Snow
Last week was the Mie mid-year conference, it went fine and was surprisingly uneventful especially in comparison to last year and two days out of school is always good.
This weekend a group of us went to Akakura in Niigata on a ski trip; except I didn't ski or snow board. When I signed up I originally thought that I'd give one or the other a go for the first time but decided that it wasn't worth it - my back still hurts sometimes and didn't think it would be such a good idea to go hurling myself down a mountain.
Instead I walked around, ate lots of food, drank lots of coffee, did lots of reading and went to an onsen (Japanese hot bath). I had such a nice weekend and it was great to hang out with everyone. I even enjoyed the onsen, I was previously unconvinced by onsens. I'd only really tried it once before and found the water to be so hot I came over all dizzy and I hate to be so British and prudish but thought of walking around naked is really quite unappealing. However, most of the time I was the only person there and there was a bath outside so you could sit outside surrounded by the snow (and if I'm honest rain but I won't dwell on that as it makes it sound far less romantic) which was really nice.
Even the journey wasn't so bad, I was REALLY nervous before heading off as some people had pulled out because they'd be warned the road conditions might be bad because of all the snow. I'm already a very nervous passenger these days without the extra threat of skidding off an icy road and plummeting to our deaths on a snow covered mountain. Needless to say though, the roads were fine, driving conditions were good, Doug's driving was great and we made it up to Akakura in five hours.
This is a hotel in Akakura which had a whole team of people clearing the snow from it. I have no idea how it had got in this state in the first place as no other buildings in the town were in such a bad way.
This weekend a group of us went to Akakura in Niigata on a ski trip; except I didn't ski or snow board. When I signed up I originally thought that I'd give one or the other a go for the first time but decided that it wasn't worth it - my back still hurts sometimes and didn't think it would be such a good idea to go hurling myself down a mountain.
Instead I walked around, ate lots of food, drank lots of coffee, did lots of reading and went to an onsen (Japanese hot bath). I had such a nice weekend and it was great to hang out with everyone. I even enjoyed the onsen, I was previously unconvinced by onsens. I'd only really tried it once before and found the water to be so hot I came over all dizzy and I hate to be so British and prudish but thought of walking around naked is really quite unappealing. However, most of the time I was the only person there and there was a bath outside so you could sit outside surrounded by the snow (and if I'm honest rain but I won't dwell on that as it makes it sound far less romantic) which was really nice.
Even the journey wasn't so bad, I was REALLY nervous before heading off as some people had pulled out because they'd be warned the road conditions might be bad because of all the snow. I'm already a very nervous passenger these days without the extra threat of skidding off an icy road and plummeting to our deaths on a snow covered mountain. Needless to say though, the roads were fine, driving conditions were good, Doug's driving was great and we made it up to Akakura in five hours.
This is a hotel in Akakura which had a whole team of people clearing the snow from it. I have no idea how it had got in this state in the first place as no other buildings in the town were in such a bad way.
At the izakaya in the evening.
I took a cable car up the mountain, here's the view from the restaurant where I sat and drank lots of coffee.
Here is a picture I took from the cable car of a small road that had been cut through the snow.
posted by Helen at
1:58 am
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