Author Archives: boogkb

Overcast to sunny, rain stopped but noticibly cooler in the mountains. This is ski country, no skiing yet. A day of two mountain passes on a very light breakfast. This morning food was different. Not to our taste. Taro served, … Continue reading →

Rain with clearing. Longest walk today but cut short. Picture postcard walk in the Kiso mountains. Trees amazing colors, Vermont plus. Then a sudden rainstorm making the path too dangerous to climb and descent. Kami of a powerful woman samuri … Continue reading →

Rainy morning, clearing to overcast. Garden at ryokan last evening, pictured. Magone, old post town, fully preserved. Water wheel, no overhead lines, original architecture, built on hill of course. Wonderful walk through a pictures forest. Postcard pretty. One of the … Continue reading →

All day rain Spot where the famous wood print was viewed for the artist's impression. Perry woodblock print original. Curator would not answer what he thought of Perry visit, a seminal one for Japan. Heavy rain, soaked throughout. Stopped at … Continue reading →

Another nice day a little cooler. QB looking forward to private bathroom ensuite, as am I. Laundry too. Still no WiFi,T-Mobile works but not all the pictures loaded for the past two days. Business hotel with WiFi. The tree is … Continue reading →

Another warm day,a bit warmer and very sunny Today we start walking on the better and more continuous parts of NB the nakasendo trail. For the past two days we have walked bits and pieces, picking up trains to avoid … Continue reading →

Another warm perfect day Short walk to hikone castle. Two black swans possibly pictured. Up to the castle: a day without stairs is a day without rice. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hikone_Castle QB vetoed the guardian statute. Buckwheat tea is their local drink. Almost … Continue reading →

Another perfect day, almost as too hot! Free day until 18:00 when we join up with the nakasendo way group for an introductory dinner. First to this most excellent temple. No pictures allowed, marking everywhere within the temple, great 1001 … Continue reading →

Another perfect day City tour of Kyoto via oku Japan. Palace First. The palace is open to visitors for a week in the fall and we got in on the last if crowded day. Standard impressive palace keeping in mind … Continue reading →

Rain,glorious rain! Nicely it easier until after all the hiking and step climbing to shrines. Yesterdays ryoken was even more officious than the others. Threw a small group of us out after dinner, no bath or shower in the morning! … Continue reading →