Kamakura

Yesterday we decided to head out of the city for the day, to experience some culture and be out in the "countryside". We headed for Kamakura, which is about 50 mins on the train from Ebisu station and has many temples to visit as well as a giant Buddha, and it's near the sea! It was a stunning day, with bright sun and a gorgeous blue sky. We decided to get off one stop early and then walk to the temples that way, as there were some smaller ones en route which we wanted to see. One of them, Shokozan-Tokeiji Temple, was a nunnery and is nicknamed the "Divorce Temple". This was because in the days when women had no right to a divorce, they could seek refuge in the nunnery and if they managed to stay there for three years, could obtain a divorce from their husband. It had a very serene feel to it and we were amazed to see blossom already blooming on some of the trees. They must be very confused by all the sunny weather we're having, or maybe this is just normal...

We then headed on to the main temples, which were much busier and more impressive. There is always a lot to see and, above all, I love to people watch! We saw the large buddha, which was very impressive, and after sitting on the beach with a cup of coffee soaking in the rays, and watching the surfers trotting into the water with their boards, we went for lunch at a nearby restaurant. It was really lovely to be out and about and I think we even came back with sun-redend faces as a souvenir, along with our bird biscuits - a local delicacy and very tasty.