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| We made it up 753 steps |
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| Will Win be allowed in the bath? |
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| Ume (plum) blossoms |
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| Ritsurin Koen |
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| Steps up to Kotohira cho |
19 February 2012
We arrived during a snow squall at the city of Takamatsu, and not having our bearings, took a cab to the Ryokan (Japanese guest house) New Grand Mimatsu. It did not seem either new or grand, but the room was large, clean, and warm. So we made some tea and settled in with our Japanese TV until dinner time. In spite of the inauspicious beginning, dinner turned out to be a wonderful seafood feast, in a tatami room all to ourselves. When we got back to our room, the futons were laid out and the table pushed aside, so we called it a night. Truthfully, as lovely as ryokans can be, and as much as we desire to adapt to our new country, it is hard on us Westerners of a certain age to get used to sitting, sleeping and eating on the floor. The pillows were like medium sized bean bags...
In the morning the sun was shining though the day was cold. We had a not-very-tasty Japanese buffet breakfast, and then managed, with a little Japanese, to find out how to get to Kotohira cho on the train (about an hour inland). Not much English spoken in Takamatsu...and little or no English tourist information. I should mention that the island of Shikoku is famous for having 88 shrines and temples, and people come here to make a pilgrimage to all of them. Kotohira cho is the most famous. It is the called the Mariners' Shrine, and is the home of the god of marine safety. Sensibly, this god lives well inland, and high on a hill. There are said to be 753 stone steps leading up to the main shrine. You can borrow a bamboo stick from a merchant and upon returning it buy something from his or her shop. We did not find the steps as arduous as some we have encountered, and there were interesting sights along the way. Horses and elephants seemed to have a place there, in addition to some marine paraphernalia and pictures, and one odd boat, a solar powered, one-man, covered canoe-like thing, sponsored by a beer company. The boat had been through hard times, and looked bashed-in on the foredeck. We paid our respects, made wishes for safety for all seafarers, including ourselves, and bought a wooden charm to install on North Star. We had udon soup for lunch, as the island is famous throughout Japan for its udon noodles.
On the way back we stopped at the Ritsurin Koen Garden, built by various feudal lords over about 100 years, being completed in 1745. When we arrived, a guide took us under her wing immediately and brought us to a grove of plum trees that were just beginning to bloom. The buds provide the color as there are no leaves yet, and the colors vary from white to a beautiful red (see above photo). Several others were there observing the coming plum blossoms, and having tea. We were treated to a cup of matcha and sweeta. Then we strolled around the rest of the garden, famous for ancient pine trees, ponds, hills, and a different view at each turn ("One step, one scenery"). We also visited the Folk Art Museum on the grounds which was quite fun.
Back at Grand Mimatsu, Win put on his yukata and went to the hot bath, which he found very pleasant. We then had another sumptuous feast, with fish and a large sukiyaki, again in our own dining space. In the morning we checked out and decided to walk to the "Jumbo Ferry" dock, which Win thought was quite close, but which was quite far. We had plenty of time luckily so there was no problem. We took the Jumbo Ferry to Kobe (4hrs) affording us great views of the Inland Sea (where unfortunately heavy industry creates a certain haze in the air). It was very relaxing and then we took the train from Kobe to Kyoto (less than an hour), but no sight seeing in Kobe.
Much love
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