Girls' Day Out

Because of a recent shift swap, I was able to have yesterday off. And, because of an extra Saturday she worked, so was my good friend Laura. And so, we made arrangements to have a girls' day out.
After saying goodbye to my wonderful husband on Sunday evening, I got on the train and headed to Laura's house, (what should be) about 2 1/2 hours away. I'm still not entirely sure how it happened, but at the last leg of the journey, the train that I transferred to ended up going the complete opposite direction! Already in the middle of nowhere, I ended up even more in the middle of nowhere, having to wait for an hour so that the train could take me an hour in the other direction! But, I made it safe and sound, and only 2 hours late!
The next day was fantastic! The weather was a perfect summer day: hot, sunny and a little bit windy! We trekked the 45 minutes from her house to the station, and then headed to a place called Amanohashidate (meaning "Bridge of Heaven"), considered to be one of the three most beautiful places in Japan. It is a 3 1/2 km long lane of beach and pine trees, with the ocean on either side. So we spent the afternoon walking along the beach, picking up shells, avoiding jellyfish, eating a picnic lunch, and doing what girls do best - talking!
After walking the length of the lane, we took a gondola to the top of a mountain, where, it is said, if you look upside down between your legs, it looks as if the "bridge" is suspended in midair. It takes a bit of imagination. (Unfortunately, neither of us brought a camera, so it takes even more imagination!!)
We went back in the evening, with enough time to go out for dinner: it was a classic Japanese experience of eating traditional food while listening to the Backstreet Boys.
It was a good day with a good friend, and a treat to be able to do!