A LAKE, A BREAK & IT'S BACK TO TOKYO

Kumoba-ike (雲場池) in the rain.

A little cafe in the woods - ル シエル. Lovely, but pricey.

The famous Karuizawa fog casting a dreamy spell before we left.

OF RAINDROPS & FRESH SPRING LEAVES

My own little totoro moment. We were in Karuizawa for the day.

Just to get out of the rain a bit, we headed for the old Mikasa Hotel. It was the oldest western-style hotel resort in Japan, built entirely by Japanese architects and carpenters in 1905.

As a carpenter's daughter, anything made of wood instantly appeals to me.

The hotel was actually a lot smaller than we thought and fell a little short of expectations, but we enjoyed the walk back to the bus stop immensely. Look at all those fresh spring leaves!

Later on, at the Harunire Terrace (ハルニレ・テラス） for lunch. It's a newly opened cluster of restaurants and shops at the Hoshino area.

As usual, I can't get enough of the trees.