We took an overnight trip to a Japanese spa...these "gaijin"(='foreigners') went to the men spa....I don't know if everyone knows - but in Japanese spa, you have to go in totally naked....and there are some locals who just stare at gaijin even with clothes on... I worried how they did...
みんなで1泊の温泉旅行へ。この人たちも「「男湯」へ。。。大丈夫だったんでしょうか。。。。(「外人」ってことでもろに「ガン見」する方もいらっしゃるので。。。)
At souvenir store - my mom tried this hat? on - surprisingly it actually suits her!
お土産屋さんで「こけし」をかぶってみちゃった、ちゃーちゃん。何気に似合ってる?
We stayed at this hotel...
泊まったのはここ。福島県内の飯坂温泉、ホテル聚楽。。。
This hotel used to to use a Marylyn Monroe lookalike on TV ad and that is why they leave this cardboard in the lobby I guess....Kiko being Marylyn here...hehehe...
子供の頃、ここのテレビのコマーシャルは、何故かマリリンモンローのそっくりさんがでてきて、「じゅらくよ〜」というものだった。。。これって全国放送だったのだろうか。希子もやってみました。
The next day we visited nearby lake "Lake Hibara," which was formed by the eruption of Mount Bandai in1888...
翌日は檜原(ひばら)湖へ。磐梯山が噴火して川が塞き止められてできた湖だそうです。
We missed the big tourist boat so instead we chartered a small boat...
遊覧船がすでに出発してしまった後だったので、チャーター船に乗ることに。
Kiko was just having fun being with the family...
観光より、みんなと一緒の行動が楽しくてしょうがない希子。
and did not leave Aunt Y...
アンユーちゃんにべったり。。。
wasn't it fun, Kiko...?
よかったねえ。
The gang of 13 year old and fifty something year old....they look like the ones who were just being too excited on a school trip(and would end up getting into trouble!....)
13歳と、ごじゅううん歳。修学旅行でおちゃらけて先生にお目玉くらう生徒って必ずいたけど、そんな感じ満載の二人に見えませんか?。。。
The water looked very cold...
水はとっても冷たそう。。。
a few people fishing there..
釣りをしてる人もちらほら。。。
You can see the volcanic mountain - "Bandai" - and can see the erupted side from this lake
裏磐梯が望めます。
During the winter the whole lake gets frozen and you can actually walk on it....it's hard to believe...
冬は湖全体が凍結して岸から岸まで歩いて渡れるらしい。こんな大きな湖が完璧に凍るなんて信じられないけどなあ。
Lunch aferward at the famous noodle town Kitakata. We tried at "Bannai"
It wasn't outstanding - but good....I would give 3 stars (out of 5)!
Probably one more entry for Japan trip.....bear with me!!!
その後喜多方までラーメンを食べに。。。「坂内食堂」へ。。混んでます。
好みでしょうが、、、うーむ。星3つ、、、かな。
あともう一回日本帰国の写真になりそうです〜
and just two of us which has become a rare shot....as soon as Kiko found out she shouted "I want to join in(the photo)"...maybe she didn't eat much lunch or maybe it was too hot...I don't know....
Here we go, Kiko. You are the center of the photo!
There were a lot of visitors there though it was a weekday...we went on a tour of the inside the castle but it was too crowded in a small space with steep stairs....not good for elderly and small children.
The outside makes up for it though...it was very masculine looking castl.
中よりも外観の方が素敵ですね。。。白壁が少なくてしぶーい感じでした。。。
Finally we were headed to my home town, Iwaki, Fukushima. We didn't leave Matsumoto until 3pm(spent longer time looking inside than we expected).
Bob's estimate travel time was about 4 and half hours without no rest/no traffic jam...as expectetd we did hit a traffic jam but we made it in 5 hours without stopping for a break at all!!!
Sam and Peter have been years of training sitting in a car (with electronic devises I think the boys can probably drive to the moon...) but our 3 year old was a superstar....sitting in the middle seat in a car for 5 hours without pee!!!