Kobe

Sunday morning, Keith, Thomas, Gary, Terry and I met up for a visit to Kobe - in Hyogo prefecture, beside Osaka prefecture. The main purpose of the trip was to experience Kobe beef. Kobe beef is worldwide famous, and priced accordingly! We stopped to chat with Roland and Chris who were enjoying some ice cream after their own Kobe beef experience.
Keith forgot his bag, so he went back to get it, and I wandered into the closest clothing store to avoid the crepe stand (I cannot turn down crepes -they're just so good). I wasn't planning on shopping, because all the clothes here either aren't my style, don't fit me, or are too expensive! However - I found a cute spring jacket and shirt for a great price, so I bought them - my first clothes from Japan. Terry and I shopped for a bit before we found our way back to the other guys. We continued on to one of the many Kobe beef restaurants. Prices ranged from $80 to $120 for a set meal (beef, a few random veggies, miso soup, rice, and miniature green salad). Terry and I shared a meal, as did Keith, Thomas, and Gary. The beef was good, and we made the most of the experience with pictures and videos and exaggerated taste testing. I don't think I eat enough beef to know if it was amazing beef, but it was definitely delicous! All 3 bites that I got. :)
After Kobe beef, we wandered around the area, and stopped to watch a performance. There were several kids dance groups performing down in an amusement park. Some of the kids were really little, but amazing! There was one little girl - my new hero - who was incredible. She had so much spirit and energy - I would give anything to be able to dance like her, and she was probably 8 years old! We watched for an hour and a half and took lots of pictures.
Once we finally dragged ourselves away, we walked around the port and took pictures with all the attractions and statues. We had a lot of fun posing around the structures and taking interesting pictures.
We stopped for ice cream and at the '95 earthquake memorial. A section of the sea wall that was destroyed is preserved, along with photos and facts and displays. We were in a pretty serious mood after visiting it, and it was raining, so we decided to call it a day. Everyone but me was taking the Shinkansen home, so I took off for home at the station.
I had a quiet evening, did some laundry and did a little crocheting. Made some resolutions for the week, and climbed into bed! It was a great weekend, and an awesome pick-me-up from my elevator trip the week before!