I have held firm to my “I’m not getting out of bed when you do because I don’t need to be on the first gondala” determination the past few days haha. So B gets up for brekkie and I stay snuggled in my bed (we have a twin share room so it really is my bed lol). B has gotten up a bit later the last few days anyway which makes things easier.
The stamp book is a cool touristy thing to keep people like me (non skiers) occupied! There are 27 stamps and commemorative plaques scattered around town. I picked up a stamp book from the Tourist Information Centre at each stop I could find, I took a rubbing using the small wooden pestle attached to the stand. I laid the green and white sheets over the matching plaque number, then rubbed until the impression came through. It took a bit of effort!
This link has more the info about the stamp trail booklet https://en.nozawaski.com/the-village/activities/stamp-trail/ . I definitely want at least 10 stamps so I can get my free towel! As of today (Day 3 in Nozawa) I have 14 stamps! My goal is to get to 20 but I’m finding it trickier now I’ve got the easy ones. Some are also obstructed by snow!
My routine the last few days was much of a muchness. Onsen in the morning, different Gyoza for lunch, afternoon reading in front of the fire. Anywhere between 3-4:30pm B comes back from the snow and we do a variation of onsen / eat / have a drink based on how busy it is, reservation time etc. I’ve been enjoying mt village wandering.
B has been loving the snow and sends me awesome snow view pics from the mountain where he skis anywhere from 20-40kms a day. Madness. .
Food eaten over the last few days includes:
- winterland bar for the gyoza at lunch time. Very few lunchtime places open in the village and these are pretty tasty even though it’s a western run joint
- Dinner at Nama Bar (reservation needed) for kashiage which is baked sticks of things lol. The food and drinks were great but the service was some of the worst I’ve ever had
- Aunt Mary’s crepes on the way home after a few drinks….i had banana chocolate and custard and yes it was delicious
- another lot of gyoza for lunch, same place lol Omnomnom titan gyoza
- Dinner at a local ramen bar nearby tonight for B I just had snacks as my ear infection is back with a vengeance. The place is called something Japanese….ao here’s the link. It is a bit out of town but only a 2 min walk for us https://maps.app.goo.gl/e2fZ9i1J9ptgoDVh6?g_st=ic
Mel's Travel Blog 