Nagano Day 2
This is going to be a lengthy post. So much happened!
Morning
Breakfast with Mariko, Kei and Mihiro was simple and lovely. I made toast and coffee for everyone, Mariko made fried eggs with shoyu, yogurt with peach jam (made by her mom) and fresh blueberries (from her parents inn), and we had Mihiro’s miso soup from the night before. Kei makes homemade pickles. He has a paste that he refreshes and reuses. It’s stored in the refrigerator in giant Tupperware tub. The cucumbers soak in it and then when they are ready he takes them out and puts new cucumbers in. He has to mix it up every day. We had some of the pickles and they were delicious.
Matsumoto – Brass Band Festival
Mihiro plays trombone in her school’s brass band. Today there was a brass band festival in Matsumoto so we went to watch her perform. We saw a few of the other schools perform and then her school played a brass band version of The Grandfather’s Clock. This song is special to me because my father used to play in a bluegrass band and had a nice mandolin part in a bluegrass version of the tune. I learned all the lyrics and I used to sing it. (See end of this blog post for the lyrics as I know them).
I got to meet Kei’s parents at the concert. His mother makes beautiful dolls as a hobby and Mariko showed me a book with photos of them. When I met her I told her I had seen the book and that she is very talented. Later when we met Kei back at the house, she had given him a copy of the book to give to me. I get tears in my eyes thinking about it – so thoughtful and kind.
Togakushi Shrine
We had a short rest after returning from the concert and then headed to Mariko’s parents hotel. The route was spiral roads up into the mountains. I couldn’t take my eyes away from the car window. The scenery there is ancient tall trees and waterfalls interspersed with small farms and gardens.
Togakushi Shrine
We stopped at one of the Togakushi Shinto shrines. We washed our hands and mouth and then proceeded through the Torii gate. There is something special there. My heart felt so good. The coolness in the air, being in the presence of the towering trees. Also the quiet (in Japanese, the word is shizuka). I told Mariko that it made my heart happy. She feels that way as well and later at dinner she told her family what I said. They talked about the power of the place and suggested we visit more of the shrine the next day.
Dinner at the inn
Mariko’s family owns an inn/hotel in Togakushi called Pension Azalea. They have a large dining hall where they serve breakfast, lunch and dinner. Mariko’s mother and sister do most of the cooking. Occasionally Mariko goes there to help out. We arrived at the inn shortly before dinner and I met Mariko’s parents and her older sister, Aya. There were still a few guests dining so I helped in the kitchen and set out food for our dinner. We ate with a couple of the guests. Mariko’s mother made a multi course dinner, all fish and vegetables since Mariko told her I didn’t eat pork, beef or chicken.
Toast with sautéed zucchini and summer squash and topped with black caviar
Vegetable egg custard in small ramekins
Plates of edamame
Small bowls of spiced Romano beans
Shrimp fresh rolls with creamy wasabi dipping sauce
Miso soup with mushrooms
Lightly fried fish with broccoli purée, wilted greens and thin slices of orange squash
Shellfish and squash quiche
Rice
Blueberry cream pudding (with blueberries from the inn)
Fresh peaches
We drank cold tea and sake and ate and talked. I was peppered with questions from Mariko’s family and spoke non stop Japanese. Mariko stepped in to help when she could, translating their questions into simpler words for me. I felt very welcome and comfortable. All the dishes used fresh vegetables in season. Mariko’s mom cooks with a lot of love, like so many moms. I could taste it in the food and I’m sure she could see on my face how happy I was.
Bathhouse at night
Mariko insisted that I take the first bath. Mihiro showed me to the bathhouse and explained what I was to do. The bath there is a large tiled bath, almost the size of a small lap pool. Hot water cycles through constantly.
In Japan, you sit on a small seat and wash your whole body with soap and water before entering the bath. Many people typically bath together, and I offered to go with others, but I think they were concerned that I would be uncomfortable so they gave me the bath to myself. It was so lovely I could have spent a long time in there but a short soak felt good. I felt clean and refreshed and peaceful (maybe that was also from the sake and the meal and the shrine).
As I walked down the hall back to the main inn, there was an open window and at this point it was raining heavily. I stopped there and felt the cool air flowing in and took time to appreciate the moment.
Later that night I woke up and peeked out the window of my room where I could see the full moon and a light in the window of the bathhouse.
Azalea Inn: https://p-azalea.com
The Grandfather’s Clock
The Grandfather’s Clock was too tall for the shelf
So it stayed 90 years in the hall
It was taller by half than the old man himself
Though it weighed not a penny’s weight more.
It was bought on the morn of the day that he was born
It was always his treasure and pride
But it stopped short, never to go again,
When the old man died.
90 years without slumbering
Tick Tock Tick Tock
Life seconds numbering
Tick Tock Tick Tock
It stopped short, never to go again,
When the old man died.
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