A day to explore Osaka

Today I have some more photos we took of Osaka on our last full day there.  We visited Osaka Castle  and then just roamed.

****Remember to click on a photo to see a larger size.

This is our tiny motel room we stayed in Osaka (Namba Washington Motel).  The size reminded me of our cabin room when we did the cruise.  

This our bed right next door to the bathroom.  Every time the kids came to visit our room which seemed often, I would have to walk across the bed to get to the other side of the room.

I must also say at this point ..... beds in Japan well all the motels we stayed in (three) are much harder than my bed at home.  Most of the pillows are much softer than I am used to.  Although this motel provided one soft pillow and another pillow that seemed to be full of beans....I loved that pillow.  Would like to buy one.

We always slept, well and the staff were wonderful and if it came to the crunch would happily stay there again.  Just different to my bed. 

This is me right at the end of the bed....and looking back towards the bathroom and exit door.

We caught a train and then walked a little to Osaka Castle...this is one of the moats around the outside of these massive grounds.  Yes, and more beautiful trees.

This caught my hubbies eye and when he pointed out what was happening it gave both of us a laugh.  These workmen were in their safety harnesses while pruning these trees in what looks like a bonsai style.  They would have been about 1m to 1 1/2 metres off the ground.

We could not resist having a go at these.

Osaka Castle

The view from the top of Osaka Castle.

Us leaving Osaka Castle.

Aren't these yellow trees so yellow and we just loved this little old couple cycling through them.

I have since discovered that these are ginkgo trees.

Next we found our way to this huge ferris wheel which is at the top of the Hep 5 Building (shopping centre).

One of the many views we had while in the Ferris Wheel....it is spookily quiet as it was just us in the little capsule and weird being in a ferris wheel so high up.  Apparently the highest point of the ferris wheel is 106 m above the ground.

Osaka Train station.....you can see one of the many maps we stood in front of to work out where we were and where we were heading.   There were always two maps ....one entirely in Japanese and another with both English and Japanese.  They are so easy to read once you have been there for a day and work it all out.  Everything is colour coded and this is where if you look puzzled enough someone will without doubt stop and offer help.

A fun building hubby spied.

One of my aims when in Japan was to check out prices of Copic Pens, since they are manufactured there.  I had researched before hand and discovered that there were two big department stores that may sell the pens.  Tokyu Hands and Loft.  We first discovered Tokyu Hands in Osaka and I went in search but could not find any pens.  Now in hindsight, after visiting Tokyu Hands inTokyo....we were probably on the wrong floor.  Oh well I enjoyed looking through all the stationery.  Nothing really different to what I had seen but still fun to look.

On our way back to the motel and through Dotombori....we spied this shop.  Kawachi an Art and Supply shop.  They had Copic Pens in the every colour.  Heaven.  Silly me didn't think to move the list of pens my friends and I wanted to my handbag.  So we headed back to the motel and found the list and headed back to this wonderful shop.  Individual Copic Ciaos worked out at 3.25 per pen.  Brilliant, the cheapest my friend and I have found is online at Bizzy Becs at $5.00 each.  Bec does have some pens that people have ordered but then cancelled which she sells for $4.35 but you don't get a choice of colour.  I ended up buying some greys and browns for myself and a Set C which was ultra cheap too.....  Some other colours for my friend who had given me a list.  Alas, I didn't get the okay from my friend Ruth until after we had visited the second time.  So we had to buy them later in the trip.

Walking back down Dotombori (Osaka) and back to our motel.  The lights are just starting to come on.

Another shop with a fun ride attached to it.  Although we never saw this ride working.

Have a happy Monday everyone.

How are all your arrangements going?

I made a huge dent into my Christmas shopping which I am so happy about as I didn't have a present bought last Thursday morning.  Even sat and wrote a couple of cards.  I don't believe it but I did come to terms with using some shop bought cards.....as I know that I just won't get time to make anymore Chrissy cards.  

Back again soon with more photos.