Vacancy at the Hartman Hotel

Christy's gone, and I'm sad. But, we had a great time together. Here are a few pictures of our adventures.

We put on kimonos, which as you know, was not a first for me. I must say, though, the second time around was more enjoyable because my hair was a bit more manageable. Additionally, we enjoyed Italian food for lunch instead of a traditional Japanese meal.

The best part of the whole experience was by far Christy's 'do. She donned a wig for the day, and it was hysterical. It was so cute but also very bizarre.

After lunch, we headed to a karaoke club and sang a few duets for our Japanese friends. We didn't do so hot on the N'Sync and Madonna tunes, but we sang a mean version of Alan Jackson's* Chattahoochie. Our people would have been proud.

*Side note: My freshman year of college, Christy, Charity, Julie and I all drove to Nashville to enjoy a big country music festival. During the Alan Jackson concert, I caught the guitar pick he threw into the audience. Well, I might have had to pick it up off the ground so I didn't actually catch it per se, but anyway, it's still on my dresser at my parents' house. 

We went to a Chunichi Dragons game at the Nagoya Dome and afterwards, we shopped till we dropped. The next morning we got up early and headed to Kyoto.

Here we are in front of Kinkakuji, the Golden Temple. After that, we went to Kyomizudera Temple and then to Fushimi Inara.

Here is a picture of Travis and me at Fushimi Inara. You might recognize the orange tori gates from the movie, Memoirs of a Geisha. 

Christy's visit fell right in the middle of sakura (cherry blossom) season, but unfortunately, the weather has been a bit chilly and the trees didn't bloom quite as early as expected. In fact, only about 20% are bloomed right now. Although many are still waiting to bloom, we were able to see several in all their glory. This picture was taken on the grounds at Nagoya Castle.

Because of Christy's current situation (she's prego), she was eligible for priority seating on all the trains. For some reason she never took advantage of it, but we did sneak a pic of her in front of the sign. 

By the way, she is the most low-maintenance pregnant gal ever. I think I used her pregnancy as an excuse more than she did. I kept telling Travis we needed to take breaks and buy snacks because of the baby. And, I am pretty sure I ate for two the entire time she was here. 

We had such a wonderful time making memories, and I can't believe that the next time I see Christy, she'll be a mommy! Wow.

Ok, well I'm off to the grocery store. I think I'm craving pickles and ice cream. :)