Sun! It was so warm I changed into my short-sleeve tee when we reached our starting point a half-hour train ride from Kiso-Fukushima.
Our walk today was mostly on road, but followed the Kiso River, and again through small towns, where every home has a garden plot.
Kiso River
Friendly dog guarding his owner's drying beans.
Rice field.
Garden plot
Futons airing out on a beautiful day.
The real treasure was our inn for the night: a 110 year-old traditional home. This is a true minshuku, as the family still lives here ( in an additional built 100 years ago), and they rent out the tatami rooms in the oldest part of the home. We were the only guests.
One of our tatami 'bedrooms'. While we were at dinner in the main room, the children of the family moved the table to the side and pulled the futons from the day storage closet in the room. There were only sliding shoji screens between us, and it was delightful to hear their giggles as they made up our beds (each with a barley hull pillow).
Dinner. This was the first time even Roxana had eaten in an inn that lit the old cooking pit. This fire is also the only source of heat, and it is banked for the night ( the entire structure is wood). But we were very cozy in our futons with thick covers. I also noticed that wood panels were put up outside the external shoji screens at night, I assume to help with heat retention.
Then we had an additional treat; the current owner ( his great-grandfather built the house) sang us a traditional folk song,
Kisobushi. A cappella, in a beautiful voice.
The actual kitchen is in the newer 100 year old section, but what a treat to have the fire in the original fire pit. Would have been difficult to create this meal with just the fire pit:
The red meat, BTW, is horse. I was all ready to give it a try until I found out what is was. Know it is not rational to be okay eating cow but not horse, but I just couldn't bring myself to do so.
Second course - absolutely delicious salt-encrusted grilled fish. There was also a tempura course and a soba (cold buckwheat noodles) course which I forgot to photograph.
And I haven't mentioned the bath yet! A very traditional cedar soaking tub.
Hi Maura. I haven't been able to write as i'm green with jealousy and i can't change the font color. your trip, and your fabulous blog, are making me crazy with travel fever. I even had to have sushi the other night because of you. your pictures are great too. Japan is so beautiful. I wonder if non-hikers like me and HJS could do this? I'd love to sign up. We've been doing all high school stuff all the time, except for a haunted house we went to Saturday night. HJS just got back from a week in Dublin, where apparently it rains a LOT. He brought back Irish Whiskey named "Writer's Tears". We haven't tasted it yet, but that's definitely the gift I want to give this Christmas. Anyway, wanted to reassure you i am living vicariously through you and although deficient in writing, always reading your blog!
ReplyDeleteIf I had to pick my favorite Inn, hands down, it would be Koshinzuke. My initial disappointment at not being in the historic center of Tsumago dissapated the second the family Granny lit the kindlng and started an fire in the ancient hearth located in the center of the "living room."
ReplyDeleteOf course this was topped by the current 3rd generation master of the house entertaining us by singing the famous folk song of the area called "Kiso Bushi."