Hello again

Well we are having a blast in Tokyo, so many things to see and so much rain to see it through. Oh, did I fail to mention that we are here during tsuyu. Oh my it was wet wet wet on Sunday when we went out sight seeing. So here are some photos and then some description of how we have spent time since I updated you last, which I think was on Wednesday, that day I was crowned Champion of Croquet at the monastery.

• Thursday we had a typical retreat day (well typical for how that retreat went) got up, prayed, ate, spiritual reading for some time, rested, Mass, some exercise. Thursday's exercise, was going to the local pool which also was our daily trip to the Onsen. Then on the way back we hit the donut shop, the technology store, and the 100 yen store (think Dollar Store, but much better stuff) then back to the monastery for more prayer, eating and retreating.
• Friday was about the same, except for the exercise we went to the local mountain for a ride on the ski lift with a short hike. The mountains name I am not sure of but the ski area and mountain bike area is called Panorama. Then Fr. Jay and I went to the Onsen (the same onsen I went to on my first trip to an onsen) to relax a bit before dinner at the monastery with a few invited guest of the monastery.
• Saturday we were up early and then off to Tokyo, with a fine send off from all the monks.
  
• The train to Tokyo was a direct, so about 2 hours and we were in the heart of Tokyo. We made it from the first train station Shinjuku to our home station of Meguro.
• After a brief lunch with the Pastor of the Meguro church, Fr. Leo Shumacher, Bryan took a nap (his back is still hurting) and I went exploring around the area....some fun.
  
• Back to the parish and then out to dinner with two priest and two seminarians. The priest were Fr. Leo, our host, and a diocesan priest from County Cork, who works in Japan at Sofia University in the area of English Literature, Fr. Joseph O'Leary, whom I met in the comments area of Vox Nova. We went to a typical causal night out in a fun little restaurant near the parish, it was a great time, followed up with drinks at a local pub.
• Sunday morning arrived and Fr. Bryan and I celebrated Mass in English and then were on our way to see the city. We had arranged a tour with Tokyo Free Guide, and it was quite nice. We met her at Hachiko in Shibuya. Our guide took us to Mejii Jingu (while there we saw a few wedding ceremonies beginning) and then to Harajuku, then to the Oriental Bazaar for some shopping. We went to lunch at a tonkatsu shop, it was quite delicious. After that it was back to Shibuya for a bit of electronics shopping at Bic Camera. We then left our guide and headed home.
  
• Sunday night we went with Fr. Leo to a huge onsen. It was like Dave and Busters, meets a old time county fair, with a mall type food court, and onsen with everyone walking around in yakuta, oh and they serve beer! More on this place later
• Monday morning I have spent the better part of an hour on this post and I am hungry and read to tour so more later.

Sayonara Jaa mata