Walking Course #1: Lunch Time!

 Here is another spot to stop and look around. You can see the river from here and if you are tired and need a break there are places to sit! You can't see her, but behind this wall there is a woman who is sitting on the steps to the entrance of this bell tower. If she could I think she would tell you that this is a decent place to rest.

 Or you could do what I did and find your own personal oasis. I walked under this tree and immediately I felt a change in temperature! I decided to stand under this tree and consult my guidebook (Buratto Osanpo Ko-su) to see where I should eat. I then realized that I had passed it!!!

 When I passed by this entrance there was nobody on the pathway and if I hadn't mentioned it before, I can't read Kanji characters.

 All I really saw was this sign and an empty pathway that looked like an entrance to someone's house! I didn't want to just wander into their house, but then I realized this sign had restaurant hours listed on it (yeah, okay so I read a smidge of Kanji, but it didn't help me when I first walked right past it!)

 It turns out this is one of two famous eel restaurants in the area. (The other one is right in front of Atsuta Shrine). There was about a 20 minute wait and then supposedly another 20 minutes to wait for your food. (1. I arrived here about 12:30pm on a Friday 2. I came alone...that's right I said alone 3. It's about a 5-7 minute walk from Atsuta Shrine) The other restaurant would probably have been busier since it was much closer to the shrine. I think I got in at a good time, because after I sat down in the waiting area the place filled up!

These are some photos of the garden, but in the next post I will show you the amazing grilled eel I got to eat! It was sooooooooooo delicious that I would like to go back just for that......and the garden that I missed.

This restaurant is called Atsuta-Horaiken, but remember it is not right next to the Shrine. You have to go to the main (BIG) intersection and cross diagonal over the bridge from Atsuta Shrine. Then you walk against traffic until you smell food and see a white wall that goes around the corner. Follow the wall until you see the entrance! (Or use the guidebook that I did for better directions....(-_-;))