Father Breakfast, (again, ruined by the previous evening’s meal), packed and in the lobby for the 10.30 a.m. shuttle bus to Tokyo station. There was no 10.30 shuttle bus. We took taxis. Spent the time waiting for our train wandering … Continue reading →

Father Having eaten so well the night before, the hotel buffet breakfast was far less appetising. Wife, daughter and I set off for a “brush museum”. Turned out to be a display room for a brush making company – all … Continue reading →

Father Room too dark and claustrophobic for full comfort, but the beds and pillows and shower are all good. Wife slept well. The hotel has an included buffet breakfast that contains enough variety to feed even the vegans amongst us. … Continue reading →

Father Travel day. Breakfast. Two cars to the train station – minshuku owner insisted on helping out with his car. Then hanging around till the first train – the small Aizu Mountain Express. Daughter and the train driver became friends … Continue reading →

Father Another relatively lazy day. No appetite for breakfast. Drifted in and out of sleep in the minshuku whilst wife climbed a nearby mountain. Once she had returned, we wandered to a dengaku place down the road that I have … Continue reading →

Father Slow start, very tired. Wife, daughter, student two and student three went for a drive. I napped. Then daughter, myself and wife headed for the castle, so daughter could do some souvenir shopping. They went ahead and abandoned me, … Continue reading →

Father Driving. Went to a Buddhist temple on the way to Kitakata. We like Kitakata because two years ago we had a gestalt culinary experience there; which we hoped to duplicate. The temple has a gingko tree that is over … Continue reading →

Father Today we fully abandoned the “serving suggestion” trip itinerary that was thrown into chaos by the introduction of student three’s car. We drove to an Edo period post town, taken off the main highway by the Meiji restoration, so … Continue reading →

Father Today, student three bought a car, so transportation is now positively luxurious and simple. Our weary legs thank him. In said car we travelled to the Nisshinkan. The dynamic between student three driving behind the wheel and student two … Continue reading →

Father Big festival day. No, that was yesterday. Is late. Is bourbon. Today we went for a walk in the forest. I come here for the forest. Off to town for the Shinsengumi remembrance ceremony. Was hot, much sun. It … Continue reading →