Arriving in Nakatsugawa

On Wednesday, we took the Shinkansen (bullet) train to Nagoya, then caught a local train to the small town of Nakatsugawa, a jumping off spot for the Nakasando Way--a trail historically traveled by Samurai between Tokyo and Kyoto.

Early in the train ride, we were unexpectedly graced with clear views of Mt Fuji. We frantically took a bunch of pictures to capture it out the window of the speeding train and succeeded with exactly one. Yay!

Upon arrival to Nakatsugawa, we were welcomed by a cute serving window, complete with a tiny sink for washing hands.

Just outside the station is the tourist information center where we got all the information we needed for our stay: bus and train schedules, a map to our hotel, and a restaurant guide.

It's true that vegetarian meals are not in abundance in many parts of Japan. Dinner was fresh fish, wagyu beef, and pasta bolognese. The chef was trained in Italy. We tried wine made of local umeboshi plums mixed with soda. Though none of the staff spoke English and Google Translate wasn't cooperating, it was a fun and pleasant experience.

Back to the hotel for onsen before bed. Temperatures are lower in this area, making the onsen extra appealing.

What IS in great abundance here are snacks of every kind. And they are oh so fresh and good, just like all their bread products. We aren't holding back in the least. Going to any little sundry shop and picking out snacks is a whole joyful adventure in itself. It'll be a surprise if we're not 5 pounds heavier when we get home!Baca lagi