Good Morning Shimizu! With jet lag being somewhat beneficial in this case we get up early. A quick check outside on our balcony affords us not only a beautiful sunrise view but also a lovely view of Mount Fuji off in the distance! After taking a few photos we get ourselves ready for the day. We head up to the cafeteria deck for some breakfast and then head down to disembark the ship.
Shimizu Waterfront
Shimizu is a small and cozy Japanese town that has a lovely waterfront. You can walk along the water and catch some lovely views. One of the things our research tells us is you can get on a water bus that is operated by the town to get to other places of note in the city. We find the water bus office and purchase tickets for our family.
Shimizu Port Water Bus
From the water bus office we head to the dock where we’re to meet the water bus. After a few minutes the bus is open and we are allowed to board. It’s a small boat that can maybe seat 20 people. There is an indoor section and a more open air section in the back. The Parental Minions opt to sit inside while The Sister and I choose to sit in the back. As we set out we get to see the town from a cool and different angle. In fact because it’s so clear we still get to see Mount Fuji in the distance. One of the things the water bus offers onboard is the possibility to buy some seeds for a few yen. You can then throw these seeds off the side of the boat to attract nearby seagulls. The seagulls must be really familiar with this because the minute we set out they start to trail our taxi! It’s cool to see but later on we’ll see a more intense following of birds on our second water bus ride!
As we near the the stop, we see several fishing vessels in port offloading their catches. Even though its tough to see, its pretty amazing to see some very big fish (I assume tuna) being “craned” off the fishing vessel.
Kashi No Ichi Market
Our first stop off the water bus is Kashi No Ichi Market. This is a waterfront fish market that also has a lot of restaurants serving fresh seafood. (I suspect the fish market part is more historical now and its more geared towards tourists these days). Nonetheless, there are some very delicious looking options available to view. I slightly regret not partaking in some of the food as you can never go wrong with fresh seafood, even if it is more tourist focused. However, it was so close to breakfast that none of us had a very big appetite. I did end up picking up a favourite vending machine drink of mine, peach water!
Water Bus Part 2
From the market, we decide to part ways with the Parental Minions. They want to slowly walk their way back to the cruise ship, while The Sister and I want to explore further. The water bus runs in a loop and The Sister and I decide to hop back onto the water bus and head towards the Miho Peninsula. This crosses the water and we notice that there are a lot more Seagulls flying alongside us! A few of the other passengers buy seeds and start throwing them off the side. The birds start going after the seeds and they start to swarm the boat, diving whenever seeds go overboard and into the water. It’s pretty impressive to see and also quite cool how close the birds fly to the ship.
Miho Peninsula
After about a 15 minute boat ride, we arrive at Miho Peninsula. I think because of the timing, we arrive during the off season as there isn’t a whole lot open or for us to see. The Sister and I walk around for about an hour exploring the peninsula. While its pretty scenic, it does feel pretty sparse and empty. They also have interesting things like a vegetable exchange or more specifically a tomato exchange. For those that know me, know I’m not a huge fan of tomatoes so this further reinforces my waning interest in this part of Shimizu.
Miho Airfield
On our exploration we did stumble upon Miho Airfield. It’s a small unregulated airfield that is almost just a small single runway right by the beach. Being a plane nerd, I found this pretty interesting. Unfortunately there aren’t any planes in the air but I still wanted to mention it!
S-Pulse Dream Plaza
Eventually we bid the Miho Peninsula good bye and make our way back to where we started in Shimizu. Right by the water bus stop is the S-Pulse Dream Plaza. It’s this large shopping area with a small amusement park right beside it. The Sister and I pop in to see if we can pick up some lunch. Inside there’s a small community market happening in the lobby of the building. I decide to pick up some bonito curry along with some croquettes for lunch.
After lunch we take a leisurely stroll back towards the ship, taking in the last bits of Shimizu before reboarding our ship and saying good bye to this cool little city.
Dinner in the Westerdam Dining Room
Back onboard, we enjoy watching our ship leave Shimizu and enjoy a restful and relaxing afternoon. For dinner we decide to head to the formal dining room and have a nice sit down meal.
There are several options for appetizers and mains. We all share some escargot, I have a French onion soup and proscuitto wrapped melon to start. For my main I have the filet mignon while others have lamb. To finish off there is cake and Crème brûlée for dessert!
While the the food looks and is delicious, one thing that detracts from our dining experience is the weather outside. This evening we hit some rough seas and throughout our dinner service, the boat is rocking quite a bit. It makes it difficult to fully enjoy the food and there are some slight feelings of sea sickness as well! We quickly eat what we can and return back to our staterooms where after stumbling through a shower we decide to turn in early to see if sleeping and being horizontal will help! Tomorrow we will be visiting Osaka so there will be lots to see and do!