Japan - Day 4

Food and Cycling

Started the day with breakfast – coffee, bread and jam, water, a banana, noodles, meat on a stick, an octopus omelette, something Korean, and an ice cream. Yep, a pretty odd mix. All enjoyed with a great view of Osaka Castle. Think Japanese castle rather than British.

Then we were off on our cycling adventure. It was about an hour out of Osaka: three trains and 30 minutes of walking, rewarded by lovely, clean mountain air.

We went for the cycling but came back with a much better appreciation of the temple. The e-bikes were fantastic, and we ascended the steep hill climb with ease, not even breaking a sweat. The views were great, as was the relaxed walk around the large temple complex.

Our guide, Jonathan, was very easy to chat with and provided lots of interesting information.

We bought a couple of small darumas – one we left at the temple watching over the fish, and the other is coming home with us.

In the evening, we went on a food tour in Osaka, visiting a very touristy area of the city.

It was a good night out, with a great mix of food in a very busy area of Osaka around Ebisucho Station. The small bites made for an ample dinner, and the drinks were generously sized, with the option to buy more at reasonable prices at restaurants where drinks were not included. It was a great way to explore this part of the city.

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