We woke up on our last day in Kyoto and looked for breakfast. Dennis and Anje were looking for a more traditional Japanese breakfast, and we were looking for a bakery and a coffee shop. We had never found a place that did both in Japan, so we started with a coffee shop. We stumbled upon something we saw a few other times in Japan, but only did it once. A coffee shop where you can smoke. No espresso drinks or anything like that, just a strong cup of coffee and an ashtray. There were only two other customers, and they seemed like Japanese people on their way to work, clearly having a cigarette and a cup of joe before the day started. A piano was in the back, and a few bottles of booze were on the counter. We felt like we stepped back in time. It was a good, strong cup of coffee with a side of real cream!
We all met up and made our way to Nijō Castle, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. On our way to the castle, we walked along a canal where school kids were exercising, only to later find out it was the outer moat to the castle (Sotobori). This castle was built in 1603. The highlight is the Ninomaru Palace, known for its ornate sliding doors, gold leaf artwork, and unique “nightingale floors” that chirp underfoot to guard against intruders. Every step you take makes a slight creaking sound, and though an interesting engineering feat, I think I would lose my mind with all of the noise.
Beautiful gardens surround the buildings, but we moved through them quickly. We were leaving town that afternoon and had more to see. There was a special exhibition by Anselm Kiefer titled Solaris that I would have liked to attend, but it was an extra fee, and we were running low on time, so we skipped it. Kiefer is a German artist, but the exhibit’s description of “thirty new works by Kiefer—on themes of creation, destruction, and rebirth—are in residence at this 16th-century castle in Kyoto, just in time for the cherry blossoms,” made it seem interesting.
We decided to have lunch at the Nishiki Market. The Nishiki Market is a lively, narrow shopping street with prepared food and groceries. It is certainly popular with tourists, but I wouldn’t call it a trap. There are Japanese people in it. I enjoyed it, but the throngs of people make it a bit overwhelming. I had a small squid on a skewer, Wagyu beef sushi (cooked), Kobe beef on a skewer, Eel tempura, a deep-fried shrimp, and a potato and beef croquette. Everything was very good, but the croquette ran a bit sweet.
After lunch, we said goodbye to Kyoto and made our way to the small town of Tanabe. I purchased the tickets for our entire group on the JR-West line, and I was a little nervous about our transfer. It was less than 15 minutes, and the train stations in Tokyo had been overwhelming so far. Funny enough, 15 minutes was more than enough, and we found ourselves waiting on the platform for almost 10 minutes. When it comes to schedules, trust the Japanese. They never miss! The most extended leg on this journey was not a Shinkansen, so we all just settled for our 3-hour (115-mile) journey down the Kii peninsula to the small town of Tanabe.
Tanabe is the kick-off point for our hike the following day. We booked a place called Tsukasa House, and the guy who runs it was invaluable. Here is a great FAQ that he made. The accommodations are pretty straightforward, but it’s a clean place to get a night’s sleep before you start a hike. We had dinner at a cute Izakaya called Tokkur. It requires you to take off your shoes to crawl into the boot and sit on the floor. It’s the only time I did this in Japan. Anje had been studying Japanese before arriving, and she handled the ordering for all of us.
It was interesting to be in a small town. It was local election season, and politicians walked around waving and bowing to the public. A guy outside the restaurant joked about the “US not doing so well.” I wholeheartedly agreed with him, and we both said “Trump” thumbs down.
Breaks from cities are essential to me while traveling, and it was a nice reprieve to be in a small town’s slow pace.