Organizing, exploring and great food

April 24, 2023

TWe will soon be heading out of Osaka to carry on with our trip. But not before we ride our trikes back to Yoshi’s shop for the last bit of work that he needs to do. When we first arrived, we couldn’t imagine riding with confidence on the busy streets of Osaka, especially with our wide trikes, but now we can’t wait to get out there.

It seemed like the perfect time to go through our panniers and reevaluate what we really need. Since we will stay at the same hotel before we fly home in July, we have the opportunity to leave a bag in their storage room while we are travelling..

After lunch at Zen -Ya, we set out for a walk…first to find an Outdoor Store for some camping items and then to wander wherever we liked.

We ate here our first night in Osaka, and we returned so that Barry could try the sizzling pork dish atop a cheesy egg concoction .

Mary Ellen had a dish with marinated pork in its sauce, soup and these tasty chicken balls

Mary Ellen’s dinner included this delicious pork dish which had been marinated and served with its sauce.

It is fun to walk in a different direction and find some new gems to explore. From interesting shops, to finding good food, to a live musician who entertained us and the excitement of Dotonburi illuminated and vibrant in the dark.

We wondered what this shop is…it turns out it is a pharmacy.

So many masks to choose from. We find that the Japanese masks that we have bought are more comfortable to wear all day. The straps are softer and more stretchy.

It is lovely to see these quaint older restaurants surviving in the midst of modern buildings.

Japan is unique in their choice to have stop signs in an upside down triangle shape.

Walking the side roads are always interesting.

A young man approached us and asked if we wanted our picture taken. We are standing alongside the canal that borders Dotonburi.

The next 3 photos feature the creative 3D oversize characters that decorate the front of their restaurants. It is helpful that this tells you what kind of food they serve.

This quaint backstreet is called Hozenji Yokocho. It is full of small local restaurants.

The contrast between this tucked away, historic lane and the fast paced spectacle of Dotonburi, just a few steps away, is striking.

Some of the restaurants are tiny. We passed a cafe earlier that had room for 2 patrons only.

This restaurant is known for their outstanding okonomiyaki, which is one of Osaka’s most famous dishes.

Hozenji Temple has been a popular temple for pilgrims since the 17th century.

Couldn’t resist taking a photo of this ceramic cat hanging on the wall. The sculpture of the large white cat welcomes you into the Kamigata Ukiyoe Museum and gallery. It has a permanent exhibit of traditional wood block prints.

Plastic food in the front window of restaurants show what is on on offer. These are quite lifelike and very helpful for gaijins like us who are visiting and don’t understand the language. Squid is on the menu!

Dotonburi was originally established as a theatre area. Today, it is a very busy area with many 3D billboards. The Shochikuza is one of Dotonburi’s few remaining theatres-bombing destroyed many of its competition. The theatre features classic kabuki plays, operas, and more more modern works.

Portuguese tarts got their origin from Lord Stow from Manila. Today, they are still considered to be the best version of this tart. We bought some to take back to our room….yum. They thoughtfullyinclude a wee ice pack in the box so that the tarts are at their optimum. They advise you to buy them fresh and eat the same day. We had no trouble doing that!

We tried the Portuguese, chocolate and caramel. We loved all three, but the traditi9nal Portuguese was our favourite.

Our last glimpse of Dotonburi for the day.

For this trip, we both invested in Hoka shoes and we are so happy with them. Comfort in a lightweight package. So of course, we had to visit their store.

No matter where it is, people flock to an Apple Store. (Full disclosure…this journal is being produced on an ipad.)

This area is made up of stores of designer brands. They are all here.

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