Japan #6

Saturday April 5th saw us having breakfast at the hotel. It was very crowded with more coach parties - lots of eggs, bacon and clashing of cutlery, which always makes me a little sad as you can have that sort of thing at home.

Before heading off to explore Takayama's old town, we had a little wander round the gift shop attached to the hotel. There was nothing there to tempt us, but R did have to do a hasty retracing of his steps when we stepped outside into the sunshine and he realised that he had put his phone down whilst examining something. If I have to rely on him for his sense of direction, he relies on me to make sure he goes about without randomly shedding his belongings - wallet, phone, keys, glasses; it's a constant litany.

The old town itself has been beautifully preserved with many buildings and streets dating back centuries. Homes, shops, cafes and sake breweries pepper the streets and rickshaws ply their trade with tourists.

 

Takayama Jinya is a beautiful traditional Japanese building, which used to serve as Takayama's Government office. We took off our shoes and padded round the route through the many rooms. My favourite bit was sitting in the sun on a veranda overlooking the garden.

One of my favourite shops in the old quarter was a traditional sashiko embroidery shop. A simple running stitch of white thread on indigo dyed fabric is used to produce beautiful items of clothing, cushion covers, table runners and other decorative pieces. It was all very expensive but beautiful and we left emptyhanded but pondering on a wall hanging made of embroidered old kimonos - not the one shown below:

Twice a year, Takayama hold a festival featuring old floats. During the festival, a portable shrine (mikoshi) is carried around the town in a parade. The mikoshi contains the shrine's Shinto deity and the festival is the only time that the deity leaves the shrine. Festival floats are pulled through the streets with several of the floats being decorated with mechanical dolls which can move and dance. We saw one of the floats being prepared:

After catching the end of the morning market, we stopped by a 7-11 to pick up food for a picnic and then went and sat by the river to enjoy it. When we first arrived, we were the only ones there but, being visible from the bridge, we obviously gave people ideas. By the time we had finished lunch we had started a trend and many people had joined us, sitting on the bank eating and enjoying the sound of the rushing water.

After lunch, we visited one of the many sake breweries to do a tasting! The different types of sake were kept in vats. You paid a certain amount and received 6 tokens. Each token allowed you to taste a sample of sake by placing a small plastic cup under a tap and pushing a button which dispensed a set amount. They ranged from very dry through, dry, slightly sweet to sweet and from younger ones to the most aged. We tried the most aged one - most were clear but this one had a yellowish tinge. Neither we, nor the pair of German lads also doing a tasting, liked the older one. Our favourite was slightly sweet and, obviously, the most expensive one available. We avoided buying any and wobbled out into the sunshine.

Having wandered around the Takayama Museum of Art, we visited the Crafts Experience Centre which  showed various craftspeople demonstrating their trade. For the equivalent of £10 - £15, you could take part in your choice of workshop.

R wanted to make a bamboo lamp and, not fancying any of the other workshops, I was more than happy to sit down and watch him. After choosing a suitable length of bamboo, a pattern template is taped in place and drills of various sizes used to make the holes. R is quite handy with a drill and had no problem quickly finishing the lamp. The chap running the workshop, then split the bamboo down the back - as the bamboo dries, it will split anyway and it is better to split it in a controlled manner down the back, than risk it splitting randomly and ruining your design. He also gave me a semicircle of bamboo, drilled with holes, which he said was a foot massager. I don't know about that, but it's certainly very handy for storing paintbrushes and pencils in my garden shed!

R's light is the one on the right. We still have to fit it with a suitable bulb at home:

Clutching R's lamp, we set off to walk the Higashiyama Walking Course; a pleasant 3.5km route through Takayama's Temple Town, suburbs and a park. We didn't have a map but the frequent signs were easy to spot and we had no difficulty following the route. It was nice to see a few of the less touristy bits, with people working in their gardens and going about daily life.

After returning to the hotel we were very tired. We had supper at Coco Curry House again as it was easy to get to, cheap and delicious. Afterwards we tried the other Onsen bath. This had a much nicer outside part with trees, several pools and a mini waterfall. It was, however, much more crowded and I preferred the quieter, smaller bath that we had used on the previous evening.

During breakfast the following morning, I was kept entertained by watching children choosing what they would like to eat and putting it on one of the children's trays provided. My favourite was one little girl, aged about 5, who decided that 5 cherry tomatoes and 2 chips (with accompanying ketchup) was just the thing!

Picking up some miso on a leaf, we assumed that we would just eat it cold to accompany the other dishes. Not so! A waitress came along and placed the dish of miso over a candle which she lit and informed us to leave it for 3 minutes to heat through. After 3 minutes it was bubbling nicely and made a tasty accompaniment to breakfast.

Making an early start, we set off on the 2 hour drive to Tsumago, in order to walk the old Nakasendo Trail to Magone. We paused briefly en route to use the facilities of a small market. Here we bought a small set of wooden measuring spoons - we already have one set at home, but they are usually in the dishwasher when needed, so we decided that another set just for bread making would be ideal.

The path between Magone and Tsumago is a well maintained section of the mountainous Nakasendo route that connected Tokyo to Kyoto. It is about 8km long and takes about 2-3 hours to walk at a leisurely pace. Most people walk from Magone to Tsumago, consequently we decided to park in Tsumago, take the bus to Magone and then walk back to our car. On arriving in Tsumago, however, we realised that we had just missed the connecting bus and there wouldn't be another one for over an hour. As the whole walk is only supposed to take 2-3 hours, we decided to set off and do it in reverse, taking the bus back to Mr. Lawrence at the end. It turns out that there is a very good reason why most people do the trail in the other direction - the route from Tsumago to Magone is nearly all uphill!

Thankfully, the route was mostly shaded by trees and there was a certain grim satisfaction to be had by doing it the hard way!

Periodically, we would come across bells suspended from wooden frames. Thinking them to be some sort of pilgrimage ritual, we cheerfully rang them at every opportunity. It was only towards the end of the walk (ie. the beginning if you're doing it the recommended way) that we spotted the signs .......

We'd even stopped for a picnic lunch by the river halfway. It must have been like the Twix advert - 'It doesn't matter if you choose left or right, they're both chewy, crunchy and delicious'! Since returning home, I was telling a friend who used to live in Canada about the bears. Apparently, it is common amongst Canadians to wear a bracelet with bells on whilst out hiking to deter them. Unfortunately, in a sort of Pavlovian development, the bears in some areas now associate the sound of the bells with food; it's like ringing a dinner gong!

We stopped for refreshment at a free tea room - yes, it was actually free - and chatted to some people on a walking tour who came from all over the world. It was a restful interlude as we sipped our green tea whilst squinting through the smoke of the wood fire. We left at the same time, the group carrying on downhill and us continuing to slog upwards.

Nearing the end, we passed a man working in his garden. He seemed remarkably friendly and encouraged us to have a little look around. Despite his sign lowering expectations, his garden was lovely; full of small statues and items made out of recycled materials. We added our small change to a collection near a bird bath and continued on our way.

Reaching the end of the trail, we walked up the main street of Magone, full of tourist shops and cafes. It took us a while to work out which bus we needed and longer still to get over the disappointment of us having to wait an hour and 45 mins for the next and last bus of the day. I was a little worried that, being the last bus, it would be full, but as most people had started the trail from this point that wasn't an issue.

We killed some time in a cafe, with R having a matcha tea and a sweet chestnut cake. The bus back to Tsumago took 30 minutes and then we had the 2 hour drive back to our hotel. The journey back wasn't without incident - the skies suddenly darkened and we were treated to spectacular lightning, hailstones and then a snow storm. We had to drive quite slowly to avoid skidding and Mr. Lawrence didn't like it one bit!

Supper was a return trip to Coco curry house - it was handy and we were too tired to go anywhere else. A hot onsen warmed us up nicely and reduced any aches from the long uphill trek and the tense drive home. Even so, I was glad to get into bed, which incidentally had been stowed away and then remade in our absence!

Breakfast on the 7th April was a busy affair with even more coach tourists. We were seated in a separate room which was a little disappointing as it reduced my ability to people watch. 

After exploring the hotel's Japanese garden, complete with carp and ducks, we checked out, put our cases in the boot and drove to the Valor supermarket that we had briefly pottered round a few days before. Here we bought a Japanese kitchen knife. We had spotted some at the market in Kyoto earlier in the holiday, but, whilst beautiful, they had been very expensive. Here they were much cheaper and one now hangs in pride of place on my knife rack; I use it daily and love it! 

Parking back at the hotel, we walked back into the Takayama old quarter and purchased the sashiko embroidered wall hanging, made from old kimonos, that we had admired on our previous visit. It is currently being framed with UV resistant glass as I don't want the indigo fabrics to fade. R wanted to buy a small bronze ornament which we saw outside a shop............ until the shopkeeper informed us that it was being used as a weight to hold down the paintings which were actually for sale! He consoled himself by buying a £1 tap wrench from a junk shop - he does like his tools!

Souvenirs safely stowed away, we drove to the Utsue Forty Eight Waterfalls on the way back to Kanazawa. The waterfalls (despite the name, there are only 13) lie in a park spanning 800 hectares of natural beauty. A well-maintained stone path climbs 1km up to the top waterfall. We climbed as high as we could before being stopped by the snow and path repair work. R walked along looking like Gandalf, carrying a staff supplied at the bottom of the trail to aid walking/ward off bears!

From here, we drove along the winding mountainous road to Hida and then Toyama. The scenery was spectacular but, after the  unpredictable weather of the day before, I was a little nervous about the conditions. We stopped briefly at a supermarket to buy gourd sushi and lemon crisps (both much nicer than they sound!) and then, after a wee nap in the car, continued on to the Daiwa Roynet Hotel in Kawazawa. This was the same hotel that we had stayed at before, only this time it wasn't a 'concept' room. There was no colourful rice paper screen and it was more compact.

On arrival at the hotel, Mr. Lawrence was parked in the tower multistorey car park. We had to unpack our cases etc. then park him on a platform which then lifted him upwards and stored him elsewhere. Mr. Lawrence wasn't keen, but at least there was no danger of any snow!

The cumulative effects of the gluten present in most of the food were making themselves more apparent. I had stomach ache and, after using the onsen, spent the evening curled up in bed reading my book. R foraged at a local supermarket and had a supper of veg, tofu and noodles. He too used the onsen but drew the line at the Betty Boop style peepy toe slippers provided - admittedly, only after I had laughed like a drain!

On the morning of Tuesday 8th, my stomach was still playing up and I had little for breakfast. R rescued Mr. Lawrence form the car park and returned him to the car rental place, wishing him 'Merry Christmas' well in advance as he left!

Having taken medication, I managed a walk to Kanazawa Castle. The blossom was more fully out than on our previous visit and, because it was quite breezy, some of it was starting to drop. The castle itself (which was closed last time) was a tad disappointing. The castle had burned down and been renovated several times, so what is visible today is merely an empty reconstruction. Some original broken shards of pottery were on display, as was a picture of a tiger. Tigers were quite the theme and were apparently used to show the owner's dominance over even this powerful animal.

The castle roofs are made of lead - not only to make them fireproof but also so that, in the event of a siege, they could be melted down and cast into bullets:

We walked back to the station and had a coffee in Starbucks. Then R retrieved our cases and we caught the Shinkansen train to Tokyo. R enjoyed a picnic on the train but I was still feeling too yucky to eat.

Before going to Japan, I had read the guide book and discovered that it is apparently considered rude to blow your nose in public there. The alternative, however, seemed to be far worse, with the snorting and sniffing accompanying our train journey resembling some sort of agricultural pumping equipment. We had also witnessed someone in the street doing the thing that so appeals to footballers: occluding one nostril and blowing to clear the other. I fail to see what's wrong with a Kleenex if that's the only alternative!

From Tokyo central, we took the local train to Shinagawa and, after nearly missing our stop, walked the 10 minutes to our final hotel, the Miyako City Hotel. This was very nice, although the temperature in our room was set to 25 degrees and the thermostat failed to go below 20. The toilet was also a little over-eager, with the lid lifting every time we entered the small bathroom, or even walked by the open door. R tried fooling it by trying to sneak past but the toilet won every time!

A drink for R in the bar finished the evening off nicely.

Breakfast on Wednesday 9th was a little disappointing as there was no form of protein available for vegans. We don't ask for much - a bit of tofu or some beans would have been perfect. The dining room also seemed to be full of pushy people, shoving to the front of the queues; I won't mention their nationality, but they made it quite unpleasant.

For our final day, we took the metro to the Imperial Palace, the main residence of the Emperor of Japan. The gardens were beautiful and, apparently, the Emperor himself feeds the many carp found in the pond.

Hearing the sounds of shouting, that sounded like some sort of martial art being practised, we peered through a hedge and saw a military drill taking place. There was a lot of bowing and shouting as they straightened up and it was all fascinating to watch. 

The Palace and gardens are built on the site of the old Edo Castle, the ruins of which can still be seen. We sat in the sunshine enjoying the view and it was all very pleasant.

Leaving the Palace, we took the metro to the waterfront and went in search of the first restaurant that we had visited in Japan, the one with the delicious vegan, GF menu. Sadly, I was feeling quite dreadful by this point and failed to eat much of the food. Not feeling up to much, we found a grassy bank in the sunshine and R people watched whilst I had a little nap. Making our way back to the hotel, reflections of aeroplanes coming into land at Tokyo airport appeared on the windows of the skyscrapers overhead. It was a little unnerving. Arriving back at the hotel, I went straight to bed and R went foraging for supper and impulse bought a bottle of sake.

On Thursday 10th April, our alarm went off at 4.30 and we had a quick shower before doing the last of the packing and taking a taxi to Haneda Tokyo airport. For both of the flights home, our ordered vegan meals failed to appear and the poor flight attendants were left scrabbling around trying to find something for us to eat. To be honest, I wasn't that bothered at this point, 2 weeks of gluten having left me feeling uncomfortable and a bit sandbagged. In addition, throughout both flights the bell seemed to ring constantly with warnings of turbulence - as if we hadn't noticed! That, the lack of food and more agricultural pumping equipment noises meant that our journey home was exceedingly unpleasant, and I was very happy to finally land at Heathrow. We collected our luggage, took the train to Terminal 2 and the bus to the long stay carpark, then drove home. We were in bed by 10pm and awake again at 1.30. I don't know if it's just getting older, but jet lag seems to take longer to shake off these days and it was virtually a week before our sleeping patterns were back to normal.

So, were the awful, long flights and the lack of GF food worth it? Without a shadow of a doubt. The lack of litter and graffiti, the politeness of the people (until they get on a bike, at which point they develop a glint in their eye and they would be happy to run you down like a rat!), the public transport, scenery and gardens were all fantastic. As is the food if you have a normal diet.

We also felt extremely safe; if there was any crime, we didn't see it. R was happy to walk about holding his phone for directions - try doing that in London and it wouldn't last 5 minutes. The pride that the Japanese take in their work, however menial, was also a joy to see. The people are beautiful, despite the urge to dress as Geishas or dye their gorgeous black hair and dress up in a peculiar school girl look with tights, ankle socks and bunches. This last habit was a little disconcerting! More importantly, they have a fine taste in pyjamas and their toilets and public baths are second to none.

Would I go back? In a heartbeat!

Well done if you made it to the end of these posts. I'm glad to get my memories down so that I can relive the holiday whenever life gets a bit tough. I hope all is well in your corner of the world.

Toodle pip for now. x

Japan #5

Thursday 3rd April turned out to be a very noodley sort of day. Breakfast at the hotel was another buffet. One of the highlights was sweet potato in a lemon dressing. I've never thought of pairing sweet potato and lemon before but they really worked well together. There was also a pan full of buckwheat noodles which, at the time, I was very happy to see. Buckwheat, despite having 'wheat' in the name is actually GF. The problem is that buckwheat noodles in the UK often contain wheat as well. Google translate on buckwheat noodles in Japanese shops, however, failed to mention the wheat in the ingredients list, so I was hopeful that they would be 100% buckwheat. They were very nice with some miso and various toppings. 

This hotel was very popular with what seemed to be SAGA coach tours. Everyone seemed to know each other and they all gathered in the hotel foyer after breakfast to head off on their coach for the day. I'm in 2 minds about coach tours - neither of my parents could drive and we did several such holidays when I was young. If you're a loan traveller and want the security of a planned itinerary and company whilst seeing a bit of the world, they are probably fantastic - you remove all the stress, danger and make some friends along the way. My issue is that it ties you to a set timetable: you can't decide that you would like to spend a bit more time in a particular place, omit bits that don't interest you, or choose to have a lazy morning if you feel a bit under the weather; it's onto the coach and off to the next place. I also suffer from people overload if forced to be sociable for prolonged periods so, all in all, I don't think they are for me. Ask me again in 10 years though and I may have changed my mind!

First stop of the day was Omicho market; Kanazawa's oldest and largest fresh food market. We set off, walking through Kanazawa station - voted one of the World's 14 best railway stations, with its glass dome and arch. The arch is based on the shape of a small drum used in Japanese Noh theatre.

 

The fountain clock also kept us entertained as we waited for the watery numbers to change:

Omicho market has been around for 300 years and the 180 stalls sell a range of food types - meat, fish, fruit, vegetables and deli items. The seaweed stalls were fascinating and we bought some dried kelp to bring home. The bamboo shoots were also impressive:

We also bought a small tin of wasabi powder - basically because I liked the tin! - and some plum and kelp tea with gold leaf for the girls and neighbours. Again, this came in a very pretty package. E has since tried hers and declared it 'unusual' and 'an experience'! She's a big fan of various types of tea but, apparently, this one strayed more to the side of kelp than plum, making it more soup-like. I might have to apologise to the neighbours! :O)

We walked on to Kenroku-en; a garden created by one of Japan's feudal lords and now designated a Special Place of Scenic Beauty, with its strolling style Japanese landscape. It is named as one of the best 3 gardens in Japan and it was absolutely stunning; I loved it. It is reached by walking through a park near to Kanazawa Castle, where the cherry trees were blooming their little hearts out. I loved the Japanese tendency to picnic under the blossom, but that and the number of selfies being taken made taking photos of the trees tricky.

It was a drizzly kind of day but that didn't detract from our enjoyment of the garden one jot. Everywhere we looked were beautiful trees, stone lanterns, waterfalls and vistas. We walked the many paths, watching the gardeners doing their work. Every job in Japan, no matter how small, seems to be done with such care and attention and to the best of their ability. One of the gardeners used a small brush to carefully remove every bit of dead leaf from under the shrubs; it was very impressive and kept the gardens pristine. The wooden props used to support some of the older trees gave us the idea to do a similar thing with our cherry tree at home; it's definitely in need of a little support!

Getting a little peckish, we stopped for a bowl of noodles(!) at a small cafe. Initially, we sat outside on low tables covered in tatami mats. The simple meal was delicious and the accompanying view made it very special indeed. The rain returned, heavier this time, and we adjourned to the room inside the cafe, removing our shoes and sitting on the floor at low tables.

The cafe room is actually the one on stilts, projecting out over the lake, shown below:

After lunch, we continued exploring, until it was time for our pre-booked traditional Japanese tea ceremony, held in one of the several teahouses in the garden. A kimono clad lady met us at the designated spot and led us into the tearoom. There were about 12 of us in all, and I happened to sit in the first place available on the right hand side of the semicircle, unwittingly putting myself in pole position and being used to demonstrate proceedings first. Hating to be the centre of attention, it was more than a little nerve-wracking!

The wall hanging denotes the words harmony, respect, purity and tranquility.

                                    

According to our host, harmony is present in the room through its composition (flowers, scroll, chosen utensils). The guests and all things around us are respected. The purity (both spiritual and physical) comes from the heart of the host and extends to everything in the room, and tranquility is the result of these 3 principles. The idea is to purify one's heart and reconnect with nature through this serenity.

A second lady performed the actual tea ceremony. She was very calm and peaceful, entering the room with the left foot first and not stepping on the black lines on the tatami matting. Apparently, the lines used to be the family names written down, so to tread on them means disrespecting your ancestors.

There is a strict sequence of events during the ceremony. First, you have to eat something sweet to reduce the bitterness of the matcha. We were provided with small cakes (V+GF) which were delicious. When presented with your bowl of tea (pattern facing you), you pick it up in your right hand, place it on your left palm and rotate it twice through 90 degrees, so that the pattern is now facing your host. After bowing to the tea and your host, you try to drink the tea in 3 gulps, slurping the last mouthful to show that you have finished, before placing the tea bowl down.

Then it was our turn to make the tea. The bamboo whisk is held between the thumb and index finger of the right hand. You place the brush on the base of the tea bowl containing water and matcha powder, and then move your wrist rapidly forwards and backwards in the middle of the bowl, then at the left and then right sides (always forwards and backwards, not round and not side to side) until large bubbles form. Then the whisk is lifted close to the surface and the same movement repeated. This breaks the large bubbles into foam. Lastly, the whisk is placed back onto the floor of the bowl nearest to you. It makes one slow complete circle of the bowl, then moves to the centre and is lifted free; this creates a small mound in the foam, which is supposed to represent Mount Fuji. 

We ate another sweet treat and then drank our own matcha.

The dregs are examined to see how well the matcha was mixed and if you could improve the next time.

It was fascinating and we emerged with a great sense of calm - despite all the caffeine which is, apparently, higher in matcha tea then coffee!

After the ceremony, we further explored the garden and then walked round the outside of the castle, which unfortunately was just closing. We made our way back to the market and used the Happy Cow app to locate a restaurant. Anan wasn't a vegan restaurant but, according to the app, they were more than happy to whip up something suitable. Indeed they were; the staff were super-friendly and, despite a few language difficulties, we managed to make our wishes known and they excelled themselves. One slight problem was that instead of ordering 1 bottle of sake to share as we thought, they actually brought us 1 each! R was rather merry at the end but, for some reason, it didn't seem to affect me. The one time I have tried tequila, my head was perfectly clear and it was only when I stood up that I realised that it had gone straight to my knees and my legs were drunk! This didn't even do that. It must be noted, however, that I felt more than a little rough the following day - maybe it was the sake, maybe it was the surfeit of 'buckwheat' noodles!

More noodles!

Knowing that our next destination might be a little cooler than we had grown accustomed to, on the way back to the hotel we stopped off at an outdoor shop and R bought a pair of touch screen sensitive gloves. Whilst boasting about the small amount of luggage he had, it turned out that he had failed to pack enough warm stuff! :O). Back at the hotel, we hit the onsen and then watched the Japanese equivalent of 'You've been Framed' on our TV - only because we could understand what was going on without the need to understand the language!

Friday April 4th was a bit of a slow start. My stomach was feeling below par and I was very tired. After our experiences with the train tickets on the way to Kanazawa, we decided to get ahead of the game and book and collect our Shinkansen tickets to Tokyo for later in the holiday. This time we had no trouble at all and, in retrospect, felt that all our previous problems had arisen because I tried to use my passport in the machine to collect my ticket, rather than R's, when he was the one who had actually booked them.

Tickets stowed away, we headed for the car hire place to pick up our Nissan March, which we immediately and affectionately referred to as 'Mr. Lawrence' (Sakamoto's music had been playing on the radio on the way to the airport!). According to the paperwork, Mr. Lawrence was not allowed to drive in snow ........

Checking out of the hotel, we set off for Shirakawa-go, a traditional village featuring over 100 houses with steep-sided triangular thatched roofs. The road took us via many tunnels through the increasingly snowy mountains - Mr. Lawrence was not impressed!

The traditional houses were 3 storeys high; the top 2 were used for the cultivation of silk worms.

Highlights included: the walk up to the observatory and the resultant view; watching a red kite steal some meat on a stick, a snack sold at many of the shops; a packet of wasabi flavoured crisps, which Google initially translated as 'armpit' flavour!, and a meal of noodles and fried tofu at a vegan cafe, although the tofu seemed quite sweet for some reason.

Continuing with our journey, we proceeded to the Takayama Green Hotel, our home for the next few days. Initially when booking the holiday, R wanted us to stay at one of the many ryokans or traditional Japanese inns. Unfortunately, food is provided as part of the service and none of the ones that we contacted could accommodate our annoying dietary restrictions. In addition, they tended to be a bit on the remote side, with no alternative places to eat nearby. 

To make up for this, R had booked a traditional Japanese room at our Takayama hotel. We arrived at about 6pm, with me feeling tired and still suffering from stomach ache and wanting nothing more than a cup of tea and a bed to flop on. Sadly, there was no bed! The chairs were low and uncomfortable and the novelty value soon wore off. They did, however, provide ninja socks! Unfortunately, the bed wouldn't materialise until 8.15, when 2 men knocked on the door, opened a cupboard and rapidly assembled our futon, complete with its strange quilt cover with an oval shaped hole. Their movements were rapid and well choreographed, and the resultant bed was impeccably made for all of 30 seconds, before I collapsed onto it.

At this hotel there was a choice of 2 onsens; both with an indoor and outdoor section, although the outdoor section was still private. Sitting outdoors in hot steaming water whilst the air was decidedly chilly added a new enjoyment to the whole bathing experience. 

Afterwards, I was feeling too yucky to eat, so R snacked and then we had an early night.

Toodle pip for now. x