Makoto and Kaori being at work, I decided to go to おおさか大阪 for a small journey in order to visit this city where I didn't stop last year (I only went through twice with しんかんせん新幹線). However, my hosts, on the day before, proposed to help me preparing this tour by calling Sanae-san, a friend of them, in order to get a little list of the interesting spots to visit. However, instead of a listing, I earned a guide... Indeed, Sanae-san proposed to me to be my guide for the day. Of course, I immediately accepted (since it has always been better to visit places with locals). The rendez-vous was set at 11AM at the front of the post office (which gave me opportunity to send a first batch of postcards from Japan, instead of Malmö, like I shamely did last year...). At 11AM, Sanae and her car were there and the tourism day in おおさか大阪 just started.
We began with the usual spot (for those who visit おおさか大阪 for the first time), おおさかじょう大阪城. There I discovered (Sanae "re-visited" once again this building she had known for years) the story of all the area and the samurais who ruled the place (wars after treasons...) as well as some masterpieces of this period. We also finished on the highest floor to get a higher view of おおさか大阪 and its suburbs.
A few pictures after, we headed to おおさか大阪 downtown in order to have a quick lunch and get lost in どうとんぼり道噸堀, but not for too long (thanks to the deaf-making music everywhere). A good reason to escape from this riot was to find a Japanese rugby union shirt. Not so easy so far... And Sanae was a precious help. She found the perfect store where I could spend some 10,000えん円 bills to buy the last (only?) shirt proposed. うれしい嬉しい!!
As the time went by, we left the southern part of おおさか大阪 for a tour in car, to the おおさか大阪 aquarium. That gave me the opportunity to see my first Moon-fish ever. Funny and fascinating! As much as the view proposed from the cabin of the Tempozan Giant Ferris Wheel outside the aquarium where we stayed the few minutes needed to complete a rotation...
As the night was already over the かんさい関西, it was time to go back and find Kaori and Makoto at home before a good night: A tour in きょうと京都 was planned with Yukiko the day after.
