私達の住んでいる部屋から戸倉上山田温泉の周辺の山々が見えます。今朝、起きたら、城山の天辺が白くなっていたことを見ました。やはり、秋が終わって、冬が始まりましたね！
The bedroom where we sleep here at Kamesei Ryokan has a view of the mountains surrounding Togura Kamiyamada Onsen. When we woke up this morning, we were greeted by the sight of Jyou-Yama (Joe Mountain?) covered in white. Alas, Autumn is gone and Winter is starting!
2つ目の露天風呂造りの次の作業：ペンキ塗り。元の色が黄色でした。その黄色は昔に流行っていましたでしょうかね。うちの地元のアメリカにも１９５０年代とか６０年代にはやっていた金色とか緑が今に思うと、かなりひどいです。この壁の黄色はそれほどひどくないけれど、白く塗りなおすのにすっきりで綺麗になります。
The work on our second outdoor bath goes on. Today I did some more painting. The original color was a hideous yellow. It reminds me of remodelling our home back in Seattle. Some of the base colors were putrid golds and ugly greens from the 1950s and 60s. What were people thinking back then? The yellow on our exterior here wasn't that bad, but is sure looks cleaner and prettier with a fresh coat of white paint.
信州戸倉上山田温泉の亀清旅館のHPはこちらClick here for the website of Kamesei Ryokan in Nagano.
イチョウの木は生きている化石と言われています。恐竜のころにもあったようです。歴史のある木の種類。上山田温泉の１００年+の歴史を記念する亀清旅館の｢１００年風呂」の横にイチョウの木があります。今日、その落ち葉とこのお風呂、歴史的の物同士でなんとなく似合っています。
The ginkgo tree is considered a living fossil, with forebearers dating back to the era of the dinosaurs. Kamiyamada Onsen dates back over 100 years. Here at Kamesei Ryokan, we have one of these historical ginkgo trees right next to our "100 Year Bath", which honors the history of our onsen. Today, the gold leaves had mostly fallen and were mingling with our bath. The two historical objects complemented each other well.
信州戸倉上山田温泉の亀清旅館のHPはこちらClick here for the website of Kamesei Ryokan in Nagano.
おきゃくさまに戸倉駅へ連れて行く途中で駅の上の天狗公園によりました。日本一大きい天狗と言う説があるので美咲ちゃんは納得できたようです。公園の桜の木の葉っぱの皆が落ちていました。冬がこれから始まりそうです。今年の秋の紅葉は遅れてきたけどうんと綺麗でした。
On the way to dropping a guest off at Togura Station, we stopped at the Tengu park on the hill above the station. The Tengu (=goblin) statue is supposedly the tallest in the country. Our daughter Misaki sure was impressed by the size. The leaves on all of the cherry trees in the park had already fallen. It feels like winter is just around the corner. The fall colors seemed to take their time in coming this year, but they sure were beautiful!
信州戸倉上山田温泉の亀清旅館のHPはこちらClick here for the website of Kamesei Ryokan in Nagano
Where's everyone going!?1?
千曲市の観光協会と戸倉上山田温泉の名人物、村越さん、の提供で今日は千曲川でポールウォーキングのイベントが行いました。普通のウォーキングと違って、上半身も使いますのでかなりいい運動になります。私も参加しましたのでファンになりました。
Chikuma City's Tourism Bureau in colloboration with Togura Kamiyamada Onsen's jack-of-all-trades Murakoshi-san, put on a Nordic Pole Walking demonstration today. Myself and other innkeepers got to participate. We tried out the poles while walking along the banks of the Chikuma River. Compared with normal walking, it gives you quite a good upper body workout. I'm hooked!
ポールウォーキングの問い合わせは観光協会へFor inquiries, contact the Travel Bureau.
信州戸倉上山田温泉の亀清旅館のHPはこちらClick here for the website of Kamesei Ryokan in Nagano
長野県の多言語観光HPの為にどの観光地を載せるか調査する予定です。その為にこの表を作ってみました。既にLonely PlanetやMichelinやjapan-guide.comに載っているところと私と友人のピックを表にしました。ご参考にどうぞ！
Nagano Prefecture is updating its English, Korean and Chinese tourism websites and there will be a questionnaire to decide which travel destinations to list on the new site. I prepared this list comparing what sites are presently listed in Lonely Planet, Michelin Guide and japan-guide.com, along with a friend and my picks. Feel free to peruse!
上山田保育園に寄ったら、子供達が落ち葉と遊んでいました。昔、実家で落ち葉をでかい山にレーキングして、その葉っぱの山にジャンプした遊びを思い出しました。日本の子供達もその遊びするかな？
When I stopped by Kamiyamada Preschool, I spotted this scene of the kids playing outside with the fallen leaves. It reminded me of when I was a kid, how we used to rake the leaves into a huge mound and then jump into them. I wonder if kids here in Japan do that, too?
薪ストーブの温もり
母親と赤ちゃん、ロッキングチェアで揺り揺り
長男がピアノ「聖者の行進」
お客様がハーモニカで合唱
...亀清旅館のロビーの一時。
The warmth of the wood stove
A mom rocking her baby on the rocking chair
Our son playing "When the Saints Come Marching In" on the piano
A guest accompanying on the harmonica
... Welcome to an evening in Kamesei Ryokan's lobby.
信州戸倉上山田温泉の亀清旅館のHPはこちらClick here for the website of Kamesei Ryokan in Nagano
Fresh out of the oven
昨日まで天気が良くて、お昼は２つ目の露天風呂の工事で塗装は大分進めました。続きは今日にやりたかったけど雨になっちゃって、あきらめました。代わりに、雨の日と言えばクッキーを焼く日だ！
私の母親のレシピーでシアトルの味です。お客様のお茶菓子として出しております。夕方に着いたお客様に焼きたてのクッキーを上げたら、喜んで頂きました。｢このクッキーを売っていますか？｣と聞かれました。｢いいえ、泊まりに来ないと駄目です」と。｢お前、商売が上手だね｣と言われました。まあ、そのつもりじゃないですけど、ただ、クッキーは沢山を売ってしまえば、また焼かなきゃいけないです。そしてまた次の雨の日まで待つようになってしまい。。。
We had nice fall weather up until yesterday. I took advantage of it and made good progress on painting the surroundings of our 2nd outdoor bath that I am starting to build. I was planning on more painting today, but it clouded up and started to rain. So, what is there to do on a rainy day? Bake cookies, of course!
My mother gave me a recipe for oatmeal cookies, and I bake them to give to our guests with their tea. Our guests this evening were fortunate -- their cookies came right out of the oven. One guest asked if we sell the cookies. I told him no, that they're only for people who come and stay with us. He said I was a clever businessman. I didn't intend it that way -- it's just if I sell a bunch, that means I have to make a bunch more. And that means waiting for another rainy day...
クッキーのレシピーはこちらClick here for the cookie recipe
亀清旅館の中庭に今度紅葉の色が目立ってきました。特に今日の秋晴れでこのもみじが綺麗でした。日本は四季がはっきりしていて良いですね！
Fall Colors have come to Kamesei's 'naka-niwa' garden. This Japanese Maple is especially pretty in the Autumn sun.
信州戸倉上山田温泉の亀清旅館のHPはこちらClick here for the website of Kamesei Ryokan in Nagano
