Where and how to begin? Here we are at last. Now with or without mentioning, it may have slipped my mind to note my upcoming Monday absence. Maybe..
But when Friday last week hit I was ready, the next day, to out and go travel.
On the Friday night I had a friend from town come over, after I nearly overlooked his phonecall (my phone buzzing wildly in my workbag-on-floor) some time after working hours. It was on that Friday that we opted to enjoy a few travels over the next few days.
Travel plans included requests that we both had, like onsens, and good food, and driving. And with that let’s get right to it -the telling..
We two left bright on Saturday morning. We drove and drove out to Asahikawa. With a trusty travel guide in tow, and a ramen travel guide, too, we stopped for a famous ramen lunch in Asahikawa. Slurping some noodles after finally finding the restaurant, we made off to the newly renovated Japan Rail (JR) station (Asahikawa). A nice, new tall and empty-ish building, the new rail station looked like hotel-meets-airport. We wandered there, too, and then drove on.
Our next location was Furano, a city smack centre of Hokkaido. There we ate curry at a famed tree-house of a curry shop known for mixing their own curries. Once stuffed and full we pressed on back to Biei, a lovely town next to Furano where rolling hills wave so seamlessly into the horizon and distant mountains that if you stare off into one direction for long enough you might think you were in France, Italy -north or south.. but some place foreign with lush, gentle hills.
Photos being snapped all along we found lookout points, towers, hidden cafes and sunsets while killing time waiting for our check-in accomodation. Our reservation led us into the hills of Asahikawa, yes, we went back, and after some navigation and driving a good thousand or so metres higher up in elevation, found our secret place of a mountain getaway onsen.
There were few cars parked outside of this looming and swollen bath house/ryokan (Japanese inn). This place was so secret and special in fact, that one of the previous Prime Ministers of Japan had stayed at this inn, too.
Check-in was seamless and we flushed into Japanese yukatas and overcoats, purely Japanese style, and made for dinner. The spread of food before us consisted of concoctions noting abalone wrapped in kelp and baked in salt crust (the crust you had to discard in large chunks before enjoying the expensive shellfish), blanched whole tomato in a white wine glaze, fresh mountain vegetables duly reflecting seasonal varieties wrapped in fresh, cured cabbage, and on, and on the list can go (we actually enjoyed a jellied thimble of mountain spring water topped with a fine sugar syrup, too. The water tasted so crystal-fresh..)
We ate, enjoyed a bottle of local white wine, sweet and mellow complementing the dull colors but bright flavours of the meal as we stared out the windows at the gloomy evening landscape. The whole of night seemed to settle gently around us, sounds quieting, slippered feet shuffling softly across wooden floors. Dark browns, and rich stone settings complementing the old but recent bath house inn at which we were staying.
The onsen, or baths, were actually heavenly. With names like ‘chamber of the gods’ bath, or other whistful titles, high ceilings, low and dull lighting was awash while splashing and spilling water echoed off of high vaulted ceilings. The warm baths were all but crowded -wooden pails and stools sidling low mirrors and stone floors. All these stone and wooden elements pairing so well with the mountin hot springs that bubbled up water into these beautiful Japanese baths.
Oh, have you never tried a Japanese bath? I say, if you have not, you are truly lacking a tangible sensing of relaxation heaven..
After enjoying half of the at least seventeen baths scattered among the building we retreated to our tatami laden room. The soft aroma of the gentle grass mats filling the room -futons folded out gently along the floor.
Are you picking up on the fact that this weekend was a relaxing one?
Anyways, let me spare you the relaxing details far too numerous and I fear I could drown you in them so let’s get on to the next day.
Relaxation and breakfast had we drove on to Otaru. This European inspired town boasts Euro bastions, pillars and stone makings that could prove the lazy eye to believe one is actually in Europe. We checked into a crowded little hostel -crowded not by people but artifacts from abroad. Bows and arrows, hammocks, coffee sacks, stacks of books and manga, a cat playing lazily in the corner by the Japanese windows of the old, characterized house.
And to be brief our lazing between brewery and canal, waterways and oceanside -eating grilled seafoods blazed over real wood and charcoal at our table, we had a fine time. Sleep was little as we found much to talk about with our variety of hostel guests coming from Italy, all around Japan, and China. In the words of Bilbo Baggins ‘It was a night to remember’.
Fun, food, relaxation, strolling, lazing, picture-taking and driving along the coast of the Japan Sea. Can I squeeze any other details in there? Oh! Food, good food.
Stop.
It is now Tuesday and I am back to work in the office, punching keys and trying to remember all the delightful week-end details. We will have one more day of work tomorrow and then most of us will be off again from Thursday until the following Monday -not a bad way to begin the month of May.
Again, I will have to share pictures with you once I sort through the photos of fresh Otaru sushi, and Antiguan coffee, fish cakes and ramen plates that I have snapped and photo’d.
And you know what? I don’t feel half bad talking to you about my holiday. Work has indeed been crazy and far too busy some days. At times I only find time to keep myself level by seaking off into the break room and stretching between things I must do next. But that really is work, isn’t it, keeping far too busy for one’s liking?
Anyways, a good friend sent me a pound of Kona coffee beans that I am trying to figure out how I am going to grind and drip. Unless you want to send me a coffee mill, it is back to work for me.
Photos to follow, I promise.
Oh, and a happy month of May to you.
The Traveller's Typewriter 