Well as expected..... It bloody rained ALL DAY!!! However, we now know the Japanese weather center gets it right and does a better job than the UK!!!!
We were both up early again (damn you jet lag) so we had a leisurely morning whilst deciding what to do. It's definitely an indoor day today. We were planning to go to Uji today .... But most of the things in Uji are outdoors and according to the forecast, the weather is going to be bright, sunny and warm for the rest of the week, so we have jiggled a few things round.
So today is Nishiki Market and checking out the designer shops in Gion.
Nishiki market is about 2km long and is all under cover (see we do know what we are doing). The place is stuffed full of fresh food stalls - Lots of fish, veg and sweet stuff and also a load of craft shops and a lot of wine stalls!! Can we see why we came??? It the. Leads onto the Teramachi Arcade which is more coffee shops and clothes for the young and trendy ..... Hmm - maybe not going to spend too long in there!!!
The best part is that there are loads of samples around. This is good and bad..... good because we (well mainly me - he's not that brave) get to try some different food stuff and bad because the labels are all in Japanese (obviously) and it can go wrong sometimes!!!!
It's impossible to pass a stall and not try anything..... And I had already made up my mind that I was going to do just that!! I'm going to try everything...... I may regret this in the morning!!
First stall.... An amazing array of veg in various colours and in various pickled type state. I think I had daikon - a type of radish but that was the only thing I could recognise. I did have something that was bright blue. It was a bit crunchy and was a little spicy but I will never know what it was.
I then accidently hit the spicy crisp stall. Well - in their defence, the crisps were not spicy, it was the spicy sprinkles they were putting on them. The bright blue something that I had earlier no longer left a lingering taste in my mouth as it was now on fire!!!!!
OK - so that's why there is a green tea stall next door giving out samples..... Grab a freebie there to help cool the flames!!!
Not only is there samples of almost everything, but there are stalls cooking hot food...... So I grabbed a sweet potato, carrot and pumpkin cake (on a stick) ...... Nom nom nom - delicious!!!
I'm now back to hitting the 'buffet tables' of samples and basically trying very thing which Scott stands back and let's me get on with it. He does point to some stuff and gets me to try it 'for him' though I'm not too sure what that means!!!!!
Moving on slowly ..... It was very busy. I think everyone had the same idea of what to do on a rainy day haha!! We then came to 'that' stall..... The one I promised I wouldn't pass this time ..... The octopus on a stick stall!!!
This time Scott is feeling brave and goes for it...... Two octopi on a stick please...... The nice lady (who asked us if we were up for the challenge!!!) told us there was egg in the head. I thought it was a misunderstanding between her English and my Japanese, so I politely nodded and off we went with our food.
One octopus on a stick!!!
Scott wanted to eat his in one of the side alleys just in case it didn't stay in..... First taste and I was a leg biter..... The tentacles did stick to my tounge a little but I can honestly say it was not unpleasant at all.... It didn't taste too bad . I then went for the head - and she was right.... There was a small hard boiled egg in the head. I guess once they scoop out the octopus head innerds ... They need to fill it with something to make it look like a octopus head... Hence the boiled egg!! Gave the head a rather strange taste!!!!
So now I'm needing a rest and maybe a coffee to swill all those samples around.
Pickled cucumber!
Sushi samples
Scott has discovered the joy that is Daiso .... Or the 100yen store. There is one at the end of the road and we have been in there every night since we got here..... He's loving the place and has bought alsorts of crap for the apartment!!! I'm getting a little worried about his addiction..... Especially when he found one in the Teramachi section of the market - and it is much bigger than ours!!! He was desperate to go in to see if they had anything different ...... Well I suppose I have Tokyu Hands, he can have Daiso!!!
Until tomorrow ..... Oyasumi nasai xxx
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