matsumoto

yesterday we left our Tokyo airbnb and got on a Shinkansen (high-speed train) headed for Nagano. there we switched to a local train that travelled past flat plains into the lush green foothills of the Alps, with little orchards and terraced rice paddies. we arrived in Matsumoto, a flowery town with alpine views and remarkably high levels of friendliness.

(side note: at the 7-11, the woman at the counter brought out a large cardboard box with two holes and explained something to B in Japanese, gesturing for her to reach inside. B started to put her hand towards the hole on the left, but the woman stopped her and pointed to the other hole. B reached into that one instead and pulled out a little piece of paper, which apparently won us some kind of lemon soda.)

we're staying at a lovely little family-run Ryokan just north of town; the woman who checked us in gave us copies of three awesome hand-drawn maps of the area with a bunch of recommendations. we rode borrowed bikes to the spectacular Matsumoto Castle and explored a bit of the downtown, then rested in our tatami room for a while before biking up to visit a temple and have dinner at one of the recommended places - a little soba restaurant with hand-made noodles, wheat tea, and floor cushions on tatami mats. it was a meal and an experience that i don't want to profane by trying to describe it in words.

also, the showers at our Ryokan: you wear a yukata (robe) down to this. the bath is near-scalding hot and so good.

 

he made me do this pose

peaceful rock garden

old and new