My family is doing well in the hot summer.
The heat in Japan this summer is abnormal, with many places reaching over 38 degrees Celsius.
I have been enjoying my time at the summer resort of Hirugano Highland. With this second house, I feel comfortable during the summer.
Now, I'd like to tell you about my July.
＜Ghibli
My second daughter loves "Ghibli anime". When she was little, she used to watch the same anime video over and over again. She remembered many of the lines. Recently there was a "Ghibli exhibition" in Hiroshima, which she and her friend Sota attended.
Sota, who loved the Cat Bus, has been hooked on the "Totoro" anime since the "Ghibli exhibition".
<Oldest daughter
My eldest daughter Chieko came to stay at Hirugano Highland for the first time in a while. I see my second daughter Saeko and my grandson Sota almost every month, but it had been six months since I last saw Chieko. We took a morning walk around the "watershed". It was her first time visiting here.
Now, she has quit her job as an elementary school teacher and runs a guesthouse called "Horitei 8"and works part-time in the welfare industry. If you come to Japan from overseas, please consider staying at her guesthouse in Omihachiman City, Shiga Prefecture. It is nice place.
<Drinking party with graduates
I had a drinking party with three graduates from the 23rd class of Mishima High School at a yakitori restaurant called "Sannabe". They are now 48 years old, and we reminisced about various things from 30 years ago as if we were still students.
<<Hirugano Highland
<Kukuru Terrace
On July 25th, I hosted the "Kukuri Terrace Exercise". Unfortunately it was raining very hard, but several people participated there.
(Desserts at Kukuri Terrace )
( Lunch at Kukuri Terrace )
One of them came all the way from Aichi Prefecture and stayed at my lodge. We went to the morning cafe together and talked about various things.
＜Soba
When I stay at Hirugano Highland, I go to the hot springs almost every day. I like to take a bath in the large open-air bath at "Ouka no Yu" and then eat soba at the restaurant there.
When I was little, I didn't like soba and never ate it, but since I started living in Hirugano Highland, I have come to enjoy it. I think it is healthier than udon, which uses a lot of wheat flour.
＜Neighborhood couple
When I come here, there is a couple I always want to see. They spend their days enjoying a luxurious lifestyle, tending to a large garden, and eating meals while admiring it. The husband's hobby is meditation, and he is always meditating when I pass by the bottom of their property
His wife's hobby is gardening,, and she is currently growing many small "saboten" (cactus plants).
They also like enjoy traveling and they use Hirugano Highlands as a starting point for their trips to various places. I look forward to hearing about their travels.
<Foreigners
On the bullet train to Hiroshima, I met a young American woman sitting next to me, and we were able to talk in English. It was her first time in Japan, but she mentioned that she has relatives in Hiroshima and is going to support the Hiroshima Carp game. She had a lot of cheering merchandise with her. She was an interesting person.
On the way back, I chatted with a Swiss couple. They were also very friendly, and I was able to hear many stories from them. I'm much better at listening to English than before, but when it comes to speaking, I find it unfortunate that I sometimes can't find the right words. Recently, it is not English words that escape me, even Japanese words sometimes don't come to mind. What should I do?
I learned Reiki twenty years ago but had never used it until recently. There is a place called "Sora Fune" in Kukuno, Hida Takayama, where I can receive treatment. The healer, a very friendly former nurse, and I have became friends. Moving forward, I would like to take the course again and practice this health method.
<Sota
Sota finally had the belt removed from his broken collarbone, but the next day he accidentally hit the side of his eye and looked like he was in pain. Despite everything, he is so energetic that he keeps getting injured.
This time I stayed longer and made a lot of dried flower pieces. ↑
It's unusually hot in Japan for July. The nights are particularly difficult for sleeping. Despite this, I’m doing well. I’ve been attending fitness classes, visiting my grandson in Hiroshima, and escaping the summer heat at Hirugano Highland in Gifu.
<My ６June
<Festival in Hiroshima
In Hiroshima, there was a festival where my daughter and I took Sota to see food stalls.
He experienced a festival for the first time. He was surprised by the variety of street stalls and he was delighted and had a great time scooping balls and fishing for yo-yos.
<Birthday
I turned 71 on June 10th. When I was younger, I thought that women over 70 were quite old. Now that I'm 71, I feel younger in body and mind than I had imagined. (lol) However, my hair is gray now, and I have noticed more wrinkles on my face. I catch colds a little more easily, and they seem to linger longer. Nevertheless, I have only one life, so I intend to keep doing what I want to do.
My husband asked me what I wanted for my birthday. I didn't have anything specific in mind, so I've requested having lunch and dinner with him four times this month, and I've gained some weight.
<Hirugano Highland
As usual, I spent about 10 days at my second house in Hirugano Highland in Gifu at the end of the month. In early June, it was still chilly there, I needed a stove in the mornings and evenings.
When I woke up in the morning, I would hear the voices of the cuckoo and the warbler echoing through the forest, and a cool breeze was blowing. When I took a morning walk, the morning dew sparkling on the plants was very beautiful.
In the evening, after taking a relaxing bath in the hot spring and leaving the entrance, I was greeted by a magnificent sunset. I have seen many sunsets, but today's was the best.
<Hida Takayama
This time of year is just perfect for harvesting lavender. Once the flowers bloom, their color and fragrance quickly fade, so I don't miss this time. There is an unmanned hut where I can weigh the lavender I have picked and buy it per 100 yen for 70 grams.
During this visit, I met the owner of the lavender field for the first time. He was a kind elderly man, and we had a pleasant chat in the field.
Takayama is about 50 km from Hirugano Highland, but I can reach it in about an hour on roads without traffic lights. These roads are easy to drive on. I ask Alexa to play my favorite music as I drive, putting me in a cheerful mood.
Although I could make a day trip to Takayama, I usually find a cheap inn and stay overnight. Since I was staying overnight again, I went to a bar by myself. I also visited to see the 1500-year-old ginkgo tree at the Kokubunnji Temple.
The next morning, I visited a "morning cafe" that I've been curious about. I went into a nice old cafe called "Tefukin". This morning set included a variety of side dishes, coffee, and dessert, all for just 600 yen. I thought it was reasonable.
<Kukuri Terrace Exercise
The main purpose of this stay was "Kukuri Terrace Exercise" Ten young women in their 40s and 50s gathered. The members were younger than usual, so I was excited.
After class, a few of the participants visited my lodge for a "Takoyaki party." I have a big takoyaki iron machine. However, octopus was very expensive at the moment, so I made them with chikuwas, baby scallops, and sausages instead.
<Lunch at Kukuri Terrace
Recently, Kukuri Terrace started serving lunch, so I went there to eat with a friend. The experience of having lunch on the terrace while looking at the scenery outside was great. I happened to be eating with the owner. After lunch he kindly gave us a tour of his garden.
He ↓ shared the names of plants and trees, the stories about history of
Hirugano, and names about insects and animals.
I had heard that fireflies appear in the garden at night, so I went back to see them after 8 o'clock. Dozens of fireflies were flying around, and one even landed in my hand. I tried to take some photos, but they didn't turn out well.
<Expressway bus
This time, my husband was already at Hirugano, so I took the expressway bus from Kyoto. I remember the fare being 2,800 yen the last time I took it, but this time it was 4,300 yen. I was surprised by the sudden increase in fare. There were still few passengers, as usual.
<Making a Wreath
I spend many days alone at my lodge, so I made many wreaths and accessories using dried flowers (hydrangea, celosia, eucalyptus, lavender) that have been hanging in the lodge since last year. I enjoy crafting with dried flowers, creating handmade items. This time, I placed them for sale in nearby shops and roadside stations like " Dainitidake". I hope they sell well.
That's all for now.
Thank you for always reading my blog.
