A Longer Trip to Hokkaido

[drron]

So views from the train. At first you follow the coast of Ishikari bay before heading inland to Sapporo.














It was rather cold but surfers can't resist the call of the waves.


Just outside Sapporo.

 

[drron]

After Sapporo it is an inland route to get to the airport. We are getting off at Chitose station as our last 2 nights were at the Crowne Plaza Chitose. It was very welcome after the Green Annexe. Just a couple more shots from the train. need some heavyweight equipment to cope with the winter snow.




Nice flat land obviously good for agriculture and airports.




And from the taxi to the CP.

 

[drron]

The Crowne Plaza Chitose. Much better stay than I was expecting. Initially booked as a place to just chill out before flying home. As it turned out we really did need a place to just chill out.
The lobby.




They do have a lounge but just for a select group of frequent flyers.


Now the room.






And the views.




So the internal courtyard and second tower.

 

[drron]

We arrived a bit after 1330 fully expecting to wait until 1500 to check in. They let us sign in to the wifi so we knew what room that we had been given as that number was the username for the wifi. We were called back to the checkin about 1415 and given the keys for our room. After unpacking we went down and had a look at the Family Mart convenience store on the ground floor. Didn't have a great range of things we could take back to the room for dinner but some interesting stuff none the less.








We took a couple of bottles of wine and some sake back to the room to help with the chilling out.

We then went for a short stroll to the Aeon mall which was next door. A bit of grazing for afternoon tea.




And a custard bun.




And a new Japanese favourite.

 

[serfty]

...And a new Japanese favourite.

Medium rare?

 

[drron]

We then looked around the mall and checked out the restaurants. none of them really appealed. Some other nice things though at Morimoto's cafe.


By the way this Morimoto is not related by the Iron chef Japanese on the Iron Chef show. We ate at his Tokyo restaurant and also in Philly after he moved to the USA.
Then unusual English names that they like.




And some nice toys.




So for dinner it was the Aeon Supermarket. Some really nice sushi plus an expensive bunch of grapes was our dinner.




Walking back I noticed the restaurant across the road.


A soup curry restaurant. Now I knew Mrsdrron wouldn't go there for the second night's dinner so I decided to have lunch for a change the next day.
Back at the hotel they were preparing to open their sports bar.

 

[Quickstatus]

custard bun.

Love them, did you try?

 

[drron]

Love them, did you try?

We usually have at least 1 every trip. We do like them.

 

[drron]

So we come to our last full day in Hokkaido. About midday I went with mrsdrron to the Aeon Mall so she good do her last ever 100 yen shop in Japan. She was in luck as it was one of the biggest Daiso stores and they had lots of different stuff. After agreeing on a place and time to meet I took off across the street to the Soup curry restaurant. A man hole cover caught my eye just as I reached the restaurant.






I hadn't realised that this was one of the top 3 Soup Curry restaurants in most best of lists. It explained the long queue and a fair wait for a table. They let me look at the English Menu while I waited.










The walls had lots of suggestions in Japanese though.

 

[Lynda2475]

Daiso stores are now quite common in Australia so MrsRon should have no trouble getting cheap Japanese novelties in future without leaving Australia.

 

[drron]

They also sold merchandise with packaged soup curry ingredients.






Finally got a seat. I had pork with 15 veggies and 7 kinds of mushrooms. I had to pick the spice level I wanted. I was a bit hesitant and asked for strength 19. Should have gone at least 40. But note they will do the soup without any spiciness.


From my seat I could see the Crowne Plaza.


Just had to be a Sapporo beer.


And the soup served with a dish of rice and cheese. It really was delicious and a bit sad I hadn't discovered this some years ago.

 

[drron]

Daiso stores are now quite common in Australia so MrsRon should have no trouble getting cheap Japanese novelties in future without leaving Australia.

Not nearly the same range of stuff. Misses a lot of the Japanese kitchen stuff. Plus costs $1.10 in Japan and $3.30 here.

 

[Lynda2475]

FYI I found that the big one in Melbourne CBD over half the store is kitchen stuff; and remember you are saving an expensive airfare so likely the $2 extra becomes moot.

 

[RooFlyer]

FYI I found that the big one in Melbourne CBD over half the store is kitchen stuff; and remember you are saving an expensive airfare so likely the $2 extra becomes moot.

I don't think the drrons fly to Japan and back just to shop for "cheap Japanese novelties"

 

[Quickstatus]

Should have gone at least 40.

Agree. Japanese curry is mild and more on the savoury side. Even 40 would not be hot as in eyewatering rhinorrhea hot

 

[drron]

I then went and picked Mrsdrron and the 2 bags of stuff she had found. We went and had a drink with that Japanese specialty - churros.


Some flowers on the way back to the hotel.




Just a simple dinner that night. Across the street from the soup curry restaurant was Yoshinoya. Simple cheap food. No frills.


Mrsdrron had a beef set and I a pork and chicken with kimchi.

 

[drron]

So to our last ever Japanese hotel buffet breakfast at the Crowne Plaza. Apretty good selection.


















And my first and second plate.

 

[drron]

They have a pizza oven there which is used at lunch and dinner. however you can't go in a nd just eat pizza. They are buffets. Hence why we ate elsewhere.

 

[drron]

Sunday and after breakfast time to pack and get to CTS. No shuttle so we got a cab. There is a sign up at check in that there is a severe shortage of taxi drivers in Chitose and getting a cab might be difficult. however we just walked out the door and their were 2 waiting. We got there very early for our flight at 1300 as neither of us wanted to miss this flight. So we had a bit of a walk around the airport before checking in. The locals could buy Hokkaido produce. And plenty did.




Several convenience stores as well.










And frozen but peeled mandarins.


And apparently going down stairs is dangerous.

 

[drron]

On our wanderings we came upon a first class security entrance. Not very obvious and they didn't want to let us in at first but relented on showing them my BAEC account and proving I was still gold. Go around the corner and a nice little room and no one else going through.




Into the lounge and the rain had started.










But I wasn't expecting to be able to drink wine. It was appreciated though.