Tokyo Heart

Want a free umbrella?

Pedaling away, off we went under a leaden sky, no raincoats, no ponchos, no umbrellas. Destination.....one of our favorite soba (buckwheat noodles) shops for a Sunday afternoon lunch. We figured we could get there, eat, and get back home before the rain started.  WRONG!

As we finished our meal we could hear the rain drumming against the wooden facade of the soba shop. We figured we could wait it out & ride our bikes home with no more than a bit of dampness. WRONG AGAIN!

As we paid our bill we asked the shop assistant if there was a 7-11 or something similar nearby where we could buy an umbrella. Rather than direct us to a store the shop owner volunteered a couple of umbrellas that had been left behind by other customers in the past. We said we would return them, but no need, said the waiter. These were spares that, if they didn't give them away, they would have to discard. One was actually a pretty nice umbrella - fashionable and probably fairly expensive when bought. The other was very serviceable. In fact, the waiter opened up and tested the umbrellas before giving them to us - he even discarded one of those "throw-away" type that are so often abandoned here & there in Japan - the clear plastic ones that sell for 100-300 yen. (Oh, and this is where the title of this posting comes from - it's not the first time I've been given an umbrella by a restaurant - so if you're caught out without one when the rain starts - and you're in a restaurant just ask where you can get an umbrella. Chances are you'll be offered one, at least here in Japan, that is.)

Well, riding home holding an umbrella was a first for me. I've seen people doing this hundreds of times, but I never figured it was something I would want to try. The gusting winds made it a bit more of a hassle, but all-in-all it was easier than I had thought it would be, cramped right hand not withstanding.

Now, if I had only had a umbrella attendant like the one in the picture below.....

Hearts in Tohoku

The road from Nikko to Lake Chuzenji used to have 48 curves. That has been mercifully cut down to 30 - but many of them are switchbacks. We've been on that road when it takes 2+ hours to travel the 14 or so kilometers.

Now, with few people willing to visit Tohoku, which is where the lake is located - even though it is about 160 kilometers from the damaged nuclear plant - the drive time is much shorter. Today it only took about 20 minutes and the parking lots that are normally overflowing were either completely deserted or only held a few cars (and most of those were trout fishermen).

Sadly, for the businesses that depend on the tourists coming in to spend a few yen, the number of people visiting the region is way down. We stopped for lunch in a restaurant on a hill overlooking Lake Chuzenji and there were only about 10 customers in the place - they have room for a couple hundred as they usually get buses full of customers.

We went on up the road to Yu-no-ko (Lake Yu), which is a small lake with a loverly waterfall at the southern end that drops 70 meters from the lake to the base. The air has a slight sulphur smell thanks to the hot springs in the area - thus the lake's name - which means "warm (or hot) water" - even though the water is not really hot in the lake. It's not so cold either and there are 4 species of trout in the lake. There were several people fishing today. Some in boats, some in waders, some from the shore and most all were catching a few trout.

Photos below are from Lake Yu.

Unfortunately, the drive home wasn't quite as smooth as someone decided to crash & burn (well, we don't know if they burned - sure hope not) on the Tohoku Expressway and there was one area of 14 kilometers that was going to take 2 hours to cover.  No way! We got off the highway & took the local roads. I don't know that we saved any time, but it was more interesting than sitting on the expressway watching the back end of the car in front of us for 2 or more hours.

This sign tells us that Mt. Nantai, a sacred mountain is what we can see in the distance & it tells us that the lake is 1,475 meters above sea level.

Actual photo of Mr. Nantai - way back behind the lake

The southern end of Lake Yu - where the waterfall starts

Trout fishing on Lake Yu

Lake cat - Where's my fish!!??

Lake stump!

Winter took a toll on the tree around the lake.

Golden Week - Day 2 - means 2 Scoops

Golden Week - day 2 - out & about & enjoying a warm & sunny wonderful spring day:

> Bike ride through Wadabori Park & along the Zempukuji River - well, many years ago it was a river - now it's lined in concrete like a canal - but still a great place to walk / ride / jog. Lined with sakura trees, plenty of grassy areas, many people picnicking along the river today.

> Circled the ponds that are the source of the Zempukuji - folks with tripods & cameras hoping to get shots of the birds that nest in the reeds of the ponds

> On over to Kichijoji for a cruise through a very crowded Inokashira Park. Musicians, magicians, story tellers, flea markets, and more - something for everybody.

>Then, on to a soba lunch at Yoshimura along Inokashira Dori - as they say on their card, "proudly serving fine soba and sake for three generations." And yes - it is very good soba (and the cold Heartland draft beer goes well with it)

> Wheeled on down the road to Hamadayama for two scoops at the recently opened Baskin-Robbins

> Figured after that late soba lunch I'd be too full to do dinner - but Madam Wife knew better - she did up a nice cheese & light foods dish that went well with the glass of La Cabotte (courtesy of our favorite wine merchant Eric Dahler - you can find him here on FB if you want a good wine merchant)

> A bit of 'puter time & that's the day. No traffic jams to fight, no reservations to worry about. Yep - a pretty good Golden Week day!