Saturday: Nakajima park, Susukino & Ramen dinner!

We had a really busy and fun Saturday! 

We decided to take advantage of the great (but cold and windy!) weather and walk to Sapporo station. Things didn't go according to plan, but it was still a great walk! 

We headed North up our street to Horohira bridge. It's really close to our subway stop. The views were amazing, it was a really open spot! They even had a large arch so you can get up higher to really take in the view. 

Definitely beautiful! 

I love that it's mountains as far as the eye can see. So different from home. 

Then we walked on to Nakajima park. If you remember, our hotel was at the north end of this park and we mistakenly meandered through a bit of it on our first day. 

We haven't been back since, so it was nice to really walk through it! 

Signs of spring...

...even though many places look like this...

Nakajima park is home to Kitara, a concert hall. (pictured) There's also the museum of literature. (snooze)

What I liked was the beautiful little pond! In the summer months you can rent little rowboats!

After Nakajima park, we walked north through Susukino and to Tanuki-koji (the shopping street, one of many). We looked at some souvenir stores and took in the smells of the restaurants. By this point, Elisabeth woke up and we were pretty hungry, so we didn't make it to Sapporo station as planned. Instead, we went home for a snacky lunch and made dinner plans! 

 (the photos above are all susukino)

(Tanuki-koji is blocks of this!)

We met our friend on Saturday night for some authentic ramen, Hokkaido style with a miso base. Yummmmmm. It was the biggest bowl ever, piping hot, and so so good. I forgot to take a picture though!! I know, I was bummed after I realized it too! :/ 

Elisabeth even tried some of the ramen noodles, she slurped it like a pro. I was a shy slurper, Kevin was not. We had so much fun and it was really a popular local spot -- always a line, all seats at the bar full. And for only 750 yen a bowl (about $7.50), a real deal too! 

After we ate, we went to the Susukino district downtown, known for party spots and bars. We went to an izakaya, a Japanese bar...with Elisabeth! Hahaha, gotta start 'em young. ;) She wasn't the only kid there though, it was more like a pub in a way. They had some food there too, and we actually sat at the bar (vs a booth) and were able to see into the kitchen and watch them cook. Fun! Kevin tried some Japanese whisky, beer, and sake. I had ginger ale and grapefruit juice. :) 

They actually have deals here where you can drink as much as you want for a set price for a set time (i.e. 1200 yen for 2h) if you also purchase some food. Pretty good idea! (especially to purchase food and not just drink unlimited amounts of alcohol, sounds like that could be trouble!) ;) 

It was the latest we've ever stayed out, we weren't home until just after 10 p.m. Wild and crazy, I know!

It was really fun because we got to see the infamous Susukino at night, on a Saturday. It's really known as the fun drinking part of town so seeing some Japanese nightlife was great! 

We saw this on our walk home from the subway station. We actually had just been talking about how little tagging or graffiti you see here... Then we found this in an underpass tunnel. LOLZ!

Miss Muffin has woken up (after an awesome long nap!), so it's downstairs for some lunch for us! I'll try to be back with yesterdays happenings soon :)

Lauantaina käveltiin keskustaan Nakajima-puiston kautta. Mutta ensin pysähdyimme maisemia ihailemaan Horohira-sillalle. Nakajima-puisto oli sulanut paljon siihen verrattuna mitä sinne viimeksi eksyimme. Varmoja kevään merkkejä oli! Ihastuttava pikku lammikko oli jo sulanut ja kesällä voi ilmeisesti vuokrata pieniä soutuveneitä!
Susukinoon käveltiin seuraavaksi. Oli tarkoitus Sapporo asemalle asti kävellä, mutta matka jäi Tanuki-kojiin,  sillä Elisabeth heräsi ja nälkä oli kaikilla. 
Illalla tapasimme yliopistolta kaveria, joka vei meitä paikalliseen ramen ravintolaan. Nam! Oli iso kulho misopohjaista ramenia, pienen possupalasen ja vihannesten kera. Kuvata unohdin, hupsis!
Ruoan jälkeen mentiin vielä lasilliselle izakayaan, eli japanilaiseen pubiin. Täällä siis kaveri kertoi, että harvemmin japanilaiset baarit ovat sellaisia kuin Suomessa. Täällä pidetään pubi/ruokameineingeistä enemmän kuin pimeessä tanssimisesta ja kovasta musiikista. (veikkaan, että hänen käsitys on tullut Fat Lady opiskelijapippaloista Tampereella ollessa, hehehhehe). 
Täällä erikoista baarikulttuurissa oli se, että voi tiettyyn hintaan juoda niin paljon kuin haluaa tiettynä aikana. Esim 12e 2 tuntia. Mutta sitten siinä tarttis ostaa myös pari ruoka-annosta tms. (jos juo ihan rajattomasti pari tuntia niin suosittelisin jotain muuta sinne mahaan kans, käypä idea!)
Oli kiva nähdä Susukino-aluetta lauantai-iltana, oli meno ja meininki siellä! Tultiin kotiin vasta klo 22 jälkeen, mikä on myöhässä meille!!!!! :O 
Oli hauskaa! :)