Day 8 - Hakone: High Altitude Art
Woke in our B & B room to the sound of trickling water from the outside koi carp pond. Kerry not enjoying the hot spa water smell from the bathroom and has to hold her breath in case she gags. Breakfast was hideously expensive and the dining room was like what I imagined Glen Eagles would look like. Still no hunting trophies here either. At least they had cornflakes at about £4.50!
Bought a 3 day travel pass then went up the mountain to the Hakone Open Air museum. Amazing sculptures against magnificent mountainous views. We stopped and soaked our tired tootsies in the hot spa for a great foot soak with views of the stained glass windowed tower. Foot towels supplied at 100 yen (50p). Picasso had a separate hall dedicated to his art though his pottery was a bit crap really. After the art we went further up on the train with only the cable car to go. Unfortunately, Kerry’s nerves gave in – poor lass so we headed down to Gora Park for a small but pretty garden and craft workshop where you could blow your own glass and sandblast pottery. There seemed to be a TV programme being filmed.
Back to the hotel for a skanky swim and discovered more evidence that the hotel should have been used as location for The Shining with dark corridors and strange windows of advertising which must have been 20 years old. After the expensive breakfast our budget was after something a little more modest. The local Italian place was full with a private party so had to have the hotel’s grill. Again, more over priced nosh! Waiter asked if we would like more bread then charged us £3 for it – cheeky b@stards! Place emptied at 9pm so we looked for the games room to discover it never existed but found the hotel shop with old ladies clothes and a corridor of old photos and signatures of previous guests. These included the Japanese emperor in the 60’s, Swedish royalty, Pakistan’s PM, John Lennon & Yoko, Margaret Thatcher, Neil Armstrong, Charlie Chaplin, Albert Einstein and alot of blokes with very long moustaches! Bet none of them stayed in our room though!
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Bought a 3 day travel pass then went up the mountain to the Hakone Open Air museum. Amazing sculptures against magnificent mountainous views. We stopped and soaked our tired tootsies in the hot spa for a great foot soak with views of the stained glass windowed tower. Foot towels supplied at 100 yen (50p). Picasso had a separate hall dedicated to his art though his pottery was a bit crap really. After the art we went further up on the train with only the cable car to go. Unfortunately, Kerry’s nerves gave in – poor lass so we headed down to Gora Park for a small but pretty garden and craft workshop where you could blow your own glass and sandblast pottery. There seemed to be a TV programme being filmed.
Back to the hotel for a skanky swim and discovered more evidence that the hotel should have been used as location for The Shining with dark corridors and strange windows of advertising which must have been 20 years old. After the expensive breakfast our budget was after something a little more modest. The local Italian place was full with a private party so had to have the hotel’s grill. Again, more over priced nosh! Waiter asked if we would like more bread then charged us £3 for it – cheeky b@stards! Place emptied at 9pm so we looked for the games room to discover it never existed but found the hotel shop with old ladies clothes and a corridor of old photos and signatures of previous guests. These included the Japanese emperor in the 60’s, Swedish royalty, Pakistan’s PM, John Lennon & Yoko, Margaret Thatcher, Neil Armstrong, Charlie Chaplin, Albert Einstein and alot of blokes with very long moustaches! Bet none of them stayed in our room though!
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