjoy Georgia."
 
Iga Ueno
DSC07360.JPG Matsuo Bashô, haiku master.
DSC07362.JPG Map of Iga Ueno, the ninja city.
DSC07363.JPG Bashô again.
DSC07364.JPG Ninja or X-Men?
DSC07365.JPG Throwing stars.
DSC07367.JPG Haiseiden, dedicated to true haiku masters.
DSC07370.JPG Like Bashô.
DSC07373.JPG Ueno Castle.
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DSC07378.JPG Castle walls and baseball field.
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DSC07380.JPG Looking out over semi-rural Japan.
 
Ise
DSC07384.JPG At the ryôkan (Japanese style bed & breakfast) in a yukata (light kimono).
DSC07389.JPG Tsukiyomi-no-miya, Shrine Palace of the Evening Moon.
DSC07386.JPG One of the priests gave us a free picture book about it.
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DSC07397.JPG The chickens of Outer Ise Shrine.
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DSC07405.JPG One of the shrines of Ise.
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Futami-ga-ura
DSC07410.JPG Azuchi-Momoyama Land Park's fake castle.
DSC07411.JPG At Futami Bay.
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DSC07416.JPG Oh Japan, where would you be without Disney?
DSC07419.JPG These two rocks are totally married.
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