Westward Ho!

Reading: Marie Antoinette: The Journey, Antonia Fraser
Listening: "Clothes Off," Gym Class Heroes feat. Patrick Slump

Saturday, September 8
We woke up late in Tamba again. And we ate Curry House for lunch. Again. It doesn't take a mathematician to observe a pattern in our weekend activities.

I am officially in love with the chicken katsu curry soup, despite that it makes my tummy hurt.

At home, we worked on travel plans. I planned from bed with my eyes closed. In the evening, we ate not at YouMe Town, but at SteakOne, where I had a cheap garlic steak. Mmm, meat.

On Friday, I visited my neighborhood 明月堂 (Meigetsudo), the shop from which my tea ceremony instructor purchases the sweets for our classes. There, I bought a box of the aforementioned ayu. filled with mochi and anko. I promptly devoured one fish on Saturday evening. Meigetsudo will certainly appear in another post. Perhaps I should host a sweets party.

Invitee: Me.

Sunday, September 9
We left Tamba early and met Clay in Miki around 9:00 am. He parked his Daihatsu Mira at my place, and the three of us set out for Western Hyogo in Super Windy. We were on yet another mission for Michi no Eki stamps. In total, we visited eight stations, the details of which are not at my desk with me. Yes, I am lazy.

Our first stop sat beside the ocean. It was designed after the dragon boats that race nearby.

Chris imitating the mascot Dai-chan. (He is a daikon!)

Habatan loves you.

Raaargh!

Veggies.

The front of this station features an enormous (cute) snake sign that reads "Welcome home."

This region is famous for apples.
But we bought pears. Mwaha.
The pears are crisp, juicy, and sweet.

In search of castle ruins, we climbed a mountain. I would have made a horrible invader. I hiked in silver Crocs carrying a walking stick (free at the entrance) too short for me. I used the bamboo pole to thwack spiderwebs blocking my path.

Clay, wandering into the wilderness.

Nice views make hiking worth the effort.

What a sassy pumpkin.

At the station famous for blueberries, I ordered apple soft cream.

The boys ordered blueberry, and I had a taste of both.

We finished our Michi no Eki Tour around 5:00 pm--a long day--and we unwound at Somen no Sato (Somen Village), where we found somen meals at the restaurant. Though we eat cold somen yearround in Hawaii, here in Japan, chilled somen (served on ice) is purely for summertime.

Mmm. fish heads and somen.