Matsumoto Castle, a post town and a ryokan

Awake to roll up the futons and breakfast on fresh pastries and strange vending machine drinks in the castle park..Matsumoto Castle is from 1594 and is one of Japan's big ones - six wooden floors - I promised not to climb the steep and narrow stairs, but really that was all there was to do inside, and me, the Boot and its plastic cover made it all the way up. Then on through dramatic madly green mountains steaming with clouds and rain to Narai, one of the old post roads between Tokyo and Kyoto, perfectly preserved in 1850s style..and finally, a treat - a night at a Japanese inn with onsen hot baths outside looking at the mountains, yukata robes and a multicourse meal of delicious unknowns...Rico had rice..Read more