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Hikone-Small-City-Near-Kyoto-Japan
Hikone-Small-City-Near-Kyoto-Japan

Hikone Small City Near Kyoto Japan

A city between Tokyo & Kyoto

Hikone Small City Near Kyoto Japan

Hikone Small City Near Kyoto Japan

Hikone Small City Near Kyoto Japan sits by the shore of Lake Biwa the largest lake in Japan. In previous blogs I have been a little harsh when writing about Hikone, however the Castle was interesting & I dined at two very good restaurants. Above is Castle Road which as you can guess leads to the famous Castle.

Hikone Small City Near Kyoto Japan

Hikone Small City Near Kyoto JapanApparently the buildings along Castle road have been designed like town houses from the Edo Period with white walls.

It was a long walk to Starbucks

Hikone Small City Near Kyoto Japan Always worth the effort though. 🙂

My hotel to Starbucks

Hikone Small City Near Kyoto Japan I’m sure it took me longer than 31 minutes. 🙂 Hotel Sunroute Hikone is also only 4 minutes walk from the station, you can get a room for around $30 AUD if you book through THIS LINK.

I stopped for an ice cream on the way back to my hotel.

Hikone Small City Near Kyoto Japan I tend to walk as much as possible to help my fitness, plus you see more of the local environment. Most days I was walking more than 10,000 steps.

Cute coffee shop

Hikone Small City Near Kyoto Japan Also there are lots more photo opportunities when you walk.

A monster supermarket

Hikone Small City Near Kyoto Japan By far the biggest I have ever seen anywhere in the world.

The famous Castle

Hikone Small City Near Kyoto JapanFive castles in Japan are national treasures, this is one of them. Hikone Castle’s three storied castle keep is relatively small but displays a unique design that combines multiple different architecture styles. This is one reason why the castle keep has been designated a national treasure, the highest designation for cultural properties in Japan, held by only four other castle keeps, namely HimejijoMatsumotojoInuyamajo and Matsuejo. 

The other four.

Hikone Castle Japanese National Treasure Hikone Castle is a 15 minute walk along the straight main road from Hikone Station.

Entry to the castle

Hikone Small City Near Kyoto JapanAfter climbing about 800 steps the end is near. 🙂

The climb is worth it.

Hikone Small City Near Kyoto Japan I have seen so many castles in Japan yet the attraction is still there for me.

The city from the castle.

Hikone Small City Near Kyoto Japan As you can see it’s a very small city.

Spare a thought for this guy

Hikone Small City Near Kyoto Japan He is delivery goods to the shop, a long hard climb.

Take a boat ride on the moat.

Hikone Small City Near Kyoto Japan Everywhere you go in Japan there is a photo opportunity.

Apprenti restaurant

Hikone Small City Near Kyoto Japan Very good food & delightful owners.

Duck Confit for dinner

Hikone Small City Near Kyoto Japan Very French, here is the recipe. Pour the melted fat over the duck (the duck pieces should be covered by fat) and place the confit in the oven. Cook the confit slowly at a very slow simmer — just an occasional bubble — until the duck is tender and can be easily pulled from the bone, 2-3 hours. Remove the confit from the oven.

Followed by desert of course.

Hikone Small City Near Kyoto Japan I ate here two nights in a row. 🙂

Here I am with the owners of Apprenti restaurant.

Hikone Small City Near Kyoto Japan Masanori & his wife Hiromi are 2 delightful people who provide excellent French food & wine in their small French restaurant.

Uomaru

Hikone Small City Near Kyoto Japan So many restaurants as such little time.

Busy chef at Omaru

Hikone Small City Near Kyoto Japan Always great to watch the chef in action.

Avocado

Hikone Small City Near Kyoto Japan I’m always looking for this on the menu. 🙂

Thanks for visiting my Hikone Small City Near Kyoto Japan photo blog.

A-One hotel on Beach Road

Seven deadly Songkran days

For a great room rate at the A-One hotel opposite the beach just book through THIS LINK.               

 

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 That’s all folks

1g Duck

 

 

Author: David Herd

My history, particularly over the last 30 years is dominated by overseas travel. I sold my home in Australia October 20th 2011 and have have been living in Thailand since then. I don’t know where the time has gone? It seems like you go to sleep one night, wake up the next morning, and 20 years have flashed by. Not sure how many years I have left, however I have enjoyed a wonderful charmed life, and if it all ended today I would leave this world with no regrets. I was born in Sydney halfway through the last century, started my travels in the 60s with the usual U.K. Europe adventure at the age of 20, back to Australia and worked in Sydney, Melbourne & Adelaide in Sales & Marketing with multinational companies including Sanyo, Canon & Remington. Engaged to be married 3 times and never quite made it to the alter, finally realized by the mid 90s I was not cut out for "long term relationships" so I moved to the Gold Coast in Queensland in January 1987, worked for a couple of banks as a Financial Planner, I took a year off work in 1998 to travel and never went back to full time work again, after 25 fun filled years on the Coast I packed up and moved to Thailand. What is the purpose of this blog? Well I really want to use it to record my travel experiences & to display my photographs, give and receive travel tips, comment on places I visit, restaurants I eat in and use it to replace the autobiography I intended to write, apart from all that it helps me fill in my day. :) I moved to Thailand mainly because I wanted to keep travelling while my health allowed me to, there are huge advantages being closer to all the places I want to visit. Cost of living in Thailand is around 35% of the cost in Australia, plus flights are 50% cheaper because you are much closer to everywhere. ???? Consequently I am able to travel to many more places compared to living in Australia. Having said all that, it is & has always been my intention to return to Australia when my travelling is finished, I predict this will happen around 2021.

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