Off to Matsushima

(For Friday 30th September)

We awoke to a grey and drizzly morning today.  After breakfast, we packed our bags and then sat in the foyer of the hotel waiting for a break in the rain.  After a while we decided that we’d better not sit there all day, so we set off during a lighter patch.  The drizzle continued on and off for most of our ride to Matsushima. 

A grey day on the way to Matsushima

Boats in the harbour - with a Pachinko Hall in the background!

A commonly seen Japanese car

(Great for fitting in small spaces)

Except for the rain, the ride was great, taking us through fruit and vegetable growing areas, with views of both the mountains and the sea, but due to the weather conditions, we couldn’t take in the sights as well as we would have otherwise.

We felt very "WEL COME" in Matsushima

The grey sky meant that we weren’t able to take any photos that would have done justice to the great views. 

Convenience stores are everywhere!

Our hotel (the red building)

We arrived too early to check into our hotel, so we wandered around the local ‘Youme’ store and then sat by the water’s edge watching the world go by until 4.00 o’clock.

A purse we found in the Youme store

The hotel is a traditional “tatami mat, sliding doors, futon on the floor” kind of place, quite run down, but with a very friendly and helpful lady manager.  She doesn’t speak of word of English – which is a good thing really because it makes me work a bit harder!  I’m finding that when I have to do it, the Japanese comes out of my mouth without as much trouble as I had thought.

After we checked in, unpacked and relaxed for a while, we went back to Youme to buy a battery for my watch, then bravely wandered into a noodle shop with no English menu, no picture menu, no plastic sample dishes and no English speaking staff.  We still managed to have a fabulous meal and a congenial evening with more Japanese practice for me.

It rained for most of the evening so back at the hotel we watched TV and then went for a soak in the onsen on the fourth floor.  A lovely way to end the day!