Look, purple rice!

亀清旅館の売店で紫米を売っています。クロスロードと言う身体障害者の為の施設が作っています。古米の一種で普通のお米にちょっとだけ入れたら全部が紫になります。
そこまで私が分かっていました。この間は近場の田んぼで、いつもの緑色の中で紫の色もあって、びっくりしました。考えてみれば、紫米の稲も紫だと言うことが当たり前です。でも、始めた見ると驚きますよね！
At our little sales counter here at Kamesei Ryokan, we sell Purple Rice. A local facility for mentally impaired people produces it. It's an ancient strain of rice, and when you add a little bit with normal rice when you cook it the whole thing turns purple.
That much I knew. The other day, I happened to see a rice paddy nearby that, among the normal green rows, had some dark purple rows, too. If you think about it, it makes sense that purple rice would have purple stalks, but it was still surprising to see it for the first time!

New roof at Chorakuji

週末にお客さんを連れて姨捨の長楽寺によりました。ひとつな建物の屋根がずっと工事中でしたが、今回に見たら工事が完成でした。萱の屋根の材料や技術者がほとんどない中で、こんな素敵な屋根が出来たのは大したものだ！周辺の姨捨駅でＪＲの特別スイッチバック列車を見に来ていた人たちに長楽寺にも足を運んでもらいたかった。
Last weekend I took a guest to see the Chorakuji Temple. One of the buildings' roofs had been under construction for the longest time, but is now finally finished. The thatched roof is spectacular, especially considering thatch is hard to come by, as well as carpenters who know how to do it.
There were lots of people at nearby Obasute Station taking photos of JR's special Switchback train -- I wish some of them had come to see Chorakuji, too.

Moon Viewing Temple Chorakuji

夜の松本城

夕べは会議のために松本に行きましたので終わってから松本のダウンタウンをぶらぶらしました。ライトアップのお城も綺麗ですし、本町の橋の周辺のモダンな建物やガス等が素敵でした。Ｏｌｄ　Ｒｏｃｋと言うパブで食事したので久しぶりにＧｕｉｎｎｅｓｓを飲めた。松本はやはりお洒落だね。
但し、最後で駅の前に中国のお姉さんに「マッサージをかけますか？」と言われなくても良かったですけど。。。
Last night I was in Matsumoto for a meeting. Afterwards, I strolled around the downtown area. The castle is so pretty lit up at night, and the modern architecture and gas lamps around the Honmachi bridge were an elegant combination. And I found out the Old Rock Irish Pub pulls a very drinkable Guinness. All in all, a very good evening, except for being asked about a massage by the Chinese lady in front of 'Moto Station...

亀清旅館のＨＰはこちらClick here for Kamesei Ryokan website.

Old Rockの情報はこちらClick here for info on Old Rock

松本の観光のＨＰはこちらClick here for 'Moto Sightseeing website.

本町のお洒落 Honmachi Elegance

As good a shamrock as any