Kanazawa - June 16-18

This time the train ride was on the odd looking Thunderbird train, but just as efficient and on time. This ride was along a large lake and then the coast, so lovely and scenic much of the way. We stayed at the UAN hotel in Kanazawa, a somewhat austere hotel that was convenient for restaurants and places to visit.

We had a great local guide in Kanazawa named Ai, who had the distinction of being over a foot shorter than Mike and I, but did not let it bother her a bit! Ai showed us the amazing Kanazawa Castle, which has been reconstructed since being destroyed by fire in the 1800s, the adjacent Kenrokuen Gardens, the Geisha Districts and the Omicho Fish Market.

For some reason after the tour and before dinner, Mike and I decided to find a dive bar for a beer before dinner. The next three photos show where we ended up. We had fun even if we did not really fit in.

Then for dinner we decided to try an Izakaya about a mile's walk from the hotel, named Itaru Honten. What a great place! Loud, steamy, always full and the kitchen/bar area was run by a very tough looking guy who Mike and I were convinced was Yakuza. He barked orders in Japanese all evening and never looked at us. Then when we got up to leave, he called out in perfect english to ask if we liked the food!

Kanazawa was one of our favorite stops!