Good morning everyone from Kyoto. Konichiwa! Congratulations to Niece Isla on her Christening! I hope you have a lovely day today. Love to everyone of the Luxford’s, Dugdale’s, Smith’s and Friends who are celebrating the day.
I have a transit day today which means that I check out of my Railway Station Hotel and head a few miles across town to the Sanjo District, just by Gion, to a Ryokan. In the countryside Ryokan’s are little B&B’s that have ornate gardens and sometimes the options of Hot springs. In Town they are guesthouses that offer a bit more of a family attention. I’ll give you an insight later after I have check-in which isn’t until 3pm.
With my luggage in the hands of the Hotel concierge I have about 4 hours to kill in the town and as it is pouring down with rain I am not venturing to a temple today, but easing up to have a look at the shops and to hunt out the Nishiki Food Market which also has a number of boutique shops in the same area. Before getting on the subway, and it is still saturday morning, I head for Starbucks for a traditional Coffee and a Breakfast sandwich. There seems to be a lot of Americans conducting their constitutional rights to a Vente of Coffee and one Brit with a ‘Bacon Butty’. Suitably substained, I head up the line towards Shijo station. The rain is persistent but it is really humid. With my Coat hood up, it’s dry but it’s hot too. My bag is also getting rather wet and I am in fear of my Laptop and iPad getting drenched. Everyone has umberellas. Young, Old, Male, Female. Common sense prevails, but I can also see their logic. Why wrap up when it is warm. I went in search of a brollie and found a clear one with a white handle for about 3 pounds and it’s automatic. I wouldn’t have gone for such a challenging design in the UK, but here it’s really functional. It goes up quickly, it comes down easily. It is very lightweight and I can see all the crossing signs which I now obey 100%, even if the road is 10 feet wide and has no traffic.
After a couple of browses and purchases, I go up the side roads from the main shopping Street and find a traditional coffee house. A coffee bean seller at the front and at the back a large circular polished wooden bar with swivel seats around a coffee preparation stove and 4 baristas. A nice welcome, they guide me to where to put my bag and instantly a glass of Iced Water is placed in front of me. As I look around people are reading the local papers. A man and woman across the way, who must be in their 70s both remind me of the eiry character that played alongside Bogart in ‘Casablanca’. Amazing resemblence.
A reprise of white coffee and a piece of very sweet Lemon Merengue Pie and I am ready for another stroll.
I make my way through some of the back streets which are full of small restaurants and Ryokans and eventually I get to the Nishiri Food Market. The travel books are right, they sell things that you will not have seen in your life before. It seems that a lot of Japanese people had not seen them before either. Everyone was clicking. This is where you could do with a guide. As you don’t know if something is cooked or can be eaten raw, I thought best not to try, although I was tempted. Some of the different seafood was really an eye opener. From dried everything, to the most bizarre fish and shell fish you could think of. Even the vegetables were different. Have a look at some of the photos and you will see what I mean. Another funny moment. Think of the Market Street being about 200 yards long and packed with small shops side by side. I would say that there was about 50-60 Fish one alone. Over the tannoy a very pronounced Australian woman who has obvious got control of the situation talked in a loud voice…”this is a message for Marie Turnbull. Please return to the Fish Shop where you walked from, that is Marie Turnbull, come straightaway to the Fish Shop!”. Everyone was laughing at the sad prospect of Marie being able to find a shop that sells fish. The Japanese were laughing too, they definitively got the irony of the situation.
Not sure if it opens again tomorrow, but if it is still raining and I decide to stay local then this will be on my walking route.
I made one stop off along the way when I saw groups of Kids dancing in some sort of show at the front of one of the larger government building’s. The one group I snapped created a dance routine based on martial arts and was entertaining.
I made my way back to the Hotel by the station to pick up my bags. I had to get a ticket at Shijo Station to return. As I put my first coin in, the whole machine’s lights went out. I just looked at it, to more or less imply that it wasn’t me. Then the most funniest thing happened. A square of the instrument panel, a size of about 8 inchs by 8 inches, opened and a head popped through…”solly, so solly”. A ticket assistant with a hat and specticles appeared through this advent calendar sized door to keep me informed of his error. The coin was returned and I bowed and moved to the next machine. Did every machine have its own man? That would be customer service.
Before I left the Hotel, I paid a visit to the little boys room. Have a look at the photo. All the loo’s have a similar design out here. Heated seats, a gentle pre-flush as you sit down and then if you are up for it a Shower or a Bidet option, enough said. The one I though was hilarious was the ‘Flushing Noise’. If you want to be discreet then you can press a button which plays the sound of flushing water to mask any other deed that might be going on!
Then I’m off in a taxi to the Ryokan. A nice little entrance into a small reception and I am invited to sit to register. An aged assistant is in the background to tend to me. I thought, there is no way she is going to be able to wheel my 20 Kg bag let alone lift it. As my bag was wheeled by the fitter Manager to the elevator he invited me to sit at a table in a small reception area and a welcome drink would be served. Not again, it was Green Tea! And it tasted of Tea this time. I am too polite. Served on a small tray in a china bowl and lid, it was accompanied by a sweet biscuit in the shape of a boat with a sheaf of wheat inside. She waited out of eyesight until I had finished. Duly done I was led upstairs to my room. A small entrance hallway led into the Room and I had to take off my shoes and step up to a landing which had a door for the loo and one for the bathroom and then a sliding door into the main room. The room had a low table with two chairs without legs facing each other. On the table was plentiful supply of Green Tea. One wall was paper framed that was opaque to let through the light. On the floor there was straw matting. This was where I would sleep when the Futon appears.
The old lady slides the door behind me and I settle in. I was thinking, now what? In the cupboard there is a Kimono for my use. Quite fetching, with a green over jacket. Very Shogun.
I switch the TV on and flick through the channels.
As I don’t have a meal in the hotel tonight, that has been saved for tomorrow, I head out into the neighbourhood which is packed with places to eat. I don’t travel that far as the rain is now a deluge. My expensive umbrella didn’t like one of the gusts of wind, so I am at its mercy.
I pass a window which has has some nice looking plates of food. It is usual over here to have artificial plates of food in the window. This window had meat, lots of it, so I commit myself. Inside it turns out to be a Bavarian restaurant with german type music. German beer and a number of dishes that you would see in the middle of Munich, but definitely aimed at the Japanese consumer. I had some beef, which was sliced in bite sized pieces that could be picked up with Chopsticks. I tried to order the Steak with some Chips and a side of Onion rings. The Beef didn’t naturally have Chips, but the Pork above it on the menu did. I tried in vain to ask for Beef with chips. One of the offers was that I had Chicken and Chips instead. Could I have Onion Rings…yes! The Beef arrived and then the onion rings 15 minutes later. I think it was all a bit lost in translation, but they smiled all the way through it and with a few glasses of Dry Asahi beer I was content. I made a long circuit on the way back to the Ryokan to walk off the dinner. The rain was getting heavier and the crowds dispersing.
In my room, the TV which was still on from earlier, as I can’t find the off button, was showing pictures across the country of the bad weather, so maybe it is here to stay.
On my return to the room the table has been moved to one side and the Futon and bedding rolled out onto the straw floor. I’ll let you know how comfortable it is tomorrow.
I have my Kimono on. I think it is causing an issue with my lip synchronisation. Good night!
Dave's Sabbatical 