Osaka

We made a final trip to a shopping mall with Austin after breakfast yesterday and then bought GoGo Curry for lunch. GoGo Curry is almost a competitor with CoCo Ichi Curry although it has a different spice mix and I'm told it's cheaper. I quite enjoyed it.

Then Austin took us back to the station and we boarded the Shinkansen for Osaka. We had a great time with Austin, Kaori and Tatsuki. Sad that it has to come to an end. However, what with a pre-breakfast snack, breakfast, lunch, a pre-dinner snack, dinner, an after dinner sweet and a pre-bed sweet - my trousers are probably glad that I am moving on. 

(For the avoidance of doubt: None of us eats that amount in the normal course of events)

When I booked this hotel I was looking for somewhere nice to celebrate our time in Japan. I booked this place and selected a room with a river view and lounge access. I didn't know what the lounge access meant and wasn't particularly curious. I wanted the river view. I also, accidentally, booked a double bed rather than two singles.

This is what we got:

Our room with a view:

View from the bed

The chaise longue by the window was the length of a single bed, although not quite as wide. Lindsey slept on it last night. We didn't have an extra blanket but we did have towels and it was quite a warm night. Lindsey said it was very comfortable but she was a bit cold as the night went on - until she got something to cover her feet.

We went to investigate what the lounge was that we had access to. It turns out that I had booked us into a room on the Premium level and the lounge is more or less like an airport lounge with comfortable seats and tables, snacks, pastries, tea, coffee and (after 6pm) wine and beer. We had wine with us and really didn't need snacks but it seemed a bit rude not to make use of the facilities since they were available.

Having said that, we did not avail ourselves of the onsen that was also available to us. We felt that Japan is probably not ready for the sight of us lolling about in the water completely naked.

There is a typhoon making its way towards us. I think it's off the coast of Okinawa at the moment. The forecast for Osaka for today is for heavy rain. It has been raining this morning although I don't think it is at the moment. We don't have ambitious plans for today. Checkout is at 11 then we will go and explore around the station area where there is a Donki and I assume somewhere for lunch. We don't need to be at the airport until 18:45, when checkin opens but I think we'll probably get there a bit earlier and find somewhere to have something to eat before boarding.

Always supposing, of course, that the typhoon doesn't get here earlier than expected and disrupt our travel plans.

It would be financially reckless, wouldn't it - to sell my flat and to buy a small freestanding house so I could replace the roof with blue ceramic Japanese roof tiles. Yes. I thought so. Pity. I do like the blue ceramic roof tiles