Last day in Japan

We got up on Monday morning and had breakfast.  Then Lindsey and Sandy took themselves off to a multi-storey electronics shop for a look around.  I didn't go with them.  I have absolutely no room in my suitcase for anything else and didn't want to be tempted by shiny, electronic things.  Instead, I sat about in the hotel room, updated the blog, messed about on the internet and generally just enjoyed doing Absolutely Nothing.

Then they came back!

We had to check out by midday so left our luggage at the hotel and went to look at this building, the Umerta Sky Building:

You get up to the observation platform by escalator and glass lift:

Up we go, followed by the fast escalator to the top

There is a rooftop garden above the observation platform but it is closed for repairs after Typhoon Jebi damaged it early in September.  That's OK.  The observation platform gave us some lovely views of Osaka

Another Ferris wheel.  I haven't been on this one.
On the list for next time I am in Osaka

The well in the centre of the observation platform

We had some lunch and then went back to the hotel, which is really only a five minute walk away.  We had about an hour until our shuttle bus out to the airport.  So we had afternoon tea:

Lindsey's tea:
English breakfast tea, teapot sat on a candle warmer,
frothy hot milk in a china jug
water in wine glasses.
Lindsey's tea, and Lindsey's photo

And then we went home.  Bus to the airport, where we bade a fond farewell to Sandy. Cocktails for Lindsey and me prior to boarding (Moscow mule, anyone?  No, not me. Lindsey.  I had a gin and tonic). Then flight to Hong Kong, flight back to Melbourne, from where Lindsey went to Mount Martha to help sort things out with Matthew and Stella.

I took the airport bus back to Ballarat. Jim got spectacularly lost getting to the station but found it eventually. Back to Lindsey and Ian's place, where Rupert and Hugo were slightly pleased to see me (springs on paws, bouncing, much great tail wagging - and where are our presents???)

Many thanks to Lindsey and Sandy for a great couple of weeks touring around Japan, and to Austin, Kaori and Tatsuki for topping and tailing our holidays so well