The swell had died down for our last morning at Lamp no yado. It was wake up, onsen, big breakfast again, pack and go. We had a longish drive to Takayama ahead of us, made longish because we wanted to hug the coastline instead of take the expressway inland.
It was lovely. Ultra quiet, both the road and the sea. A lake. Then we got towards the bottom of the peninsula and after a turn I spotted snowy peaks on the other side. They looked vaguely like a band of clouds, but it was snow on high mountains, jutting into the sea.
We stopped for coffee in a town called Nanao. Get out of big cities and coffee is almost as bad as in the States. Barely tastes of coffee at all. Sadly Nanao only looked like a big town the coffee was pretty rubbish even though the place looked cool and the guy was nice. We asked if he knew of any okonomi-yaki restaurant in town (we couldn’t have any more fish!). They only opened in the evening but he went on the net and gave us the address of one place in the next town, Himi. But next door was a supermarket with lots of salads and we thought a picnic was in order. I went back in the café and asked where the nearest bakery was. The guy got out and almost walked me there. Then he shook my hand and thanked me. ? indeed.
With our shopping done we drove on a bit until we found a lovely spot in a harbour, sitting on the jetty, across from the snowy peaks still and bathed in the friendliest sun. Great lunch. European to some extent, which was very much welcome.
Then we drove on again and a few hours later we were in Takayama. I’d always thought the town was just a convenient stop on the way to the mountain village Alex had lined up for us. But we saw lots of white faces around. At the hotel’s onsen, a fat Italian guy asked me if he could keep his swimming trunks on. Goes to show innit. Point being that the place was full of ‘us’, and it made me think there must be something a bit special about Takayama.
When we got out and walked to the old district, which was all shut and dark, it wasn’t obvious. But the streets had charm. And very nice restaurants, including a Franco-Italian one called Le midi. We tried not to go there, but did in the end. They made a wicked minestrone, and Alex ordered spaghetti with Japanese aubergines. All very nice and NOT fishy.
The onsen was something else. No, you didn’t get a direct view of the sea. But of the whole city, from inside and outside. Long hotspring pool in, with wet ‘nap’ area. Then another pool outside, next to a wooden tub of boiling water, all of them with glass walls and parapets so you can, depending on your inclination, view the world or parade your private parts. From the 9th floor, so you’re safe, mind.
Anyway, good day. Another one.
LAO Confidential 