Niigata

Using our IC Cards, we took a local bus to a rare Catholic church, and then to the Saito summer villa and garden, an example of Meiji-era architecture with sliding doors and some wall paintings.
We walked to the Art Museum to see an exhibition by the local photography club plus a gallery of paintings.
At lunchtime, I walked to the Hakusan Park and Shrine where small children in national costume were being photographed.
I walked along the embankment of the Shinano River, the longest in Japan, for a few kilometres and almost reached the Sea of Japan, passing a few signs in Russian. Retracing my steps back into town, I went to the 20th floor of the Media Ship building for an overview of the city, river and sea.
I had an early dinner at a western-style restaurant, and then looked at the Paris 2024 information on my iPad.Read more