Awake: 5:53am Clear Overnight @ Nagoya, Japan
6:30am breakfast…..biggest crowd we have experienced yet in this café. We
didn’t get seated into our regular table area because again, they opened a
little early anticipating a large attendance. I leave @ 7:30 to do some
pre-packing of our suitcases. Kathy hangs out & waits for the rest of our
family + Mary Jo….returning @ 9:30.
We all meet Eriko & Nick @ 10:30 in the lobby. We have been invited for
lunch with Mr. & Mrs. Togari, their youngest son Shogo & youngest daughter
Aine. This is a farewell lunch for Eriko & Nick & for us as well as a
birthday celebration for Nick (8-07) and Eriko (8-23). Nick & Eriko are
leaving today @ 5:00pm for Seattle, WA.
Guided by Eriko, we take the JR Chuo Honsen line from our Kanayama station
to Ozone station (15 min), & then walk for approximately 15 min to the
“Tokugawaen Garden” area where we pay a small entrance fee & stroll around
the beautiful lake to the rendezvous point.
The Togari’s are waiting inside the “Kansenro” building where the
restaurant is located. We greet each other, and then take our seat @ the
long table. Mrs. Togari has done her homework again: she sat on my right
side & had a page of things she wanted to tell us i.e. She said how much
she enjoyed my speech @ the wedding banquet & how she feels the same way
as I do about family…..& how much they have enjoyed meeting us…..such a
nice family, etc. We thanked her & complimented them on the very nice
family they have as well. A lot of complimentary statements to each other
ensued. She also had questions written in English & Japanese that she
wanted to ask us…mostly about our return travel & which state everyone
will be traveling to.
Our lunch was more like a western style meal than what we have been
eating. Yes, you guessed it: Mary Jo was very appreciative of eating an
American meal again.
We take a lot of pictures; they take a lot of pictures….then we all say
our “goodbyes” for now. Mr. & Mrs. Togari will be driving Eriko & Nick to
the new Nagoya airport for their departure.
We walk back to the train station…then 3 stops & we are back to our hotel
area. I waste no time in taking a shower….the heat was on. Kathy gets a
phone call: the kids want to find an outdoor souvenir market for
shopping…I say “no thank you” but I’ll bet that Kathy will be interested.
Yes she was & did. 1.5 hrs later, Kathy is hot, sweaty & back inside our
cool hotel for the night. Shower time! Another call from our kids: “Let’s
go find a restaurant for dinner?” “Not this time” we tell them, “we’re
staying inside & eating downstairs tonight.” Mary Jo joined us and Katrina
went to the computer center. The rest of the kids did find another
restaurant and souvenirs. They call to invite us to Katrina and Zack’s
room, “bring a cup and join us for ice cream sundaes!” They bought 2 half
gallons of ice cream and chocolate topping; what a nice treat!
The Footes retire to their room while Kathy, Zack, Mary Jo, Katrina, and I
stay to play a game of “Hearts.” I don’t remember who won, but it was fun.
A nice ending to another good day!
Lights out: 11:07pm
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