City to Country via Celebrations

On Sunday, having woken a tad fragile - and leaving the young to sleep on (they'd carried on having fun until 4 a.m.) we all went our separate ways for the morning. I walked up to the main Sakae shopping district from our rather brilliant budget hotel. I wandered into the famous department store chain, Mitsukoshi, but was rather overwhelmed by the acres of designer labels. It was also so huge

that I didn't want to stray too far and lose my bearings...if I didn't exit the same way I came in, I didn't trust myself to find my way back to the hotel....However, there were some pretty major landmarks to hang on to...the needle-like Nagoya Communication Tower and - bang opposite my hotel window  - the CBS TV tower.

I was tempted by the loads of small sized shoes on offer - but maybe it was the fact that I had too much choice that stopped me making a purchase. (We've got one more retail moment ahead so all may not be lost...watch this space) Anyway, all I managed was a little face-cloth buying ( they're not just run of the mill in Japan, believe me) before I headed back to meet up with the others. 

Kate and Roger decided to go to church - but as the only English service was at 2.30 and Kouichi had planned to take us to a blossom park in the afternoon I opted to go with the young. It's really rather early to find most Sakura (cherry blossom) but we hoped to see some plums blooming. There was the obligatory stop for lunch on the way in a sweet little macrobiotic cafe; its vibe and the residential area in which it was situated reminded me of California when David and I travelled there in the 70s and 80s. Everything in the cafe was beautifully detailed - cabinets of ply and wood fittings that suited th ethos nicely. The gentle Japanese curry with unpolished rice suited me nicely too.

Sadly there always has to be a travel casualty - and this time it's the gizmo that downloads pictures from my 'posh' camera....so the pix in this post will be limited.

Kouichi got us all mustered back in the 10 seater tour bus (!) and off we set. Unusually we encountered quite a bit of traffic and by the time we actually made it to the park which was a good 50 minutes out of the city, there was only about an hour left and the sun had been lost behind grey clouds. Also, the blossom display wasn't quite as advanced as hoped but there were some lovely examples - especially one weeping plum which was a great magnet for photographers. One older Japanese chap with cameras slung around his neck - zoom lenses the length of a small car (ok I exaggerate for effect) - offered to take a group picture of us with my camera. Bless his heart, when
I got it back there was a fine image of his finger in front of the lens too;  maybe he was a bit hotter on equipment than execution.....

We weren't back at the hotel until nearly 6 and Kouchi had to take the van back to Toyohsahi that evening because he was working on Monday...so he planned to have dinner with us early and then take the bulk of our luggage with him too, back to the guesthouse. Kate and Rog hadn't appeared back from church but we set off for a Thai meal within walking distance of the hotel with instructions how to join us......which they did around 7, full of the good time they'd had  - and finding connections with a Californian church they'd visited a few years ago. There had been prayer for Kouchi's father too and they felt very buoyant.

So, Monday- apart from turning cold (the temperature dropped 10 degrees from 20 to 10 C ) it was Lou's 27th birthday. We all managed to say it in Japanese! The morning was set aside for more retail therapy and this time Louise led us to the other end of the spectrum; Book-Off - a chain of second hand shops for clothes, and the stunningly tempting 100 Yen store Daiso. By the end of the outing we'd got loaded with some good, packable bits and pieces and Lou had a birthday dress and shoes. Then it was back to Gamagori where Kouichi, having knocked off early to celebrate the day with Louise, met us for a late lunch. Lou chose the cuisine  - she wanted unagi (eel) and we all joined in. It's a world away from ideas of slimy jellied eel. Very very tasty indeedy.

Having had to return the 10 seater for the use of the (properly!) elderly at his family business day care centre, Kouichi only had his car. So Masae, his mum, came to pick up half the party. The seniors

went with her and we did a little detour to Takematsu. I'd visited here in October, it's beside the sea and a long bridge crosses to an island shrine, now shut for the winter. What I hadn't done last time
was visit the little museum, housed in an old hospital building. It was a delightful experience. Outside there was a keen coastal wind blowing and we were very chilled; inside it was all warmth, polished wood, gentle tinkling music and tasteful flower displays. Masae treated us to more whisked green tea made by a woman dressed in a kimono made of local woven cloth. This time we had little dissolving tablets of sugar to put on our tongues before drinking the tea - and this certainly improved the taste! They say you have to introduce a child to new tastes at least 9 times before they grow to like things....7 more teas to go....

Louise, the birthday girl at the museum with her birthday flower- the daffodil (suisen?) and peach blossom.

Birthday supper for Louise was back at the guesthouse and two types of nabe (pronounced nabay) which is basically Japanese hotspot cooked at the table; the delicious stock is the key...then chuck in veg and meat. Local cabbage, enoki mushrooms, and tender, fine leeks jostled with chicken, chikowa ( a kind of surimi roll) and tofu in one. The vegetarian option was in a spicier liquid and packed a punch. Before we got stuck into that however, Masae insisted on us all having a toast to Lou and eating birthday cake - a delicious light cheesecake. She would have had us eating 'Apple pie' ( actually light flaky pastry apple turnovers ) at the same time because ' Ruizu likes apple pie' but we needed to leave room for the nabe. We did however sing Happy Birthday to You with the same tune - which is apparently the tradition in Japan too!So it was then farewell to the family, one more night in Gamagori ( I'm not that sad to bid farewell to sleeping on a futon on the floor) and we set off at 9a.m. Tuesday to have our last adventure - bidding Louise goodbye too until she's back in the UK in May. By Shinkansen from Toyohashi we travelled to Odawara - getting some even more stunning pictures of Fuji as the visibility was so good. Then it was a branch line to Kowakadani .......an interesting journey where we shuttled back and forth, changing tracks to mount the incline up into the hills near the popular mountain resort of Hakone. We knew we'd have little time here but the idea is to have a taster for another time.

Kate had found the hotel, The Wisterian Life Club ( or Verde no Mori in Some hybrid language they'd printed on the signage ) on the net and it was a knock down bargain....however getting there from the station proved a bit challenging - heaving overstuffed suitcases on and off two buses. But, it was worth it. Although a little elderly in its decor the position is great - we both have immense rooms with sitting areas and balconies sporting views out to the hills and the distant sea. It's very Japanese however...hardly a shred of English to be seen on notices. But we made ourselves understood with hand waving and smiles.

After a swim in the pool (I had to buy a costume here because I'd forgotten mine - and I think it made the elderly saleslady's day - she did have some English, which she shouted at me as she cupped her hand to her ear)
All in all - a relaxing way to end the day.....