Going back in time to the samurai era

I did manage to see the sights when I was in Matsue. I even found the perfect way to transport myself to and fro. Meet my steed:

The castle was truly impressive. It appears to have five stories from the outside, but inside it is really six. Oh, and there are trapdoors within from which they can drop rocks on invaders. And apparently the wood is a special kind that is very light (easy to haul up ladders!) and fire resistant (hard to burn down!). Because it looks too much like a postcard, here's one with me in it so you know I was really there.

Inside were some neat relics from the time, including samurai helmets and regalia. Apparently the helmet was meant to reflect the personality of the wearer, so I was trying to figure out what this guy was like:

The top of the castle had a watch tower with excellent 360 degree views of the whole town. I took some snaps and then curled up in a corner with my book and ignored the other tourists, reading some and then looking at over the city. There were some very cool hawks circling about the castle that day.

The castle is surrounded by a great park which is then encircled by a moat. Perfect for bike-riding, especially because it wasn't too steep for my gearless horse. And, it gave me the chance to see the castle from a couple of angles.

Also, I stumbled upon a garden of camelias, and took note of this sign. Any camelia lovers out there?

After all of this cavorting with royalty, I decided to get a bit more down home, and visited a middle-ranking samurai's house. Ok, not so down home. It was a cool example of Japanese living, with lots of tatami floors and great sightlines throughout the house.

After such a day of exploration, my trusty wheels and I needed sustenance. To Kawa-kyo!