Matsumoto

Up early - banana and coffee downstairs where we transfer out of our red slippers for the last time - yay!

I take a quick peak at Fuji on the terrace and we leave ahead of schedule to walk the 2 kms to the station (no buses running at this time of day).

The rain has stopped - thankfully - and it is a lovely walk stopping for quick snaps as we go. Google Map takes us by interesting back streets.

We arrive with plenty of time at the station. But MF-san’s Suica card is jammed (again). Ticket office not open. Fortunately there is a ticket machine to buy a physical ticket but his Wise card doesn’t work. Fortunately (again) we have cash. 

The minutes now are ticking down fast; our relaxed time allocation has now become more frantic. Now I DID have an option of a train 15 mins later IN CASE ANYTHING WENT WRONG but we make it! 

This is the 6:41 train to Ōtsuki which is where the Limited Express train from Tokyo split two days ago on the way here. 

This train is a local one that fills up with commuters and school kids as we progress. Today is Monday. It is an uneventful journey - past mountains wreathed in fog, pretty streams passing under bridges through ravines, copses of bamboo, gingko and persimmon trees growing alongside the track. 

A colourful train on the other platform at one of the stops:

At Ōtsuki we need to change from this private Fujikyu line to the JR line, a short walk. First we ask the ticket attendant to fix MF-san’s Suica card which appears to have not been tapped off properly back in Tokyo (they were able to read this off from MY card). 

We manage to use the ticket machine successfully to collect our pre-booked tickets to Matsumoto. Hooray!

It’s a 5 min. walk to the 7-Eleven where we get food for brekky.  Cute little town - really a hub for elsewhere.

Toilet stop back at the station: warm seats. Lovely! Some toilets have had a water noise as you pee. Some have THE MOST ELABORATE menus with icons and kanji symbols on a control panel beside the loo, nothing of which I can comprehend. I am waiting for one to burst into song when I sit down.

I found this:

We have some confusion trying to work out our spot to stand on the platform as there are different numbers for different services. We have to ask. (Thank goodness we took the early train this morning to allow us to proceed through all these steps on our journey!). Our train is a Limited Express (fast) service. It will take us 2 hours and the sun comes out as we speed NW to Matsumoto.

Ham and cucumber sandwiches today! There is even a wet wipe thoughtfully provided in the bag by 7-Eleven!

At Matsumoto Stn., MF-san got talking to a local woman (our age - she was very pleased to know this!). She has moved to and lives in Tokyo but is still registered here. She has returned today to get her flu vaccine. If she gets it here it is 7000 yen ($A70) but in Tokyo it would be 12000 yen ($A120). They used to be free!

Two (maybe 3 😀) things on the list today. But we drop our bags off first at the hotel.

We are running on time for our pre-booked Matsumoto Castle entry at 1 pm. We have an hour or so to walk to the Matsumoto City Museum of Art so I can pay homage to dear Kusama, the artist whose work I saw at the NGV in Melbourne at Xmas with Sophie and Niah. She was born here and even though the museum is closed today I just wanted to see again her polka dots on the installations in the outside forecourt.

Her works bear the highest price tags of any living female artist today.

We stopped for probably the best coffee in Japan so far at a tiny cafe. Coffee prices are running at $A6.

On arrival at the Castle, we shared our Bento box for lunch that we had bought at Matsumoto Stn. on arrival. Quite yummy and quite an interesting assortment of bits and pieces. But done it once; possibly not again.

Matsumoto Castle is famous for being one of Japan's oldest and most original castles, earning it the nickname "Crow Castle" due to its black exterior. It dates back to the late 16th century.

There are 6 levels!!! Up the steepest narrowest steps imaginable. Definitely an OH&S hazard. We managed. Views were good. 

Just as interesting were the characters running around the gardens entertaining the tourists.

Afterwards we got Google Maps to take us back to the hotel via Nawate-dōri (Frog Street); we enjoy the most delicious icecream here.

Then the Brewery Tap Room - 3rd floor of a building in central Matsumoto. MF-san had a traditional Scotch Ale. I had half - it was really nice (smooth)! The wind has really come up and the temperature has dropped, so we couldn’t sit outside but still nice views.

On the way to the hotel, I popped into a secondhand clothes shop: there was an Issey Miyake jumper at a very affordable price. I didn’t think it suited me, sadly. That’ll probably be the closest I’ll ever get to having an Issey Miyake (famous Japanese designer) piece. 

Check-in is finalised: shoes go into a locker. Think of all those marked hotel carpets in Australia; imagine if you had to leave your shoes at the door - it would certainly save some cleaning costs.

There is an onsen on the 10th floor. Very nice! Quite luxurious. A big step up from the one at Fuji. And because this is a hotel, I have company!

And there is a laundry! Yay! Free!! EXCEPT THAT MF-san doesn’t empty his pockets and guess what? EVERYTHING IS COATED IN WHITE CONFETTI from a tissue. The entire laundry and machine looks like a wedding has taken place.😖

Out to dinner - a stand-at-the-counter soba (buckwheat) noodle place bear the station that had been recommended by the woman we met there this morning. Matsumoto is one of THE places to have this dish and for a non-noodle person like me I have to say they were delicious. We had to choose from a menu on a ticket machine and when the meal was ready our number was called; paid for by Suica card! 

We stood shoulder to shoulder with the locals who all slurped away noisily. I nearly got the giggles. Apparently, the louder the slurping, the greater the appreciation you are showing to the chef.

We visited a supermarket to get a couple of things for brekky. I wanted to go to a bar for a drink but that was never going to happen! 

Halfway there, MF-san discovered he had only one hearing aid. Thinking perhaps it might have come off at the noodle bar, we headed all the way back there. What’s another few thousand steps????

The place was already closed (at 8 pm). We retraced our steps - yet again through the supermarket etc. etc.

Back to the hotel. It was on the floor in the room … grrrr! But at least it was found!!!

And the laundry room has been cleaned.

Walked 15 kms today. Time for bed! (These PJs they provide are very handy - esp. as I didn’t pack any - no room in the bag!!).