The Imperial Palace Gardens, Tokyo.

The parks of big cities are a welcome escape when the sky scrapers and crowds threaten to swallow you with their size.  They really are the heart and lungs of congested, concrete metropolises.

I took these photos when we went for a walk in the Imperial Palace Gardens in Tokyo.

Yes, I have discovered the power that is Editing Photos.  I hope the vivid greens and blues don't trip you out too much.

Why immortalize the gardens of Tokyo on your blog like this.

When you can coax out any green or blue the clouds hid from you on the day with a bit of colour tweaking (learned from a patient youngster on YouTube, the TAFE for the digital generation).

To the left, 20th century office blocks, to the right, a forrest of trees conceals the perimeter of the palace gardens.  In the middle, a lone swan.  Each section of the moat surrounding the palace has its own name.

The east meets west in Tokyo is even more pronounced in this photo.

It was so peaceful in the park.  Despite the early hour, quite a few people were out and about.

The men in the background of this photo appeared to be getting dressed for work.  I hope they hadn't spent the night on the benches because it was around 7.30 am when I took this photo.

The moat that surrounds the Imperial Palace and Nijubashi Bridge, leading directly to the front gate of the palace.

Part of the official gateway into the city - the Sakuradamon Gate.  It doesn't lead anywhere at the moment.

Detail of the wooden gate as you walk through it.

Statue of Kusunoki Masahige - the 14th century samurai who fought the shoguns for power over Japan.  He is considered the idol of samurai loyalty.

The public are not allowed anywhere near the Imperial Palace unless it is officially open on either New Years or the Emperor's Birthday.  It is still the private residence of the imperial family.  This is one of the palace gates.  Don't think it's the main one.

After the park, we strolled through the streets and returned to a world of granite and marble.

Even the drain caps are beautiful in Tokyo.

That's coke zero zero - sugar free and caffeine free.  What's the point, I now realize in retrospect.

Each tree is lovingly cared for and nurtured.

In less exciting news, I found prunes at one of the fancy basement supermarkets.

That's not my trolley, I only bought 1 package.

Our eclectic breakfast.  Invigorated by the fresh air and greenery, we tried for a healthy breakfast - hence the prunes and yoghurt.  Mr SSG bought some vegeterian noodles (you microwave your food at the store before you leave) and green tea flavoured bread rolls.  I just had to have a sandwich and hot coffee (with the mercury hitting 28C in the morning, I know, I know).

Fried pork cutlet is a perfectly acceptable sandwich filling in Japan and I  wholeheartedly approve,