Scenes from the world before…part nine
izakaya
Henro Postscript: Kyoto’s Higashiyama and Gion Areas
Henro Postscript: Osaka Day 2
Walking The Henro: Day 15
Walking The Henro: Day 14
Walking The Henro: Day 9
November 8, 2017. Iyo-Komatsu to Niihama. Return by train to Saijō City for the night.
Walking The Henro: Day 8
Shikoku: Three Temples and an Izakaya
April 21, 2017
Walking a pilgrimage can be a solitary activity. Gail and I have each other for company, but many travel solo. On occasion our paths mesh for just a moment, loosely intertwining on the trail or at a temple. We exchange pleasantries as best we can, considering we speak only English and they, with few exceptions, are Japanese and speak only Japanese. The 88-temple route is, after all, a pilgrimage deeply engrained in Japanese history and culture. This is their pilgrimage and we are the Western interlopers.
But there are growing numbers of foreigners plying this path. Just as we discovered the Henro-michi back home, so too have any number of other foreign nationals. We have met pilgrims from the United States, Australia, China, France and the Netherlands.
Today, our route will cross paths with Simon from Germany. Continue reading
Shikoku: Angry Seas
April 11, 2017
It rained all night. Waking up this morning, looking out over the forlorn landscape and watching more rain pelting down on the road we would follow, there seemed little hope for a pleasurable walk.
We sat down for our Japanese breakfast in the dining room of Kobushi-no-sato, a feast designed to take our minds off the weather. While we grilled fish over the open flame of a tabletop brazier, nature was relenting…somewhat. By the time we had suited up in our foul-weather garb and exited the comfortable confines of our inn, there was barely a drizzle. Continue reading
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