Ryokans and mountain villages

The previous two nights, we stayed in two different ryokans ( traditional Japanese hotels with mattresses on the floor and full board meals, of course Japanese style).

The whole experience is like a ceremony. You wear a traditional robe. For small groups, food is served in your room. You sit on the floor cross-legged or kneeling ( impossible for me, so I have a cheat seat). In a larger group like ours of 8, food is served in a separate room. The menu is fixed, with as many as 10 dishes, all served more or less at once. Q. "What order should I eat them in ?" A. " Up to you." Then there are lots of what's that questions. I'm general. The food is very good, and sometimes is exceptional, such as whole skewered salted fish, and of course, some dishes are dull or disappointing. That said, it's a very pleasant experience, especially in a group, and something not to be missed in Japan. Whilst we were at dinner, the mattresses are laid out in the room. Guests can bathe in a large bath to warm up, not to clean, that is done beforehand with a handheld shower, a sink, and a bucket.

In the morning, we visited Shirakawa, a well-preserved mountain village, where the houses are a cross between a Swiss chalet, and and English thatched farmhouse. One old building serves as a living museum and as the place that shows the farming tools of the past. It also contains a Buddhist temple, nor a Shinto

During the village walk, it was still cold but no longer raining, but when we saw a cafe we took the chance of a warm drink. The customers were entirely European, but the offerings, service, and presentation were very Japanese. It seems, however, that Japanese learnt coffee making from Americans, and so the drink itself is rather poor.

Afterwards, we headed to Hikone and already enjoyed the lit up view of the castle from our rooms. We also enjoyed a very modern Japanese bath at 42C, which also had a nice view of the castle. Strangely, the spa area offers free beer, though customers are told not to take more than one, so I obeyed and only took one at a time.

After a wonderful steak for dinner at a restaurant near the hotel (my favoriteso far), we all slept deeply in our conventional beds 🛌 😴.Read more