You can't visit Japan without experiencing the thermal spring water in an Onsen. What we hadn't reckoned on was the need to be totally naked. I'd always assumed it was just sitting in some warm water in your cozzie. This one however had different rules. We travelled by train to Shirahama, a coastal town in Wakayama prefecture. A short bus ride from the station took us to the Onsen, a small basic looking place with segregated male and female areas, which overlooked the sea. Having paid the entry fee you went through to an open changing area where you dispensed with everything except your towel and then off you go for a cold shower. Suitably cleansed of outside contaminants the pools beckoned. Fortunately there was only one other woman in the water when I arrived, lounging on the side like a basking seal, with a cold flannel over her face. I took the opportunity to slide my wobbly frame into the water of an adjacent pool, trying to stop the inbuilt airbags from adopting survival mode and floating nipples up to heaven. Once in the water, it was lovely, like a warm bath without the suds. The view was amazing as the open air Onsen was right next to the shore looking out across the Pacific Ocean. There I was in my own little rock pool, with John sweating his knackers off in the pool on the other side of the fence. Bliss is only bliss if you're conscious, so to avoid passing out we had to limit our soak to about ten minutes. The timing proved fortuitous for me as there was a sudden rush, with the arrival of two older women, and a group of four giggly young women.

With all the nooks and crannies suitably steam cleaned we wandered back along the beach front, admiring the White Australian sand imported from Perth. We weren't quite sure whether another load of sand had just arrived, or they were recreating their own pyramid attraction, as a row of cordoned off pointed sand dunes stood proudly on the beach. Or maybe they were topless sunbathers I'm not sure. You'll have to check out the photo and judge for yourself! Invigorated and well washed we both dozed as we returned to Osaka on the train, another great day in Japan.