Weather: sunny 21°C, high 27°C
Accommodation: woke up at Hotel Pacific Kanazawa; went to bed at Kobe Portopia Hotel.
Trains: Kanazawa 10:56 –> Shin-Osaka 13:32 (Thunderbird 18)
Shin-Osaka 13:59 –> Shin-Kobe 14:12 (Sakura 559)
The next morning we got coffee from the hotel café so we could sip it while we packed.
We were rather sad to leave the Hotel Pacific and Kanazawa. The hotel had been so comfortable, and Kanazawa was a fantastic town. There was so much we never got a chance to explore. There were all sorts of interesting sounding museums, and the streets looked great to wander with all sorts of interesting public art, new architecture as well as historical districts. I even love the design of the train station. We loved Kanazawa so much that we walked with our bags to the train station (and it was easier than getting them onto a crowded bus).
When we got to the station we made train reservations, then found some breakfast at a bread café. We caught the 10:56 Thunderbird 18, and Eskil was given a special Thunderbird train card by the conductor. The countryside was, of course, stunningly beautiful.
We changed trains in Osaka and got the Sakura to Shin-Kobe. With a small amount of kerfuffle we found the bus to our hotel. Not many people got on at the Shin-Kobe station, but many got on at Sannomiya train station. Aisle seats were even folded down! Despite lots of people arriving at once, we were checked in at the hotel quickly. Scott was carrying a sleeping Eskil, but hotel staff helped us with our bags. Unfortunately Eskil woke up when we got to our room.
This hotel, the Kobe Portopia Hotel, was a big change from our last one. Our last one was a small, ‘boutique’ hotel in the middle of a lively neighbourhood with a food market, but this one was a gigantic 5-star hotel on an island in Osaka Bay.
We’d actually chosen this hotel 1) as we were trying to get lots of variety in the places we were staying but also 2) because it advertised that it has a pool. Unfortunately despite weather in the 30s, in Japan they open / close pools by what the calendar tells them. So the pool was open in June, July and August – and we were out of luck. This did annoy me as not only was it hot, but we thought Eskil would really love a play in a pool. We could see the pool (and IKEA) from our room – how mean!!!
The hotel has a lot of restaurants, etc – but the neighbourhood doesn’t have much at all except IKEA and office buildings. And we love IKEA. Eskil could visit friends ‘from home’.
Eskil could also have a lovely play with other children.
We had köttbullar for dinner; Eskil was very keen on the mashed potato.
We needed beer, so Scott watched Eskil while I ventured to Lawson’s. I was successful, however I’m becoming a kombini / convenience store snob and much prefer 7-11.
More photos can be viewed at https://www.flickr.com/photos/cragg-ohlsson/archives/date-taken/2015/09/27/.