Miyajima Island

Tuesday morning our bus left the Sheraton Hotel in Hiroshima for the ferry on the Inland Sea that took us for the short ride over to Miyajima Island. The island is one of the three most famed natural beauty locations in Japan. The unique Torii Gate in the water before the Itsukushima Shrine seems to float in the sea. The shrine is also in the water and offers unique views of the Torii Gate, water, and surrounding, tall green mountains. Our group had lunch at an Okonomiyaki restaurant. This type of popular food consists of a pancake, alfalfa sprouts and either shrimp or meat topped by a thin egg covering. The Okonomiyaki were washed down with beer for some, or a lemon soda. Ice cream, both at the restaurant and on the street, was also a good choice on the exquisite island of Miyajima. A splended, multi-course Kaiseki dinner, at Mitakiso Restaurant, in Hiroshima, ended our day. - Dan