Talking about Madeleine's visit got us thinking about the trip we made to Japan and Marilyn reminded me that she had, stored away, a copy of the 'handbook' I had put together for the trip. I realised the trip was likely to be a 'one-off' so it was important to make the most of the few days we had there. Each day had an itinerary and an explanation of what we might experience.
On this day, September 11, in 2005 we were visiting the city of Kanazawa. On the previous day we had been in Hakone but had hurried back to Tokyo to collect our bags and catch the evening train to Kanazawa where I wanted to visit Gib Gate's sister-school. I remember we had to change trains at a place called Echigo-Yuzawa and we only had a few minutes to make the swap. We couldn't find any signs to tell us where to go and found ourselves rushing up two flights of stairs to another level where our train was ready to depart. What would have happened if we had missed it? I hate to think! Marilyn has reminded me that, just after the second train left the station, a conductor came along and told us that we were on a different company's train and we would have to pay an extra fare. He offered to let us off at the next station where we could wait for a JR train which would accept our rail pass but we declined and paid up.
The worrying thing about all of this is that it all occurred a lifetime ago. Great memories, though!
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