"White Snow and Black Eggs"

Hakone was coated in a thick layer of fluffy white powder yesterday. Luckily, it was the day that Hideyoshi closes so Yumi and her parents drove A and I up the foot of Mt Fuji and one of the "Fuji Five Lakes," for a day of sightseeing! At Hakone Jinja, Adrienne and I got fortunes that were identical! Out of over one hundred available types, we both grabbed #46 (Daijo!) out of a box that read we'd have the best fortune available!

This is a kurotamago (black egg,) that is cooked in the hot spring water heated by lava. Something makes the egg's shell black but the egg is totally delicious. Each egg you gobble gives the eater seven extra years of life! As we started descending the mountain, a few large flakes came swirling past us. Within seconds, it was a flurry of soft, powdery snow!!! What a wonderful experience as the powder was totally different from the icy snow we got here a few weeks ago. Adrienne hasn't seen snow in fifteen years so it was a real treat for her!

Our final visit was to a famous soba (buckwheat noodle,) restaurant in a two story traditional Japanese home. We sat on tatami floors, sipping brown tea before eating tempura udon, above. Two large shrimp are battered, fried and placed in a hot bowl of fish stock with some local veggies. Sounds of slurping filled the room and within minutes, we were all fat and happy.