After leaving Ayamega Pond (あやめヶ池), we took chairlift back to the place where the start point of summer bobsleigh is. From there we took shuttle bus to get back to the entrance of the park, where we went to the ashiyu (足湯) and enjoyed the view of whole Echigo-Yuzawa town.
When my feet is just dry enough to wear shoes, we decided to go to Ristorante Pizzeria Alpina nearby to have our lunch.
My first time to come to this pizzeria was in Janurary 2010, when I was a high school first grader. At the second semester of my first grade, our earth science teacher, Jiang Jia-De (蔣嘉得) asked us to give him our photo and I gave him the photo I took nearby this pizzeria. There are some bad rumors about the reason why he collects every student's photo, no matter what it is, it would be a secret forever since he passed away in 2018 during snuggling.
I still remembered that I always take note on study‐aid book (參考書, something you can see only in Asia haha) instead of textbook, so I could study only one book when preparing for the test. When he checked my note, he always murmured that he had told us to take note on the textbook, and I would said sorry with a smile, but deep in my heart I knew I would still take note on my study‐aid book no matter how many time he murmured to me.
I also heard that he would guide other classes (For example, Michelle's class) to see Guo Family Estate (郭氏古宅), the house of Neihu (Naiko) Town's mayor (內湖庄長) during Japanese period. Back in 2010, Guo Family Estate was still a house which was out of use for so many years.
For some reasons he didn't take our class to have this little tour, was it because of me? Because of the bad student who refused to take note on textbook?
Guo Family Estate is now renovated and becomes a nice little memorial hall. Teacher had left this world, and I was also not living in Wende (文德) anymore. Considering all of these things, I think I should be very thankful to have a lunch in Alpina, where keeps the indoor and outdoor decorations as same as my first visit.
The only thing changes is that they introduced the tablet order system. Though it is good thing to have tablet order system during Covid epidemic, but the menu inside tablet is not well designed and looks like a normal chain restaurant.
Alpina is a little bit expensive, but not that expensive for a ski resort restaurant. I ordered Gnocchi Gorgonzola for 1570 yen without tax. The size is small but it is extremely tasty comparing to other ski resort restaurants.
Besides, the pizza is famous here. Michelle ordered Marinara pizza for 1620 yen without tax. It is a little bit thin but really delicious.
The map of Italy which had existed since my first visit.
There was a flower on every table outside when we left the restaurant.
Kochia along the road.
We headed for Alpine Plant Garden after leaving the pizzeria, and there was a monument and some buddha statues of Omine 100 Kannon (大峰百番観音). It seems to be a temple here before but now relocating due to the construction of the ski resort.
After maybe ten minutes we finally arrived Alpine Plant Garden where maple leaves were falling all over the garden. From the introduction of the flower, there was a familiar purple flower named ladybell (ツリガネニンジン), which we believed to be the one we saw in Alta Museum in Norway. We spent around ten minutes and finally found out the purple flower, but it was actually the flower in the same family but different genus.
Maple leaves were so many all over the ground, that makes it just look like the scene in Maplestory during anniversary event. During the event you could collect the maple leaves and trade them for Maple weapons or Maple items. That's the only moment we could clearly feel the maple-theme of Maplestory.
Near the garden there's a little shop called Gareba House selling snack and gelato. We ordered rum raisin flavor for 400 yen and that was great. I haven't had rum raisin flavor for so many years so it reminded me of my childhood memory.
When I was around 7 years old, me and my family often spent the afternoon after school in Shin Kong Mitsukoshi department A11 (新光三越A11館). There was a gelato store in B2F of A11, and we often had gelato there before leaving the department store.
My mom always ordered rum raisin flavor because my favorite flavor is grape flavor. I know it sounds weird but the word raisin (葡萄乾) and grape (葡萄) are not very different in Chinese. My mom probably thought if like grape flavor then I must love raisin flavor as well. But they are two totally different flavors.
However, this is the reason why rum raisin flavor becomes a symbol of old Shin Kong Mitsukoshi A11 to me. The old A11 where you could go reading books in B1F's Eslite Bookstore (誠品書店), and smelled the scent from a barrel of soaps in Body Shop before going inside the bookstore. I love the smell and I love the dim light and dark interior design of A11 Eslite Bookstore. Unfortunately, it was closed in 2007. But A11 Eslite would forever be my favorite Eslite Bookstore in my heart.
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