It was a beautiful warm sunny day in Nagasaki. We started the morning by visiting the Peace Garden with peace monuments from many countries with our guide Miyuki Ogawa. Every year they light the Olympic flame there to think of peace. After seeing a preserved part of scorched earth, we went to the Nagasaki museum of history with interesting exhibits about Japan and its European and Asian relationships. Objects included the first Japanese - Dutch dictionary which was more like a phrasebook. We were interested to see that when they first got an underwater telegraph line it went to Shanghai and Vladivostok.

There was also an interesting display on the hidden Christians when it became illegal to be one. They substituted a Buddhist image of a mother and child and the goddess Kannon for Mary and Jesus. Evidently after it became legal again, some became main stream Catholic but others maintained their version of Christianity and a few still exist today as Hanare Kirishitans.

We enjoyed a visit to Suwa Shinto shrine. Our guide was part of that community and she had celebrated some of her life events there. Before we entered, we had to wash our hands, left first, then right and then our lips (our guide said it was optional for us for hygiene reasons). And pour the water from the cup down the handle.  You can get your fortune told and if it is bad, you can fasten it to a frame and leave it there. Frances tossed a coin and made a prayer for a long healthy happy lives for all her family. There is a ritual: you toss the coin, bow twice, clap twice to summon your ancestors, make your wish and then one deep bow.

We had lunch outdoors at a small old restaurant on the temple grounds. There was a choice of rice or noodles with something in it. Frances had udon noodles with a tasty tempura shrimp. Richard had soba with scrambled egg. Total cost for 2 - $14USD. So about 1400 yen.

We stopped by to see the European settlement. A couple of buildings are original but the rest reproductions. Nagasaki was the port of call for several European traders - Portuguese, British and Dutch. The Dutch were most welcomed especially early on but Glover whose estate is now a park was instrumental in helping Japan into modernity in the 1860's. And when Holland was taken over by Napoleon, this was the only place where the Dutch flag was flown!

Then on to the gardens of Glover Park which is high on a hilltop and approached by funicular and elevator, and is supposed to be where Madame Butterfly watched for her lover. We could see our ship down below. Tulips were in bloom and they were a hit with tourists and locals alike. The park has a popular activity for young people. They can rent a Victorian costume for 500 yen for 30 minutes. The boys are in European military outfits and the girls in long gowns and perky hats.

We had a lovely sendoff by a school brass band. Interesting and well done program that started with Benny Goodman and ending with A Whiter Shade of Pale. I think they were grade 8 students, mostly girls in skirts and white socks. We enjoyed the music and it was heartwarming to see their enthusiasm.