To the Orient and Beyond

It seems strange that in order to get to the Far East, you have to go west. Well, I suppose it proves that the world is round. There was no other way of looking at it. We absolutely needed 4 suitcases. I was able to remove several items, but...

March 10th Tokyo We are staying at the Park Hotel which is in a newly built business district near the Hamariku Gardens. The hotel itself is on the 25th to 34th floors of the building, and our room is on the 34th floor with a great view over...

March 12th The Magnificent Mountain The sun was shining when we woke up this morning, and it looked like it was going to be a great day. We arranged for our 4 suitcases and 1 carry on bag to be sent directly to Kyoto, and we were ready to head...

March 13th The Train and Kyoto We awoke just after sunrise, when the sky was still pink and glowing. We rolled off the futon, and then lay in the soaking bath. It was so terribly civilized. I do love Japan. Breakfast was waiting, so we had to...

March 14th The day of Gates and Lanterns We awoke to another beautiful day. It was time to catch the train to the Fushimi Inari Shrine. It is famous for its hiking trails and multitude of Torii gates. The shrine is dedicated to Inari, who is the...

March 15th Queen Elizabeth Beckons We said goodbye to the beautiful Kyoto station, and piled all of the luggage into the car that was taking us to Osaka. When we arrived at the port, and our driver saw Queen Elizabeth for the first time, he was...

March 16th The Day of Stairs We woke up to a cold, rainy day in Kochi. After a brief discussion as to whether we really wanted to wander around temples and castles in the rain (of course we did), we set off to breakfast. The Lido has a wide...

March 17th Hiroshima Happy St Patrick’s Day I so need a sea day, but it was not to be. We were sailing into Hiroshima when we woke up. I thought there were loads of rocks around us, but on closer inspection they turned out to be oyster beds. It...

March 18th Finally a Sea Day I couldn’t get these photos of Hiroshima to upload yesterday so I am going to try again: Also, especially for St Patrick’s Day: It’s not that I don’t enjoy exploring...

March 19th Kagoshima We saw the mist, and missed the view…………… We were awoken by an announcement from the Captain. Usually the Captain only makes announcements in the cabin if there is some dire emergency like a fire or we are taking on water. I...

March 20th On Stormy Seas When I looked out the window there was a dark, cloudy sky and a confused swell. I was proud that I remembered the lecture we had on QV last year on “How to Recognize the Waves”. Another sea day lies ahead to enjoy this...

At Anchor in Osaka Bay The not a sea day sea day We dropped anchor in Osaka bay at about midnight. When I looked out of the window this morning it looked like we were still out to sea, but as the fog lifted the factories appeared, and we had a...

Osaka We pulled up our anchor in the early hours of the morning, and quietly headed into Osaka harbor, so by the time we woke up, we were safely tied up to the pier. It was laundry time, and I had hoped to get in a load first thing in the...

At Sea Spa Day Our wonderful travel agent, Sue, had given me a voucher for the spa, and today is the day to use it. I have been on QE for 4 cruises, and have always visited the spa for a pedicure, but never a massage. I decided today that it was...

March 24th Nagasaki Our Last Day in Japan ☹ By the time we woke up we were already docked in Nagasaki, and we were thrilled to see that it was a bright, sunny day. Finally, a day with no rain. The cruise terminal was buzzing with vendors by the...