14 November 2023
Long waste of a day
Osaka to Kyoto by local train
I could have walked here. Maybe that is a plan for another trip? Anyway, today I set out and succeeded in wasting the whole day getting from Osaka to Kyoto.
First I wandered around Osaka in glorious sunshine, early, before the crowds, and examined the leftover detritus from the night before. There was a lot of vomit, just like at home!
Eventually it was time to check out of my hotel and lug my case up and down some stairs for fear of sharing a lift and board the subway to Osaka station, then the slow local train to Kyoto (I was in no hurry). Most of my visits to Kyoto I have stayed very close to the station, but this time I am very close to the corner of Shijo dori and the road from the station, which meant that since I was lugging my bag I decided to take the subway 2 stops in Kyoto as well. See how boring all that was? Long day doing nothing was long.
Next up, it was of course too early to check in, so I set off north with no plan, stopped for a sandwich in the seating area of a supermarket (fantastic concept), and took a lap of the gravel at the Imperial palace. So that is how you waste a full day.
The morning light in Osaka was great, so one more photo of Dotonbori.
Hours later, and it was time to take a great loop of the gravel path around the imperial palace. So much gravel.
A rather underwhelming pond. I have never been inside the palace walls, you can apply to go in, but you cannot just turn up and go in. I think there is a passport requirement, guided tour only arrangement, which I am sure would result in me being rejected and deported.
A gate.
And a lot more gravel, and a lot of wall.
The grounds are large but not very garden-y, this is probably the nicest bit due to the light.
But now, what you have all been waiting for, my hotel room! Sotetsu Fresa again, as will be the next one in Tokyo. This one is a bit bigger, you can walk down both sides of the bed! A rarity in Japan. Also a strange card table setup, I am sitting there now as I type this. Finding electricity was a challenge.
And of course, the toilet! Look at it. A porcelain marvel. actually it is probably plastic. Probably the largest bathroom of this trip so far. The check in was people not a machine, I have booked a double room but I am only one person, they did not really understand this. I got the whole NO PARTY IN ROOM speech that I sometimes get. So now I am planning a sad party for one, with a diet 7-eleven lemon drink and a cut up orange sealed in plastic.