Katie, Joe, Jono and I decided to explore a new part of Himeji, so we headed to Tegara. Tegara Park is across the road from my old Jr High School and although I had been there once, we found a whole other section I hadn't seen.
The entrance to the park included a waterfall that came down the side of the hill with winding steps alongside. It was really peaceful and beautiful. Joe discovered you could walk in behind the waterfall so of course we didn't deny this photo op!
As we meandered our way to the top of the hill we walked through a pretty impressive garden beautifully manicured, looking like something out of Notting Hill. My first thought was "I could imagine getting married in this garden". Don't worry Mum, I'm not going to!!!! It was just so pretty. At the top of the hill stands a war monument (I can't remember if I already showed you this back in April). The statue represents a sword which has its blade stuck in the ground. It is meant to symbolise peace and no more fighting. 
Katie and I had fun exploring the castle which is in the gardens near the monument. We were disappointed to discover we couldn't climb up to the top bit, so we had to make do with the balcony! It was still pretty cool!
This afternoon of exploring goes to show you that new and exciting things can be only a short bike ride away!
