Soba and Curry

I ate well while on my little vacation to Matsuyama.  I had zaru soba (at an udon restaurant) in the evening, and Indian curry for lunch the next day. Two delicious, inexpensive meals!

Dogo Onsen

Dogo onsen is one of the oldest and most famous onsens in Japan.  Legend has it that many many years ago an egret injured its leg and soaked it in the hot spring every day until it was healed.  People who watched this also soaked in the hot spring and regained health. 

The onsen building is three stories tall, with the baths on the first level and lounges above. There is one bath room reserved for the exclusive use of the emperor, although the public is able to pay for a tour of that area.  The basic entrance for the bath only is 410 yen. I opted for the 840 yen entrance which included the second floor lounge area, use of a yukata, and a tea and cookie snack after the bath. There are two higher levels of entrance fee - I think they include a different lounge area and maybe a bigger snack.  I also had to buy a little bar of soap for 40 yen.  

Of course, photos are not allowed in the bathing area, but I can tell you it was a very small, crowded indoor bath.  I'm glad I went because of the history, but I probably wouldn't go on a regular basis, unless maybe I was ill and believed in the healing powers of this onsen.

Matsuyama Castle

I took an overnight trip to Ehime Prefecture on my days off last week.  I spent most of the first day visiting Matsuyama Castle and it was fantastic! It sits high on a hill.  You can take a ropeway tram or individual chairs on a chairlift, or you can walk up, like I did.

The first area (I think it was called the third Bailey) had a charming little tea house where you can eat a sweet and drink a cup of the traditional green powder tea.  

This area has a beautiful garden.

Walking up the path to the castle, there were many twists and turns that had to do with the protection of the castle.

The cherry trees were beautiful and there were many little green birds in them.  I tried getting pictures of them, but they are very quick and hard to photograph.

After the climb up, I took a break and had a sakura cone!

There were signs along the way explaining the construction and the strategic reasons for the way things were build.  It was beautiful and interesting. I had a little picnic lunch before entering the castle itself.  All this and I hadn't even gotten to the castle yet!

Inside, it was a museum with swords and armor you could try on and a drum you could beat.  

This castle has replaced Shuri-jo as my favorite. I thoroughly enjoyed my day here and would visit again in a heart beat.  If you are in Matsuyama, you really need to check it out.