Matsumoto-eki

Thankfully, our hotel was only a few blocks from the train station, so after checking in and dropping our luggage at the hotel, we left in search of lunch. As per Noah's request, Macca's was our first stop because one had to investigate the difference, you know, for science. Monkey reviewed the Samurai burger and a mystery Hot Pocket; we are still unsure about the ingredients, but that was mainly the point. Stella played it safe with some fries, however hot off a veritable feast of ramen the night before, the parents had noodles on their, well, noodle. Thankfully, what we needed was just across the road. Deliciousness abounded, including various new unknowns such as a Japanese potato salad and coffee jelly. Stella had fallen in love with tempura and Noah miso soup, so this was obviously added on. Paulie is still trying to find okonomiyaki, a savoury pancake that is simply to die for. We'll just have to keep eating at new places to determine if this is indeed true. 'Tis a thankless task...

With full tummies, we wandered up to the Matsumoto Castle, stopping off at random shops along the way. Squabbling hit an all-time high between the siblings, with Mum and Dad rethinking their life choices (or whether the castle still had a functioning dungeon).Read more