A Japanese Christmas and a Thai New year.

[drron]

Sunset was coming fast,










We came to the food stalls. I had some t\akoyaki.




Got held up by a train again.


And came to a taiyaki place. No red been for me.


I had a cheese one. Quite tasty.

 

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So back to the train station.


And soon back at the Hotel. The family went to a fire ramen place that only had 20 seats. It was a 15 minute walk and probably a wait outside. It turned out to be 20 minutes. It was freezing so we decided to go to a yakitori place just over the road. Advertised as being open from 5 to 11pm. We were there at 5.20pm and it was closed. So we went to an Izakaya just over the road from it.




I had checked the menu outside and it was OK but you ordered on a machine which of course had an English menu.
We shared some chicken Gyoza which were OK , some fried chicken which wasn't the greatest and I had a spicy pork belly ramen which was indeed spicy.

 

[drron]

Different Japanese pickles at breakfast the next day.


And my first plate. I loved their cold selections.


After breakfast I walked around the Hotel garden which is on 2 sides of the hotel. Not large but i liked it. First bamboo.


Then the water feature with a series of waterfalls.

 

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And the houses over the street from the hotel.




Including a little post office.

 

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We then caught the 1040 shuttle to Kyoto station. We were at the shuttle early as quite a few prople checking out use this shuttle. It was completely full.. I then took Mrsdrron to Isetan. A delightful outfit for a child.




After looking at the restaurants on the top floor I left her to her shopping and first visited the basement food section. I love this with Japanese Department stores.
















About $A300 per kilo!

 

[love_the_life]

A friend and I spent almost a day in Isetan, She loves shopping (or looking) so she was in 7th heaven.

 

[drron]

Then I was off to the railway Museum. I would recommend this for anyone who likes their trains.
An interesting building beside the museum.




Again something that didn't happen pre covid. I was walking to the museum when 2 families with young children ran past us to get in first. The last of them cut in front of us as we were about to enter. And it was all for nought as you bought your tickets at a machhine and their were 6 ticket machines. Us 2 old fellows got into the museum before them.
so to the museum.

That shinkansen on the right is the original that ran the first service in 1964.




Unfortunately a dirty window.

 

[drron]

And inside the Pullman carriage.

 

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And lines into the museum.

 

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Then models of older engines. A full size working model of James watt's first engine.

 

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And you can walk under some of the engines.

 

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And simulators for the kids of all sizes.




A working level crossing.

 

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Then a boy's dream. What a model railway.

 

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And the control panel.


It was time for lunch. But what an appropriate view.

 

[drron]

And my lunch. Miso ramen with pork and an egg.


And I slurped with the best of them. the fellow next to me gave me the thumbs up.

 

[drron]

Needed a visit after lunch. The public loos are so clean. This one had a nifty infant chair. A lot of dads were there with their very young sons.


The turntable and roundhouse.














This one had the Emperor's symbol on the front.

 

[drron]

There were so many steam locomotives. this is just a selection.















Now I set off walking back to Kyoto station to get the shuttle back to the hotel.