maxing out my rail pass

yes, i really maxed out my rail pass and today, i decided to head to japan's 4th largest city 2 hrs away from tokyo call nagoya. I'd passed nagoya twice on this trip, on first day to Kyoto and on my return from Hiroshima and the city looks nice. True enough, the moment i stepped out into the main rail station, Takashimaya is housed in the same building! How great?!

Ok, I did not just take a blardy 2 hr trip there to max out rail pass and to visit Takashimaya, but rather, Nagoya also has a famed castle. I was actually deciding last night if I should visit Nagoya or Nagano, site of 1998 Winter Olympic and where the Olympic torch will be having its relay this coming Sat. But since Nagano only is famous for a temple, and I just went to Toshugu in Nikko yesterday and Kyoto's many temples at the trip's beginning, I decided that castle it shall be (since I had only seen 2 castle so far, at Osaka and Himeji).

(the 2 tall towers is where the JR train station and Taka is at!)

I took the 11.33 train and got there at 1.30, then took the 5.22 train back. There, I visited, whatelse, Nagoya castle, and also shopped at Taka. This castle is one of the few in Japan that is in its original structure (like Himeji, but unlike Himeji, and same as Osaka, the interior has been re-done), and the unique part of this castle is the way it is built; the stones forming foundation are laid in fanshaped sloping with curvature.

Also, the gardens surrounding the castle has many peonies and flowers, and a sign that spring is indeed here in Japan, just look at the gorgeous blooms!

The castle is pretty but Taka is prettier! haha...I finally re-found the prawn crackers! I dunno if i had mention this but on my first Japanese trip in 2003, I chanced upon this brand of ultra posh prawn crackers where it's individually packed in nice copper foil (circular with diameter roughly 7cm) and it costs 100 yen each! I saw it at Osaka again on this trip after failing to see it in Kyoto, and i bought just 1 to confirm it is indeed the one i had years ago. The next day, i failed to locate the place in the complcated basement of Osaka station!

So imagine my excitement when i see it at Taka @ Nagoya! I was snapping up so many of these lovelies that before I knew it, the bill came to 6000yen! That's 84 bucks for just prawn crackers!! I also had lunch at this chicken speciality restaurent and I opted for the cheapest thing, the 800 yen Oyako Don (same price as Oyako don i had at Kinosaki but the old lady; so Japan do have high standards of living throughout the country)

Before I left Nagoya, I had some time after all the shopping and lunch and I decided to try desserts! I chanced on this place that sells Soft Ice Cream and since I had seen it all over Japan, and Rachel told me to give it a try cos all are good, I decided to try this Green Tea favoured one and boy it is delicious! So soft and creamy yet smooth! Yummy! Then I went for tea and decided to sit on the deck to enjoy the view of Nagoya.

Then, I came back to Tokyo and just as I was about to swith to the Yamonote line back to my hotel to pack, and rest, I remembered that Dawn told me that the basement at Tokyo Station is a great place, and so, I ventured down and gosh! It is food paradise there man! I bought dinner (Oyako Dona again, but this time, I opted for the 1,200 premium chicken meat one...haha)

and also 2 bottles of plum wine and the weight of crackers, cheesecakes, magdalines and wine became so freaking heavy that I really needed to come back to the hotel! Look at the marks the stuff left on my arms!

Also, I want to share with you this beer (out of the many I tried here) that I think is not bad. I think I'm lucky cos the main breweries of Asahi, Sapporo and Kirin have all come out with new 0 sugar level low calorie beer recently and I tried Sapporo's Viva (very light and refreshing), Kirin's Green (not bad) and this from Asahi whish along with Viva, is my favourite!