The Piano In The Hills...

Sometimes you are driving along, minding your own business  when the weirdest of things pop up - like this piano on the side of the small lane we were on, next to the woods.

Couldn't resist stopping to take a photo, it didn't play well! Random, very random!

We were actually on our way to the photography museum, the exhibit itself was so-so, all young, up and coming photographers. The building it was housed in was really interesting. Half of it used to be a hotel and French restaurant, back in the hay-day. It was a bit sad to see it closed down because the architecture was great, I would have loved to have a proper poke around the place.

One of the things that surprised me the most about being in Yamanashi for golden week, was the lack of crowds, nowhere we went was crowded, in fact, quite the opposite, we might be heading that way again!

The Cabin In The Woods

We stayed in a lovely spot in Yamanashi, it's the first time I've been there and have to say it is beautiful. The Neo Oriental Yatsugatake Kogen resort has a big hotel which owns several cabins but there were also many privately owned cabins too. They all looked different so it was pretty cool just wandering around checking out everyone else's place!

I imagine that it was the "in place to be" back in it's hey day but now some of the cabins were looking worse for wear, a bit sad really. Ours did come with an outdoor hot tub - it was lovely to enjoy the trees whilst having a nice long soak in the bath...

The weather was lovely too, we did have rain but only in the night. The hotel also had an onsen so the boys went off to use that and the ladies enjoyed the weather with sangria on the deck!

The 5th was kodomonohi (childrens day), we usually tie the Koi-nobori flags to the tent but obviously we couldn't do that, so instead I got him balloons.

The deal with the cabin was that we had to have the 'course' meal included and buffet breakfast, it was quite a trek up to the hotel but luckily they had a taxi service. We seemed to eat loads and Ebi-kun, seriously, I don't know where he put it, there is next to nothing on him but he ate way more than I did!

Actually the first night, he got a kids course meal and it was pretty horrid. NO veg at all, hamburg, soggy pizza, fried chicken, sausage and crab gratin. He only at the gratin and then helped me eat mine. The next night we ask for an adult meal for him and he ate almost everything. The second main meal was too much but he did manage to squeeze in desert!

I don't know why a decent restaurant would send out such revolting kids meals!

Breakfast was an international style buffet and Ebi-kun filled his boots, I think he sampled everything on offer, just watching him was making me full. 

It was a great stay and I enjoyed not cooking! Plus being up in the mountains, my favourite place to be, I love waking up to the misty mornings...