Day 17 Out and about in Kanazawa

 It was raining when we looked out this morning so we had a more leisurely breakfast, sent the luggage on to Matsumoto and headed out for a walking day around Kanazawa, the rain had stopped but it was chilly so we were well wrapped up.

Our first stop was a few hundred metres away at an old Samurai House, of the Edo era, which has been restored

With a beautiful garden

The sun was now shining, so we made a detour via the hotel to swap hats for sunhats!

We then walked through the castle park

Cherry blossom and blue sky to the right

Thick cloud and snow capped mountains to the left

Onto the castle, dating from 1580, it was undergoing some restoration at the front but we managed to get some good photos of the inside and from the back

The crowds here are definitely smaller 

We then stopped for lunch, very tasty but much more expensive as too close to the action!

Afterwards we walked through Kenrokuen Garden

and watched some of the army of gardeners that it takes to make it look so good. Trimming the trees with bonsai clippers and weeding the moss with tweezers! All very precise.

Past more beautiful cherry blossom

to Omicho Market.

Frozen fish from a vending machine!

Or fresh from the many stalls

Found an ice cream shop just outside the market and sat on the little stool provided to eat our walnut, miso and caramel flavoured cone in the sunshine.

We then walked over the River Asanogawaon 

to Higashi Chaya District, a neighbourhood of preserved Geisha houses, mostly now shops and tea houses, it's very difficult to see what's in each but we wandered into a few which were artisanal craft shops full of exquisite and expensive items

then back to the hotel for a rest before dinner.

We decided to go back to Hana's where we'd had a lovely meal yesterday evening and we weren't disappointed. Another lovely meal, this time sitting on the tatami mats at low tables, ok for an experience, not sure that we'd like to eat all our meals that way!

After dinner we wandered back through the castle grounds and park as all the castle and the cherry trees are lit up at the moment, beautiful

Lots of people were out doing the same thing

and the stalls were doing a roaring trade

back to the hotel for a well earned cuppa.