Exploring

Two little daikons

We had success last night. Tom didn't cry and we had a job waking him at 8am! We both faired better as well - sleeping for longer than we were awake AND we didn't go to bed until after 10pm.

This morning we had another poo in the toilet - so happy. Yesterday we bought him some really funky transportation stickers (no Dr Yellow this time I'm afraid) and told him he would only get them if he pooed in the toilet. This morning he happily went to the loo to try and had success on his second attempt - we were all very proud. He got his sticker and wore it with pride for the rest of the day. Let's hope the sticker bribe doesn't wear off too quickly.

Today we decided to stay in Aioi and do some exploring. Our end of town is very quiet - we figured there must be more to it. So we got a bus down to Port Park not really knowing what to expect. At first we thought it was miles and miles away, but the driver took us through every residential area in the town until we finally got there - turns out it was only about a mile away - oh hum. Port Park is on the coast - Aioi is at the bottom of an inlet in the Inland Sea. Here there are ship builders (Matt knows one of them from his patent work) and a nice patch of green and promenade alongside the shore which we walked down (not a whimper from the lad which was surprising as it was quite breezy). Aioi is very proud of one thing - its Dragon Boat racing, which it holds over one weekend every year - everything in the town is geared towards this (murals, drain covers etc) and it just so happens it is this coming weekend, so we are planning to go and watch them. Alongside the promenade was a statue of a Dragon Boat which we posed alongside for the customary photo.

Drinking Doctor Yellow

We carried along the promenade until we got to Peron Castle which is an Onsen (spa). Came across a farmers market so looked at the produce, guessing what things were and got some info on the Onsen for a visit later in our stay. Opposite this was a retail park so we had a look round - one of the stores was a huge supermarket full of wonderful looking things (especially the deli counter - full of sushi, tempura, croquettes and things on sticks) whilst nosing around I came across a children's carton of drink with a certain Dr Yellow on it - couldn't believe it, as soon as Tom saw it he had to have it and as soon as we got out of the store, he ripped open the straw and drank it in one breath - we still aren't 100% sure what it was other than a milky drink of sorts.

We then found a park with a funky slide in it - made from rollers meaning you go quite fast and get a bottom massage as you go along. Tom called it a silly slide but loved it, as did Matt and I (we are both kids at heart). Our stomachs began to rumble so we headed back into town to a Co-Op we had seen. We had lunch: Katsu Curry for Matt and Tempura Udon Teishoku (set lunch with a bowl of udon soup and ebi tempura and rice (definitely a Slimming World green day). We then explored the shop - wow it was massive! I think you could buy pretty much anything there AND it had a 100 Yen shop in it. We found a baby carriage thing for Tom to sit in so we could look around without Tom causing annoyance / breakages etc. He's a bit put off at the moment as he has suddenly realised that although he isn't allowed to touch things I do - so he keeps telling me off!

Watching the white trains

We bought some food for dinner: ebi, noodles, edamame and gyoza and headed home. Tom went to bed for a nap then we went back to the station to watch the Shinkansen speeding through Aioi at full speed. Tom was a little scared but very curious.

Then home, dinner, shower, bath and bed.

Today's purchase: Shinkansen pyjamas - which include Dr Yellow.

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Location:Aioi