Wow, what a day of mixed emotions - from the exhilaration of our first Shinkansen ride to the sombre mood brought on by a visit to Hiroshima Peace Park and the near terror of a long ride in a ropeway carriage out on Miyajima. What a day.

Kinda sad to leave our little room at the Hearton but excited about our next destination and how we'd get there .

So easy getting from JR Osaka Station up to Shin-Osaka where the Shinkansens operate out of. Buy some sangers and a sushi box for brekkie at the station before we board. No-one else has used the space behind the last row of seats in the carriage so no issues with our luggage. Only a two-two configuration in the carriage and now think it might be because we have booked reserve seats with our JR pass. Possibly the unreserved cars are two-three? Doesn't matter.

Train ride is amazing. Thought Eurostar was cool but this is way cooler. Huge seats, miles of room - see pics. Countryside whizzes past - lots of rice paddies and very nice traditional looking homes then suddenly we're racing through small (and big) towns. Weather is pretty ordinary outside and we're prepared for rain when we get to Hiroshima but of course the sun is out and it's HOT.

Notice as we're heading out of the station that my bag has had a wheel blow-out . Was already thinking about a new case. Maybe it's time, now? Still rolls ok, kind of. Board tram outside station for ride to ANA.

We've stepped up in the world big time with this hotel although it is not far off the same price for two nights that we've just spent on six in Osaka.

Arrive early but room is ready and we're taken up to our gigantic room. The king size bed is about as big as our last room. Wow!!

No time to sit. Decide we want to see a baseball game here if there's one on. The very beautiful bell captain and an older man behind the desk determine there is a game tomorrow night and then find a local Lawsons (like a 7-11) store where the ticket machines are located. They call the store, tell them we're on our way, and right down what we want to buy. Fabulous service.

Less than 10 minutes later we have our tickets . Fantastic.

Walk towards Hiroshima Peace Park. On the way stop off at a miniature kombi coffee van - Kanade Cafe (http://ameblo.jp/kanadecafe). Nice coffee and odd donuts. Have our picture taken and the cute girl asks if she can post it on her blog. Click on the link (above) and we're there on 12/07!

Peace Park was a world of tears for both of us. It is incomprehensible that what happened here did actually happen. Did it, and the Nagasaki bombing, have to happen to end the war? We'll never know. Sadly, most likely not.

For both of us the most moving monuments were the Korean and Children's monuments. Not up for the museum so decide on a a cruise out to Miyajima.

Miyajima was gorgeous, but again, like the deserted city. Tide is out so the pictures of the temple won't be much cop but they'll do.

There's a ropeway up to a peak and despite my hatred of anything suspended off a metal rope we head up . Meet an American lady, her baby Lily, and her mum-in-law on the second leg of the trip.

The younger women lives on a US base (guess her hubby is in the military?) about 180 miles north west of where the tsunami hit. She was explaining that the area is suffering terribly due to a lack of government. One area lost it's entire government. The 'Japanese way' means that there is no process to hold a special election so they will remain without any govt until the next election is due. This in turn means that there is no local govt to lobby the federal govt and therefore NOTHING is happening. Some towns are literally running out of food. It is appalling and so typical that no-one knows this is happening. So anyone that is reading this does now. Tell others please.

Temple closes at 6 and we're in the gates at about 5:15. If the tide was in it would be spectacular. As we saw it, it was still quite beautiful . A gazillion pictures taken in any case.

Take the JR ferry (free with our JR pass) back to the mainland, then a JR train back into Hiroshima and the tram back to the hotel.

There's a street nearby (as per Lonely Planet) with lots of restaurants so we clean up and head there.

For whatever reason we chose Big Smile where there is no indication of picture menus. Al manages to order something beef. Delicious seared thin beef steak with some condiments including what I hoped was wasabi but was green horseradish.

Sinking the beers at a rapid rate - biru is biru - and then order some more of the beef plus some fries. Lots of banter between the two guys running the place and two girls also eating (hear gaijin mentioned more than once) but think (hope) it is all good hearted.

Second plate of beef comes out and horseradish has been replaced with wasabi . They obviously did it as a bit of a laugh and was a bit of a shock when we didn't react with shock but instead tucked into the wasabi and I looked up and smiled and said "yum, wasabi!"

Next we get a plate of what look like small franks and he says the Japanese version of a word and I say "chorizo?" He looks at the girls again, lots more laughing, I hear "they understand" and then the girls leave and one says in perfect English "they want to know if you want anything else to eat?" We've had enough so ask her to say no thanks.

Was a lot of fun but we will look for picture menu next time.