NAGOYA TO KYOTO

We arrived at Nagoya Station where the Shinkansen pretty much dropped us off at the entrance to our hotel, the Marriott Associa.  We learned that all castles, shrines, museums, etc., in Kyoto (and all of Japan) are closed on Mondays. 

The lobby is already decorated for Christmas.  I joined some ladies in kimono for a photo.  It's a large hotel with 52 floors.  Most Marriotts around the world now have M Clubs, where they do serve some basic food stuffs, but charge for alcoholic beverages.  However, the staffer checking us in mentioned that drinks are generally available all the time in their Concierge Lounge. 

I fantasize a lot, as for example this blog site, but sometimes my dreams are too large:  Blue Revolution, SETI, Laser Fusion.  Every so often my imagination is not creative enough.  I never imagined a hotel executive club could be so generous and fulfilling.  The Concierge Club at the Marriott here is the best there is in the world, better than the Club Lounge at the Ritz Carleton Tokyo or the Sheraton Tower Saigon or the Beijing St. Regis.  Kind of reminded me of the Lufthansa First Class Lounge in Frankfurt, where there is a wall of champagne of your choice, a dozen kinds of nuts, a kitchen to serve you German dishes and more.  Then they drive you in a Mercedes sedan to the plane.

First, when I walked into this Concierge Club, we were virtually alone, so we had a pick of a view table.  Walked up to the bar, and you could serve yourself:  a wide variety of liquors, with more fruit exotics than I've ever seen, plus a refrigerator of numerous types of beers, sakes and shochus.

What concerned me was that this was about the 6th time I had stayed here's, but I'd swear I'd never before seen this incredible room.  So I asked, and it turns out their Club was on a higher floor once and only earlier this year moved to this dazzling room.

Originally, only popcorn, cookies and exotic-flavored meringues, but with time came the afternoon tea set, then the appetizers...finally dinner items.

Went back to the room for a couple of hours and returned for the next servings:

A Japanese whiskey was added to the Ballantine scotch, and at night the place was filled.

That was not it, for one of the attendants advised us to return for the Japanese breakfast set.  We did, and, as enhancements we had Nagoya red wine and sake:

Best traditional Japanese breakfast ever for me. And that was not all, for the honey you use was collected from a beehive:

Have you ever experienced anything like the above?  And all for free.  Next, Kyoto.

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Tropical Storm Kammuri has formed east of Taiwan and seems headed straight for our Diamond Princess itinerary track.

Kammuri is moving along at 16 knots.  The Diamond Princess can move at 22 knots.

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