St Angela - in the foyer of the school

HACHINOHE
Second day at the school and although the girls arrived a little weary, they are all happy and looking forward to a varied schedule for the day.

Nikita and Sarah enjoy a game of basketball.

Nikita enjoys learning more about Japanese cooking from St Ursula's  Hachinohe students.  On the menu today - pancakes with a twist!

The girls enjoyed a music class practicing a song reflecting on the impact of the earthquake on the people and communities of Japan .  A very moving experience.

Ruby learns more about the fine art of calligraphy.

The girls then moved on to an introduction to the martial art of Kendo.

The Hachinohe teachers join the group for a final photo.  The girls now look forward to a weekend with host families.  For a few girls a morning at school - a new experience of Saturday school.

Principal Mr Satamura appeared happy with our gift of an indigenous painting for the school.

All the girls arrived at school happy and eager to share their experiences of their first night of  home stay.
Clearly relationships had been built with home stay sisters and the girls were looked after very well at both home and school.
Lunch provided the next excitement with the girls delighted with the wonderful food prepared for them - rice balls with a panda face made with sea weed.  It was a big hit.

Home stay sisters.

Getting ready for the day.

The girls turn to entertain.

Ruby presents her speech on behalf of the group.  This was followed by a brief speech by each of the girls sharing a little about themselves and their hopes and dreams.  The girls had put much time and thought into these speeches and all were different and well received by the assembled students.  Mrs Pawsey and staff were all very proud of the girls.

HACHINOHE
15 Nervous girls disembarked from the train to be greeted like rock stars.  Warm greetings from new and old friends.  The girls enjoyed their first night in home stay.

Tsunami.
This shows the height of the water that hit the foreshore of Hachinohe as the Tsunami swept in.  Luckily all had plenty of warning and only two residents died.

Unbeknown to the group they were sitting next to celebrity commentators including an ex Sumo wrestler.  As they watched a long line of people appear and crawl their way in front of the group towards the commentators they knew something was happening and of course the girls took a few pictures.

A total change of pace as the group spent the afternoon watching a Sumo wrestling competition at their main stadium.  The girls really got into the spirit of the competition attempting to predict the winner.

The girls enjoying the Magic Show at Kabuki Theatre.

A Magician.

After surviving a very hot day the group enjoyed the opportunity for some indoor sightseeing.  A most informative and interactive look at Tokyo in times gone by.

Kabuki Theatre at Edo Museum

Saloni & Maddyson at Toshogu Shrine

The girls didn't miss an opportunity when asked to join a wedding party for a photo.

About to join the crowd navigating their way through a popular shopping area.

On a very hot day, the tour guide made things a lot easier as she guided the group on and off the subway and the trains.  A little break for Ms Hill who has led the group wonderfully all through the tour.

Having an unusually long holiday weekend, large crowds flocked to Tokyo.

Asakusa Shrine & Sensoji Temple.
The smoke you can see rising from the centre of the photo is incense from candles that are burned to bring about cleansing and purification.

Bonsai!

The tour has arrived in Tokyo and visited The Tokyo Skytree.The Tokyo Skytree is a new television broadcasting tower and landmark of Tokyo. It is the centerpiece of the Tokyo Skytree Town in the Sumida City Ward, not far away from Asakusa. With a height of 634 meters (634 can be read as "Musashi", a historic name of the Tokyo Region), it is the tallest building in Japan and the second tallest structure in the world at the time of its completion. A large shopping complex with aquarium is located at its base.
The girls watched as dusk turned into night. 

The bright lights of downtown Tokyo.

The girls capturing the sights of Tokyo.

Starting the day seeking good luck and good fortune.  The guided tour of the sites of Tokyo beginning with the Meiji Shrine.

Japanese wedding.
Following the procession and blessing, the bride discards the white robes to reveal a beautiful kimono.  Most of these ceremonies take place weeks or possibly months following a civil ceremony. The traditional ceremony is the party time where friends and family gather to celebrate the union.

VENICE

Venice was wonderful, full of little alleys and streets which all lead to something new and exciting to explore. The best advice given was do not try and read a map as it will not help, follow  your instinct and let yourselves be guided by Venice........ Easy for the locals to say.

We visited the Italian life cycle of St Ursula which was similar but different to the depictions in Cologne and then to see San Marco's and the Bridge of Sighs a crossing between the court house and the prison where as they crossed the prisoners sighed realising their last moments of freedom.

Yesterday up early to attend mass in San Marco so we could see the domes with the light on and participate in an amazing service, that saw us being lead down to the Crypt underneath to participate in the blessing of the Patriarchs and St Marks tomb. It was amazing and completely unexpected. Last day in Venice today and as we move into the Angela story.