Kyoto's Hidden Gem: Giappo Franca - A Kyoto Experience You Won't Forget!
Alright, buckle up, because we're about to dissect the heck out of this hotel, and maybe, just maybe, convince you to ditch your life and live there forever. Forget those polished, perfectly SEO-optimized reviews. This is the real deal, warts and all. Let's get messy!
First Impressions & Accessibility – The Good (and The Slightly Less Good):
Okay, so Accessibility. This is HUGE for me. I hate those hotels that say "accessible" and then you find yourself wrestling a wheelchair through a revolving door. Thankfully, "Facilities for disabled guests" is listed, so HUGE plus! And an elevator? Hallelujah! Good start. Now, the details… (crossing fingers). "CCTV in common areas" and "CCTV outside property" are good for peace of mind, even if it makes me feel like I'm in a James Bond movie.
On-site accessible restaurants / lounges: Need that deets! Is it actually accessible? Ramps? Wide doorways? Tables easily navigated? This is where the rubber meets the road and I need to know!
Wheelchair accessible: Specifics! Are the rooms genuinely designed with accessibility in mind? Roll-in showers? Grab bars? This is a make-or-break situation.
Internet – My Digital Dependence (and the Hotel's Connection):
Alright, let's talk internet, the lifeblood of my existence (and likely yours). "Free Wi-Fi in all rooms!" Music to my ears. "Internet," "Internet [LAN]," "Internet services," "Wi-Fi in public areas" – okay, they're covering all the bases. But is it fast Wi-Fi? Can I stream movies without buffering? This is crucial. Because let's be honest, a vacation without Netflix is just cruel.
Things to Do & Ways to Relax – Escape the Grind!
Okay, this is where it gets interesting. "Body scrub," "Body wrap," "Fitness center," "Foot bath," "Gym/fitness," "Massage," "Pool with view," "Sauna," "Spa," "Spa/sauna," "Steamroom," "Swimming pool," "Swimming pool [outdoor]" - WHOA! That's a LOT of options for chilling out. A pool with a view? Sign. Me. Up. I'm picturing myself, floating on a lilo, margarita in hand, watching the sunset… Pure bliss.
Confession: I'm not the biggest gym rat, but a tempting fitness center might just be the push I need to start. And a sauna? Yes, please! This is crucial for a good hotel, they are the deciding factor for my stays.
Cleanliness & Safety – Because Germs are the Enemy:
This is the post-Covid era, people! We care about cleanliness. "Anti-viral cleaning products," "Daily disinfection in common areas," "Doctor/nurse on call," "First aid kit," "Hand sanitizer," "Hot water linen and laundry washing," "Hygiene certification," "Individually-wrapped food options," "Physical distancing of at least 1 meter," "Professional-grade sanitizing services," "Room sanitization opt-out available," "Rooms sanitized between stays," "Safe dining setup," "Sanitized kitchen and tableware items," "Staff trained in safety protocol," "Sterilizing equipment" – WOAH! They're taking this seriously. That's very reassuring. "Shared stationery removed" – good riddance! Who even uses communal pens anymore?
Dining, Drinking & Snacking – Feed Me, Seymour!
"A la carte in restaurant," "Alternative meal arrangement," "Asian breakfast," "Asian cuisine in restaurant," "Bar," "Bottle of water," "Breakfast [buffet]," "Breakfast service," "Buffet in restaurant," "Coffee/tea in restaurant," "Coffee shop," "Desserts in restaurant," "Happy hour," "International cuisine in restaurant," "Poolside bar," "Restaurants," "Room service [24-hour]," "Salad in restaurant," "Snack bar," "Soup in restaurant," "Vegetarian restaurant," "Western breakfast," "Western cuisine in restaurant" - Okay, I'm officially starving. This seems like a food lover's paradise. A poolside bar?! Yes, please! And 24-hour room service? My late-night snack cravings thank you. Buffet or a la carte? The eternal question… Gotta have options!
Services and Conveniences – The Little Things That Matter:
"Air conditioning in public area," "Audio-visual equipment for special events," "Business facilities," "Cash withdrawal," "Concierge," "Contactless check-in/out," "Convenience store," "Currency exchange," "Daily housekeeping," "Doorman," "Dry cleaning," "Elevator," "Essential condiments," "Facilities for disabled guests," "Food delivery," "Gift/souvenir shop," "Indoor venue for special events," "Invoice provided," "Ironing service," "Laundry service," "Luggage storage," "Meeting/banquet facilities," "Meetings," "Meeting stationery," "On-site event hosting," "Outdoor venue for special events," "Projector/LED display," "Safety deposit boxes," "Seminars," "Shrine," "Smoking area," "Terrace," "Wi-Fi for special events," "Xerox/fax in business center" - Wow, they've thought of everything. Contacless check-in is great! I don't want to touch people! Currency exchange is useful, meeting facilities are good for us business folks, a doorman is a nice touch, and a terrace is a must! For the Kids… or Just the Inner Child in Me
"Babysitting service," "Family/child friendly," "Kids facilities," "Kids meal" - Ah, a haven for little ones. Even if you don't have kids (like me!), it's good to know they're welcome. Maybe I'll sneak a kids' meal… just kidding… mostly.
Access & Getting Around – Navigating the Hotel & Beyond:
"Airport transfer," "Bicycle parking," "Car park [free of charge]," "Car park [on-site]," "Car power charging station," "Taxi service," "Valet parking" – Excellent! Free parking is always a winner, and an airport transfer is a lifesaver. Car charging is a nice add too.
Inside the Room – My Personal Fortress:
"Additional toilet," "Air conditioning," "Alarm clock," "Bathrobes," "Bathroom phone," "Bathtub," "Blackout curtains," "Carpeting," "Closet," "Coffee/tea maker," "Complimentary tea," "Daily housekeeping," "Desk," "Extra long bed," "Free bottled water," "Hair dryer," "High floor," "In-room safe box," "Interconnecting room(s) available," "Internet access – LAN," "Internet access – wireless," "Ironing facilities," "Laptop workspace," "Linens," "Mini bar," "Mirror," "Non-smoking," "On-demand movies," "Private bathroom," "Reading light," "Refrigerator," "Safety/security feature," "Satellite/cable channels," "Scale," "Seating area," "Separate shower/bathtub," "Shower," "Slippers," "Smoke detector," "Socket near the bed," "Sofa," "Soundproofing," "Telephone," "Toiletries," "Towels," "Umbrella," "Visual alarm," "Wake-up service," "Wi-Fi [free]," "Window that opens." Okay, this is the good stuff. Blackout curtains are a MUST for sleeping in. A bathtub? Perfect for a relaxing soak with a glass of wine. Free Wi-Fi? We've established that. And slippers and bathrobes? Luxury! I'm already picturing myself lounging in a bathrobe, watching on-demand movies, and drinking tea. What a life!
The Quirks, The Imperfections, The Emotional Rollercoaster:
Okay, let’s get real. No hotel is perfect. I’m picturing the little things. The slightly chipped paint in the bathroom. The water pressure in the shower that's a bit… weak. The one time I accidentally hit the wrong button on the coffee maker and ended up with an explosion of coffee grounds everywhere. (True story, by the way.) These are the things that make a stay memorable. The imperfections that give a place character.
I'm also curious about the "Shrine." I hope it is interesting.
The Verdict and Persuasion:
So, would I book this hotel? Well, it's a strong contender. The accessibility features, the wide array of relaxation options, the food choices, the cleanliness procedures, and the in-room amenities all make it incredibly appealing. The potential for total relaxation and a touch of luxury… yeah, I'm sold.
Here’s my pitch to YOU:
Are you craving an escape? A chance to unwind, be pampered, and simply breathe? Then pack your bags, because is calling your name!
This is what you'll get:
- Unparalleled Relaxation: From poolside relaxation to the spa.
- Non-stop Entertainment:
Alright, buckle up Buttercups, because this ain't your grandma's perfectly polished travel brochure. We're diving headfirst into Kyoto, Japan, and trust me, it’s gonna be a glorious, slightly chaotic, and utterly unforgettable ride. Buckle up, because this is gonna be a mess, a beautiful, human mess.
Kyoto: My Bloody Hell, I'm There (ish) – A Total Disaster (Maybe?) Plan
Day 1: Arrival and Total, Utter Bamboo-zlement
Morning (ish, because jet lag): Arrive at Kansai International Airport (KIX). Okay, deep breaths. Find the damn train… probably. I swear, Japanese public transport looks like a complex alien language at first glance. I've downloaded like, three different apps. Pray for me. Oh, and I reeeaaally hope the ramen on the train is as good as everyone says. Otherwise, I'm gonna be hangry.
Afternoon (the real trial): Kyoto Station. The sheer scale of it. Honestly, it's a city in itself. Find my Airbnb. Hopefully it's a cozy little slice of authenticity and NOT a closet. Cross fingers. Oh, and pray for the ability to navigate the crazy streets.
Evening (the point of no return): Arashiyama Bamboo Grove. Everyone's saying it's magical. The light, the sounds… I'm expecting to spontaneously sprout wings at this point. But, knowing my luck, I'll trip over a root and spend the whole thing face-planting in dirt. Praying the ramen I am gonna eat is gonna sustain me. Eat like I will never eat again, and watch the light.
Day 2: Temples, Trinkets, and Existential Dread
Morning (the good old start): Kinkaku-ji (Golden Pavilion). Okay, photos. Must get the perfect Instagram shot. Hopefully, the actual beauty will trump the inevitable tourist crowds. A little confession: I'm a sucker for anything shiny. Will there be a gift shop? Must. resist. buying. all. the. things.
Afternoon (the trying part): Philosophers Path. Am I supposed to have deep thoughts while walking here? I'ma probably just be thinking about lunch. So many cherry blossoms (If I would get there on that time of the year). Do I get the philosophy thing? Maybe I'll just trip and fall into a profound, philosophical puddle of mud.
Evening (the culture shock): Gion District. The geishas! The lanterns! The… expensive restaurants. Watch people, and try not to look like a complete, gawking idiot. I need to try to not look terrified. That's the goal. Pray to the gods I don't accidentally call anyone "Missy."
Day 3: The Double-Down Day: Kiyomizu-dera and the Deep Dive
Morning (The mountain part): Kiyomizu-dera Temple. Okay, the view is supposed to be legendary. But first, the climb. Mountains are gonna be the death of me some day. The walk to the temple is gonna be a pain for me, like, a real pain, like the kind that makes you question your life choices. And the main attraction? The wooden stage jutting out over the hillside. I can almost hear my inner monologue: "Don't look down. Don't fall."
(And here's where we double down!): I become obsessed with the Jishu shrine located inside Kiyomizu-dera. Right, that's it. I'm going to actually learn about this little temple. It's a shrine dedicated to love and matchmaking. Apparently, you can walk between two stones with your eyes closed and if you make it, you'll find love. I'm both terrified and secretly, madly, ridiculously excited, so I have to.
I'll probably get dizzy and fall head over heels. Then, once I get back up (hopefully) I can try the traditional "omikuji" (fortune slips). Maybe it'll tell me whether or not I have a chance at true love. I'm not a believer, but the idea of it, the ritual, is just so damn romantic.
This is the moment I dedicate to the dive. Instead of rushing through, I'm gonna spend the whole morning, learning and being present at this single temple.
Afternoon (the comedown): Coffee and contemplating my existence. Where should I go? So many coffee shops to choose from (and my caffeine addiction is going to be tested). I will spend the afternoon writing, or letting my mind wonder.
Evening (the crash): Dinner, or possibly just a bowl of instant ramen in my Airbnb. Maybe I'll watch some terrible Japanese TV and let my brain melt.
Day 4: Food, Farewell, and Fantasies
Morning (the final run): Nishiki Market. Food, food, glorious food! I want everything. Every pickled thing, every weird-looking sea creature, every single mochi. Will my stomach survive? Probably not, and I don't care. This is the place where I will eat as much as I can. No regrets.
Afternoon (the reflection): Fushimi Inari-taisha Shrine, but maybe. It looks gorgeous (and it's another hike -- yay!), but I'm also exhausted. I might just go and sit in a park, eating a melon pan, and writing in my notepad. Or, I will go, fall over, and regret my whole life.
Evening (the dreaded end): Pack. Cry. Curse the fact that I have to leave. Promise myself I'll come back, and actually learn some Japanese next time.
Final Thoughts (aka, the mess I'm leaving behind):
This trip is gonna be a disaster. I'll probably get lost, say the wrong thing, offend someone, and eat way too much. And I wouldn't have it any other way. Because in the mess, the chaos, the sheer exhaustion, that's where the real memories are made. The ones that stick with you, that makes you laugh, cringe, and then laugh some more.
Kyoto, you beautiful, perplexing, and slightly terrifying beast. I'm coming for you. And I'm probably gonna be a mess. But hopefully, a happy one. Wish me luck! (You're gonna need it!)
Gwangju Party Room Paradise: Twin Bed, Private Bedding & ⭐SALE⭐ NEO!Why are you even *thinking* about getting a fish? Isn't that just…fish-keeping?
Okay, first off, JUDGEMENTAL. Second, it started with a cat. A fluffy, attention-seeking, furniture-destroying cat. I needed... something less demanding. Less... cat-like. You know? And I saw this *tiny* little tank at a yard sale, and BAM. The seed was planted. This wasn’t about pet-keeping! This was about serene, zen, low-maintenance vibes. I pictured myself, gazing peacefully at shimmering scales, feeling… at peace. HA. Turns out, fish are mini-tyrants. But we'll hit that later...
So, what *kind* of fish? This is where it all starts to unravel, right?
Oh, dear sweet innocent soul. Fish choice? It’s a rabbit hole. I was initially, and I cannot stress this enough, OBSESSED with Bettas. Those flowing fins! The vibrant colors! I even watched *one* YouTube video dedicated to setting up a beautiful Betta sorority (which, by the way, is a recipe for watery death if you don’t know what you’re doing). I was SO ready to be a Betta whisperer. Then I started reading… and reading… and reading. Suddenly, the "low-maintenance" image vanished. I'm talking *precise* water parameters, heated tanks, filters that cost MORE than a small car. And then the whole "don't put them in tiny bowls" thing. Turns out, the tiny bowl = fish prison. Who knew? It's a minefield. I almost got a goldfish. Almost. (Spoiler: they poop…A LOT).
What about the TANK? Size matters, right? (This is where things get *expensive*.)
Size… does. It DOES matter. I remember the first time I looked at a tank. It was this… *tiny* little thing. 2 gallons? Maybe less? I thought, “Perfect! Cheap! Easy!" NOPE. That's fish torture, basically. You need *space*. More space means more filtration, which leads to... the spiral. The *expensive* spiral! I ended up with a 20-gallon tank. Which, honestly, is STILL on the small side, but hey, it was a 'starter' tank, right? (That's what I told myself.) And the decorations! Oh, the decorations! Gravel, fake plants (the plastic kind are a pain, too!), bubblers, rocks… suddenly you're spending more on making your fish a luxury resort than you do on, well, *life*. It’s insane. And cleaning it? Don't even get me started.
The Faucet, the Water, the *Water*… What is that about?!
Okay, so, water. It’s not just…water. It's *fish* water. You have to *cycle* it. Cycle the water! Add chemicals! Test the water with little test kits! It's like a chemistry class I never signed up for! You need to let the water sit for, like, a day because of the chlorine?! (Did I also mention I was a terrible chemist in school? The water cycle...it's a mess). I initially thought, "Tap water! Easy!" WRONG AGAIN. You have to dechlorinate it, condition it, and pray to the fish gods your ammonia levels aren’t going to send your poor little guppies into Fish Valhalla. I screwed that up, by the way. More on that later.
Food, glorious food! How hard is it to…feed a fish?
Oh, the *feeding*. I felt like a benevolent dictator. I got little fish flakes. *Tiny* flakes. And I *loved* giving those flakes. I was doing okay, and then… then I overfed. Because…well, I *cared*. I wanted them to be happy. Fat and happy! My friend, the experienced fish-keeper, says, "One tiny pinch. That's it." "Okay," I vowed. Then I'd look at the fish, swimming hopefully at the top, and my hand would…twitch. More flakes. And before I knew it, the tank was a murky, flake-filled swamp. The uneaten food rotted. The water became… something else. The ammonia levels went through the roof. It was a disaster. A smelly, slimy disaster. The fish…well, some of them survived. That's where the real lesson of fishkeeping began. (And a lot of gravel vacuuming...).
And the Cleaning? Surely *that's* easy, right?
HA! Cleaning. Oh, my sweet summer child. (Me. I'm the child.) I thought, "Oh, a little water change every week! Easy peasy!" Nope. You gotta vacuum the gravel. Which means taking the gravel out, cleaning it, and generally getting wet, and then the whole process happens again a few days later. You have to *match the water temperature*! I learned the hard way that a temperature shock is not a fun experience, not for me and *definitely* not for the fish. I mean, the whole tank reeked of fish waste and ammonia. So, you'd better get used to the smell. It’s a whole production. And did I even mention the algae? The green, clingy, insidious algae? Oh, the algae…
Did your fish…survive?
Okay, so… some did. Let’s just say, the learning curve was… steep. And messy. That first batch of guppies? Let's just say the guppy population was… *volatile*. I lost a few. I made mistakes. Big ones. I felt *terrible*. I did. But, you know what? I kept at it. I researched, I asked for help, I stopped overfeeding (mostly). I learned about the nitrogen cycle (slowly). My surviving fish actually seem happy! I have a few little tetras now. They're surprisingly chill. They swim around. They eat the flakes (in moderation!). And I… well, I’m still a work in progress. But, yes, some of my fish... survived. And I even might like them a little bit. It's still a lot of work, but the fish swim, and that's nice.
Would you…recommend fish-keeping?
