A highlight of our trip is the 2 days jaunt back north to the Sea of Japan and the famous hot spring area. WE take a ab to the unbelievably impressive Kyoto station, a destination in itself and wait in a comfortable waiting room til our JR train arrives. It looks like a bulletin train but it's only the 2nd class bullet trains, sleek and stylists, quiet and fast. A very comfortable way to travel, we didn't need the green seats, first class.
We went to the JR station to check on our schedule a day or so ago. We have one minute to change trains at the sort of half way point. 86 minutes, first train, 64 minutes second train. They assure us it is doable, you get off, cross the platform and gets on the other one. Car 3 to Car 2, fairly close. It works like a charm.
Into Ryokan Yamamotoya, a 350 year old spa hotel, we have a gorgeous corner room with a wrap around verandah over a private cliff garden. WE are finally doing the Japanese thin with futons on the floor to sleep. But they come and make up and take away your beds so it's not so bad. If you order breakfast it comes in your room, all set up just-so eautifully on your low table, so you do have to sit on the floor for it, but Ted pulled up a chair all the same. Lots of little interesting tastes, a whole fish with head, hard to eat with chopsticks, but interesting.
They supply you with a gorgeous blue/white pattern yukata (cotton kimono robe) and wooden geta clogs. They take a it of getting used to, Ted doesn't even try, just takes his sandals everywhere. Those feet would never fit into anything else...
Our ryokan has its own small pool but we never actually try it.
WE find out on day 2 (it's almost $1000 for 2 days here...so not spending any more time here...) that if you don't have breakfast in your room, you are screwed as there is really where else open in the morning. Lots of restaurants for lunch as there is a big day trip crowd here.
WE have dinner at the recorded restaurant above a small fish shop where the sushi/sashimi is fresh and good (clam, bream, salmon, ahi, sea urchin, mackerel and whitefish. All decorated with shreddeed daikon. WE also order a set meal with sashimi, tempura, rice, pickles, miso soup for $24, very reasonable. It's busy at 6pm because, like most things here, it closes at 7!
We went to the JR station to check on our schedule a day or so ago. We have one minute to change trains at the sort of half way point. 86 minutes, first train, 64 minutes second train. They assure us it is doable, you get off, cross the platform and gets on the other one. Car 3 to Car 2, fairly close. It works like a charm.
Into Ryokan Yamamotoya, a 350 year old spa hotel, we have a gorgeous corner room with a wrap around verandah over a private cliff garden. WE are finally doing the Japanese thin with futons on the floor to sleep. But they come and make up and take away your beds so it's not so bad. If you order breakfast it comes in your room, all set up just-so eautifully on your low table, so you do have to sit on the floor for it, but Ted pulled up a chair all the same. Lots of little interesting tastes, a whole fish with head, hard to eat with chopsticks, but interesting.
They supply you with a gorgeous blue/white pattern yukata (cotton kimono robe) and wooden geta clogs. They take a it of getting used to, Ted doesn't even try, just takes his sandals everywhere. Those feet would never fit into anything else...
Our ryokan has its own small pool but we never actually try it.
WE find out on day 2 (it's almost $1000 for 2 days here...so not spending any more time here...) that if you don't have breakfast in your room, you are screwed as there is really where else open in the morning. Lots of restaurants for lunch as there is a big day trip crowd here.
WE have dinner at the recorded restaurant above a small fish shop where the sushi/sashimi is fresh and good (clam, bream, salmon, ahi, sea urchin, mackerel and whitefish. All decorated with shreddeed daikon. WE also order a set meal with sashimi, tempura, rice, pickles, miso soup for $24, very reasonable. It's busy at 6pm because, like most things here, it closes at 7!
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