Kanazawa, 2nd Geisha area of Japan and home to Japan's 3rd most famous garden

WE're off north to the Sea of Japan and Kanazawa. And it's pouring with rain again! WE change trains at Toyama, fairly easy 15 minute connection. We follow a scenic river through locally far and but it's foggy and wet. My camera has spent most of this trip in it case...

 WE booked into the Holiday Inn right downtown, opposite the famous fish market that is said to compare with the fish market bin Tokyo. You have to get up at 4am to see that one so I'll settle for this one. I' been trying to contact this hotel since June to book the extra night. Everyone in Japan books really early so you can't expect to change, and that's what happened here. No sig of being able to stay on an extra day and you certainly can't go to Kyoto without a booking either! 

  After much pleading, our friendly receptionist Ishakaya gives us a lovely corner suite but for two days. Later she tells us she has booked us next door into a boutique hotel REsol Trinity for the 3rd night at a good price with breakfast, so we are happy we have a home for 3 days.

  Unfortunately after a long bath that night, our bathroom floods at 10pm. The night manager mops up as best he can, offers to change our room (no!!) and we agree to change rooms tomorrow. Another change.

  By morning I get the lovely Miss Ishagaya to book us into the Resol today for 2 days (avoiding changing every day!), she agrees we can stay in our room til 2pm then transfer down the road, and we are all happy. They all take their jobs very seriously here and it was a point of insult that our bathroom flooded - a bit like the dirty fork skit from Monty Python...- and we could not stay the third night. 

  I have to say, the breakfast here was sumptuous, a huge arrange of lovely Japanese and western fare, including superb sushi and a sous chef waiting to cook your eggs or omelet to order.