Being Allured By Honshu - Day 5

       

Tonkotsu (Creamy Pork Bone Broth) Ramen

        To get one last taste of Kyoto ramen before we left this city, which was once the capital of Japan, Derrick and I woke up early and walked approximately 8 minutes to Kyoto Takahashi Honke Daichi Asahi at Shimogyo-ku for breakfast. I had read from the Internet that this ramen shop opens from 5 a.m. to 2 a.m. and is very popular amongst locals who go there for a hearty breakfast before they proceed to Kyoto Station to commute to work. After a short wait outside the shop, it was our turn to be seated. Service was quick and the ramen in tonkotsu shoyu soup was indeed tasty. Our breakfast came up to 1700 yen.

Queueing patiently outside the ramen shop

Derrick eagerly awaits his ramen

"Can I finish this hearty breakfast at such an early hour?"

        We checked out of Hotel Hokke Club Kyoto and crossed the road to Kyoto Station. I again gave myself a pat on the back for choosing this conveniently-located hotel. Our 10.09 a.m. JR Thunderbird train pulled in and departed punctually. It was a comfortable 2 hours and 10 minutes ride to Kanazawa. 

JR Thunderbird pulls into Platform 0 at Kyoto Station

         Upon arrival at Kanazawa Station, which is one of the world's most beautiful train stations according to the Travel & Leisure Magazine, we went to the JR Ticket Office to purchase our shinkansen tickets to Tokyo for 3 December (13,600 yen). We then got out of the station via the East Gate and walked to the left in search of the Hokutetsu Bus office to re-confirm our bus to Shirakawago on 2 December. After that, we got onto the Kenrokuen Shuttle bus (200 yen) and stopped at the Musashigatsuchi Omi-cho Market bus stop. From there, we had to walk for 5 minutes to reach our accommodation for the next 2 nights. We were staying at the family-run Nakayasu Ryokan,established in 1920.

The welcoming entrance into Nakayasu Ryokan

              Visitors to Kanazawa will definitely head to Kanazawa Castle, Kenrokuen Garden, Omicho Market and Higashichaya District, all of which are within walking distance from Nakayasu Ryokan. The bus stand from which to board a bus to Kanazawa Station is just behind the Ryokan, so you can save on taxi fare. Staff is most polite and helpful. The young receptionist even insisted on helping to carry my heavy suitcase up the steep stairs. Our tatami room was fairly spacious, and there was definitely ample space to move around, unlike what some TripAdvisor reviewers had said. We were fortunate to have an ensuite bathroom, although we also did use the onsen downstairs. The onsen was small but clean and well-maintained, with good toiletries provided.
        It was almost mid-afternoon by the time we were settled in, and our tummies were rumbling. The receptionist pointed us in the direction of the famous Omicho Market, also known as Kanazawa's Kitchen. It has been Kanazawa's largest fresh food market since the Edo period. There were tons of shops and stalls to browse around, but of course, it pales in comparison to Kyoto's Nishiki Market. Our late lunch was at a shop that serves fresh seafood, sushi and oden (assortment of seafood cooked in a soy-flavoured dash broth). The oden appeared to be the Japanese version of lok-lok. Our meal came up to 2630 yen. Whilst wandering around the market, we also bought some bananas (200 yen) and tried the yummy soy milk fried bun (200 yen). 

We had our lunch here : Ippukuya Oden 

Oden, which reminds me of Malaysian lok-lok

Ebiten (shrimp tempura) and boiled eggs (400 yen and 300 yen)

Deep fried oysters (900 yen)

Grilled scallop (650 yen)

Tuna roll (380 yen)

"Let's feast!"

Exploring Omicho Market

These yummy soy milk fried bun were rather like fried mantao

        After filling our tummies, we decided to walk about 500 metres to the Kanazawa Castle Park. It was a lovely autumn afternoon and it sure was delightful to just stroll around, capturing pictures here and there. Before heading back to our ryokan to rest and soak in the onsen, we also  bought some rice crackers to try later (270 yen for 2).

An autumn afternoon at Kanazawa Castle Park (the road in the background leads up to Kanazawa Castle)

The Autumunalis Makino or Winter-flowering Cherry Blossom stands out amongst the autumn foliage

Delighted to view cherry blossoms in autumn

Glorious autumn leaves everywhere...truly a sight to behold!

Some are nearing their end

Autumn sky

Autumn ground

       

Such an inviting public toilet!

Romantic walk by the river in the early autumn evening

        I had made reservations via Facebook to have dinner at Kourin Sushi, located 350m from our ryokan. It is a popular tiny restaurant that serves incredibly fresh and tasty sushi, so reservations are highly necessary. Our 2740 yen dinner was indeed delicious, but we thought that Mokuren back in Ipoh serves sushi that is just as tasty.

Our first proper sushi meal in Honshu

Grilled mackerel sushi (700 yen)

Seafood sushi roll (1000 yen)

Crab sushi (150 yen)

Japanese omelette (390 yen)

The most exquisite green tea ice cream (300 yen)

Kourin Sushi is located at the corner of  street leading to Kanazawa Castle

        After dinner, we had a walk around the grounds of Kanazawa Castle (free admission), which was all lit up for the Night Illumination. Both Kanazawa Castle and Kenrokuen Garden are illuminated on some evenings in every season. It was truly a mystical atmosphere, and we planned to marvel at the Night Illumination of Kenrokuen Garden the following evening.

A little scary to enter but I had my darling with me

Beautifully lit up

Wondrous Night Illumination at Kanazawa Castle

Truly ichiban!

          But for now...it's time to stroll back to our ryokan whilst enjoying the crisp autumn air...to warm ourselves up with hot green tea and munch on rice crackers back in our tatami room...before we call it a day.

Getting comfy in our yukatas

Loving My New Toy

        Besides suffering from osteoarthritis of the knee (the early onset brought on by a previous ligament injury sustained while conquering Mount Kinabalu), I have been plagued by a calcaneal spur on my left heel after completing a run in March. Having to stand a lot at work has aggravated my pains. This has gotten hubby rather concerned as it is now common to see his wife grimacing as she hobbles around.

        He then decided to get OSIM's uPhoria Warm, a 5-in-1 foot and calf massager for me. Priced at RM2388 (now with a discount of RM100), this 20kg wonder machine delivers enhanced calf-gliding with kneading massage, wrap-around squeeze massage, roller reflexology massage, vibration massage and warmth therapy (hence, 5-in-1). There are 8 different 15-minute programmes to choose from, depending on your needs.

OSIM's uPhoria Warm

        I tried the Relax and Sleep programmes last night after unboxing my new toy. The Relax massage programme aims to relax tight muscles and relieve deep-seated aches while the Sleep programme gives gentle massage actions to soothe your legs in preparation for a good night's sleep. The result : I slept like a baby throughout the night and my first few steps out of the bed were just mildly painful.

Side view of uPhoria Warm (I unzipped the fabric covering)

Front view 

Programmes panel

        After coming home from breakfast this morning and doing some chores around the house, I pampered myself with a Senior massage programme for some gentle stimulation and comfort. I plan to go for the Sports Recovery programme after getting home from my gym workout later. That promises to help loosen tense muscles and actively promote circulation to enhance the recovery process for muscles used during sports.

        In addition to the 4 massage programmes mentioned, there are also the High-Heels programme (which targets the calves, ankle, balls and arches of the feet), the Toning programme (which strengthens muscles, improves blood circulation and prevents the build-up of toxins), the Energise programme for some intense massage actions to reinvigorate the legs and the Reflexology programme that targets the key meridian and vital reflex points. I can't wait to try them all!

        Merci beaucoup, mon amour, for this superb birthday present! Hopefully, my pains will be alleviated and I don't have to keep holding you up when we walk.