Nagasaki's welcoming committee...
Peace Park Statue
Shimabara Castle
Volcanic ruins
Portuguese street
Madame Butterfly cast membersNagasaki was our final port in Japan before sailing away from this spotless, friendly, polite and beautiful country. Our week here has been fabulous among these constantly smiling and bowing people.
It rained the entire day that we were in Nagasaki. Since this was our third visit to the city, we decided to bypass the tours and just enjoy the waterfront area on our own. Prior visits have taken us to the Nagasaki Peace Park built in 1955 to commemorate the atomic bombing there on August 9, 1945. At the park’s north end is the 10-meter-tall Peace Statue…”with its right hand pointed to the threat of nuclear weapons while the extended left hand symbolizes eternal peace. The mild face symbolizes divine grace and the gently closed eyes offer a prayer for the tomb victims’ souls. The folded right leg and extended left leg signify both meditation and the initiative to stand up and rescue the people of the world.”
On another visit, we went outside the city to Shimabara and Mt. Unzen. That was a fabulous tour! Shimabara Castle was built in 1624 and now sits next to a museum showing excavation from the 1990 eruption of Mt. Unzen. A visit to a street of Samuri houses from the ancient town, complete with a man-made waterway running through town, made that a very memorable tour.
But, back to the present: the few hours to ourselves on the Nagasaki waterfront unveiled a lovely surprise. We discovered several blocks of narrow winding, cobblestone streets, lined by Portuguese-style shops, churches, museums, and gardens. After making a few purchase…and taking lots of photographs…we headed back to our ship.
That afternoon, just before the Mariner left Nagasaki, we were treated to a shortened performance of Madame Butterfly by local entertainers. It was a great show, and a fitting end to our last port of call in Japan. Next: Inchon (Seoul), South Korea
It rained the entire day that we were in Nagasaki. Since this was our third visit to the city, we decided to bypass the tours and just enjoy the waterfront area on our own. Prior visits have taken us to the Nagasaki Peace Park built in 1955 to commemorate the atomic bombing there on August 9, 1945. At the park’s north end is the 10-meter-tall Peace Statue…”with its right hand pointed to the threat of nuclear weapons while the extended left hand symbolizes eternal peace. The mild face symbolizes divine grace and the gently closed eyes offer a prayer for the tomb victims’ souls. The folded right leg and extended left leg signify both meditation and the initiative to stand up and rescue the people of the world.”
On another visit, we went outside the city to Shimabara and Mt. Unzen. That was a fabulous tour! Shimabara Castle was built in 1624 and now sits next to a museum showing excavation from the 1990 eruption of Mt. Unzen. A visit to a street of Samuri houses from the ancient town, complete with a man-made waterway running through town, made that a very memorable tour.
But, back to the present: the few hours to ourselves on the Nagasaki waterfront unveiled a lovely surprise. We discovered several blocks of narrow winding, cobblestone streets, lined by Portuguese-style shops, churches, museums, and gardens. After making a few purchase…and taking lots of photographs…we headed back to our ship.
That afternoon, just before the Mariner left Nagasaki, we were treated to a shortened performance of Madame Butterfly by local entertainers. It was a great show, and a fitting end to our last port of call in Japan. Next: Inchon (Seoul), South Korea
No comments:
Post a Comment