Japan ‘23: Nagano Day 10 & 11
The last couple of days in Nagano were just lovely. On Saturday, we had a delicious breakfast at the inn and I took pictures of birds coming to the feeder outside the dining room window. We spent some time helping with the kitchen cleanup. Then Mariko and I walked around outside. She showed me the huge pile of wood that her dad split, which made me think of my dad. I took a picture to show him later. She also showed me the “mushroom farm” – birch logs where they grow kinoko that her mom uses in the dishes she makes at the inn.
Mariko’s dad recommended that I try a different style of soba and suggested a place to go. Mariko, her mom, and I went the restaurant, near Togakushi Campground, for lunch. The place is very popular and there was a long wait. We were all pretty hungry by the time we were seated. Lunch started with small bowls of pickled cucumber and eggplant. Then the soba, which is carefully laid out in five piles, and tempura.
In the afternoon, Mariko and I went back to Nagano city so I could purchase my shinkansen ticket for the next day. We picked up her daughter as well and headed back towards the inn. On the way we stopped at a park alongside a pond so Mariko and I could do a power walk before dinner. For dinner, we went to a restaurant owned by close family friends of Mariko. The restaurant is called Haricot Rouge and has a European / Japanese fusion style, similar to Mariko’s mom’s cooking. We shared cheese souffle and I ordered vegetable risotto with fresh local veggies. Koba-chan, the cook and close friend, brought us a special dessert with matcha ice cream, whipped cream, maron (chestnut) puree, grapes, mochi and grape jello. It was beautiful and delicious. I chatted with her for awhile and we took some pictures. She and her husband are lovely, kind people.
We came back to the inn completely exhausted. We relaxed on our futons until it was time for our bath.
Sunday started similarly, breakfast and helping in the kitchen. One of the guests, a young man from Wakayama, asked where I was from and was interested in talking about travel with me. We exchanged information to stay in touch. Before we left to head back to Nagano City, Mariko’s mom made a goodbye party for me. She had me show here where I lived in a map in her atlas and she wrote a note in red pen on so she would remember. She gave me a pack of postcards with pictures of Nagano. Mariko’s dad gave me a bottle of sake and some packages of soba. Aya-chan, Mariko’s sister, made poached figs. Another family friend was there who made a maron cake that was delicious. When we said goodbye, I cried and so did Mariko’s daughter. It was bittersweet. I learned a new Japanese word, arigatai, which means thankful, which is how I felt, overwhelmingly.
On the way back, we pulled over to take a picture of the mountains. It had snowed the night before so the mountain tops were covered with beautiful snowcaps.
Back in Nagano, I took Mariko and her daughter out for lunch at their favorite restaurant, and Italian place. Mariko LOVES Itaria ryouri (Italian cuisine). Then she dropped me off at the station and we said our last goodbyes before I got on the shinkansen for Tokyo.
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