Rain, rain and more rain.

Well rugged up in wet weather gear we walked up through the village to join the ancient highway from Tokyo to Kyoto.  Despite the rain the trail was glorious traversing tall bamboo forests, maples ,cedars and conifers.  We passed through tiny villages, past vegetable plots, burial stones and small memorials.  Sometimes cobbled and stepped, sometimes earth rising steeply to the top of the mountain until descending to an ancient wayfarers stop where we enjoyed tea.






Marg sitting on the stool where Joanna Lumbly sat in her Japanese trip!

We reached our inn for the night, an even older inn and gratefully left our day packs.  Walking on we stopped at a little shop to eat. We lunched seated on the floor around the traditional fire and were serenaded by the chef.



After lunch we walked onto the town of Tsumago-juju for a spot of shopping and hot chocolate before returning back for a kilometre or so to our inn. 

Despite the rain it was a good walk - there is something magical about the forest, soft and muted by the rain. 

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