Saturday Shopping Spree

We're in Deo Deo -- a Japanese man is trying out a massage chair. I think he likes it!

I think this red coffee maker looks like a robot!

Toaster ovens and microwaves -- Sandy's looking for small appliances for her new Japanese house she's moving into next month.

TINY toaster oven!


Cute egg cooker!


Typical Japanese stove -- Two electric burners & a small pull out "fish burner." No oven. This is similar to what Sandy's new house has, only her burners are gas.


Oh, look -- "Baby Hemp Heart Air Freshener" -- Hmmm . . .

Up on the second floor of You Me Town department store, we find a group of teachers, students and their parents making crafts. They're picking twigs out of this box on the floor.

Hot glue guns hold everything together.

This little boy was having fun.

Look at the creative items these children and their parents are making!

Ride-on backhoe in the children's toy department.


Shinkansen train ride for the kiddies.


Family plays the taiko drum game.

Outside in the parking lot, Sandy wonders why she didn't buy THIS car! (maybe because she's already bought another one, and this one's not for sale . . . ?)

Driving to Max Valu

 

Inside the grocery store, I'm buying my iced coffee . . .

 

When I found these drinks. I didn't know Lipton made Straight Tea . . . so is the other one, uh, oh wait, it's only Apple Tea.

Healthy Japanese food?-- looks like bacon-wrapped french fries!

Fresh figs are in season now.

Friday With Ingrid

It's Friday & Ingrid & I are eating lunch at a nice restaurant near the Kintai Bridge.

Ingrid inside the food gift shop area. There's also a restaurant upstairs & another one downstairs that has live music on Sundays, and another gift shop with non-food items. This is a fun place!

Our delicious brunch set consists of salad, egg & ham sandwich & potato salad, decorated with cucumber slices & tomatoes. There's also a cup of onion soup & a fresh strawberry dessert. My favorite drink, iced coffee is included. The tiny pitcher holds delicious salad dressing.

Views of the flower garden in front of the restaurant.

More flowers outside the restaurant.

My yummy strawberry & yogurt dessert. It has a tiny piece of banana on top.

As we're leaving, you can see where the river turns. Further around the bend ahead, is the Kintai Bridge.

Now, we're driving back toward the Kintai Bridge.

We've decided to stop at Hidei's shop on this narrow old street.

Planters along this old street near the Kintai. We're outside Hidei's shop.


We've walked down the street to the Obi Lady's shop. It rained this morning, so the blue tarp is still outside.


Just at the door, we hear a bird chirping loudly. We're told there was a baby bird found in the street, so Obi Lady rescued it & put it in a cage.


She's feeding it bites of egg by hand & tells us the bird is always hungry!

Pretty curtain at the doorway.


These little pond flowers look like mini-orchids.

We're inside the Fuji Grand Department store now. On the first floor is the grocery store. Look at these beautiful green apples. Japan is famous for delicious apples.

If you look closer . . .

Can you see a number on it? Not sure what it means, but every apple seems to be tattooed.

Someone had told me recently about this new hot roller that is also a hair dryer, so you dry each curl as you go. I heard these are not yet available in the US . . .


This looks like a tiny mascara hair dryer! Holly has been talking for years about how she wished someone would invent one of these.


Ingrid at the check out area. Y with the double lines, means Yen only, please!

Tea Time

Since our favorite pastry shop, Ruman has remodeled & no longer has tables ("to go" only), we need to find another afternoon dessert place. So, today we're trying the food court on the top floor of the Fuji Grand in downtown Iwakuni. That's Ingrid in front of the "Crepe & Soft" -- which serves freshly homemade crepes and soft ice cream. Interesting combo . . .

These are just some of the choices -- there are too many! Some are main courses & some are desserts . . .

It wasn't easy, but I decided on this one with chocolate & salted nuts. Although the plastic food sample shows the goodies on the outside of the freshly-made crepe . . .

It's actually wrapped inside so it's neat & tidy. I'm also enjoying iced coffee. What a nice tea time break from our exhausting day of shopping!

Other floors of this huge store have clothes, shoes & just about anything else you might need. Here's a cute bumblebee umbrella . . .

and raincoat to match.

Footies to wear with your high heels.