Lost in Kyoto

Taxi driver calling for directions

What is the collective noun for a bunch of Santas?

Eggplant with Miso Sauce

A passable Martini

Issey Miyake Zen Rock Garden

Avocado Toast Fest Continues

Breakfast Attire

We started the day with breakfast on our deck overlooking the water. In honor of Lynn actually being allowed to fly home to San Francisco I had Avocado Toast. It wasn't as good as the one in Tokyo at The Edition. I have now learned, not all Avocado Toast are equivalent.

One of place we shopped at (but didn't buy for those who are keeping score) was Issey Miyake small store featuring a new Tartan line the company is promoting. In the back of the small store, was a beautiful Zen rock garden. I really appreciated the simplicity of it. There was a short video presentation in an adjoining building that I found fascinating. It was very small about 20 feet square with no windows and a door that was probably a foot thick. I asked about it and was told it was an old storage facility where I assume either grain or valuables were stored.

To shorten the story, the rest of the day can be decided into two categories. Shopping at many stores (but not always buying) and being stuck in Taxis that with all the navigational aids they possess not being able to find our hotel. The taxis have all kinds of GPS, the drivers in addition have smart phones with amazing navigation maps, all to no avail. They sometimes got close, very close, but didn't find the hotel (by the way this boutique hotel might convey a large building - we are talking 9 rooms). They would wind up calling the hotel and be given verbal directions. We have experienced this all over Japan. It is kind of quaint, to see technology defeated.
Our shopping completed, the weather had in typical Japanese fashion turned colder and occasional rain. We were again amazed of the traction of simply taking an umbrella from the stand and leaving our own behind when we didn't need it. It is like no one in Kyoto owns an umbrella they are just there for the entire community. I love it! 

A martini and wine at the hotel were followed by a change in our dinner plans. We felt we had eaten too many Omakase 10 courses dinners. We cancelled our planned dinner, and ask the hotel to suggest a place were we could order à la carte. She suggested a restaurant favored by locals: Osen.

We ordered a lot of individual courses and probably wound up with as much food as if we had stayed with our original choice. It was nice however to observe the young families with well behaved cute babies eating and socializing.

A short taxi ride home once again allowed us to observe the taxi driver getting lost and having to call the hotel for directions. We always both get hotel cards when we check in and keep them with us, so that we can show them to the taxi driver. Since very few non-tourist related Japanese speak English, giving them a hotel card printed in Japanese eliminates having to explain where we want the driver to take us. They even sometimes have tiny maps to assist the taxi driver. That often doesn't help either. Oh well. I still hate spiders.