2020.11/3 Niigata Day 2 Ristorante Pizzeria Alpina, Alpine Plant Garden

     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.

2020.11/3 Niigata Day 2 Mizuya Cafe, Yuzawa Kogen Park

     For the next day's morning I didn't go to hot spring since I woke up too late. This is also one of common problems about going to travel right after the work days.

     After check-out and putting our luggage in hotel's locker, we went to Mizuya Cafe (水屋カフェ) to have our breakfast, since we didn't book breakfast in hotel. Mizuya Cafe is affiliated by a store called Nmaya (んまや). No I don't know what Nmaya means lol.

     There is not only Mizuya cafe but also there is a store full of farm produce. The interior design of the store reproduced the traditional Japanese farmhouse. On the shelf you could see the traditional straw rice bag called "tawara" (たわら), which perfectly matched people's imagination of Niigata, the land of rice.

     I ordered an onsen pudding (温泉プリン) and iced tea. Michelle ordered a Yuzawa roll (湯澤るうろ) and hot tea. Japanese word for roll using here, "ruuro" (るうろ) seemed to be a less used Japanese translation of Swisss roll (Mostly it is called ロール). Probably from French "rouleau"?

     Onsen pudding is called onsen pudding because it is steamed by hot spring water.

　　Yuzawa roll is made from Koshihikari (A famous rice cultivar in Niigata) rice flour.

     No I couldn't tell the difference. All I know was having pudding as breakfast was a nice idea.

     Cafe was opened from 9am, which makes it a good replacement plan for hotel's breakfast.

     After having a little look in the store, we left the cafe and headed for Yuzawa Kogen Panorama Park (湯沢高原パノラマパーク).

     It was about my fifth time to go there. From Pizzeria to summer bobsled, it didn't change a lot from 2005. If the park was built in Taiwan, the park must be torn down or totally renovated.

     It took about 10 minutes walk from Echigo-Yuzawa station to the ropeway station of Yuzawa Kogen Panorama Park. I wasn't sure what people do when visiting Echigo-Yuzawa during non-ski season, but I almost went to Panorama Park every time I visited there.

     After taking ropeway to the park, we saw a shuttle bus waiting outside the ropeway station. It was not lunch time yet so we decided to hop on the shuttle bus to the upper side of the park. At the upper side of park, we went to Summer Bobsled 706, which I had not been for 14 years.

     Summer bobsled (サマーボブスレー), sometimes being called "summer toboggan", is a ride which uses cart to run down on a track. By using the lever on the middle, you can control the cart. Pulling is slow down and pushing causes speeding up. Unless you speed up at curve, otherwise it is actually difficult for accident to happen. Even the accident happens, you just fall out from the track to the grass with your cart, and it is not very hurt. (According to the experience of my brother who fell out once before)

　　The fare is 800 yen for one adult.

     After purchasing the ticket, it started to rain. If the rain was bigger at the moment, the summer bobsled would be out of service. We were very lucky the rain doesn't get bigger. 

     The last time I rode summer bobsled was in Mountain Pilatus in Switzerland. This one is twice smaller than one in Pilatus but I still enjoyed it as much as when I was in elementary school. Once I thought that our grown-up life would be way different from our childhood life, but actually we have never really changed. What have changed is the outside world, so I am very grateful for the things stays the same, no matter it is me or the other things.

     The goal of summer bobsleigh is near Ayamega Pond (あやめヶ池), where locates a sign of crested ibis (トキ). Though crested ibis was chosen as the prefectural bird of Niigata Prefecture, it only exists in Sado Island (佐渡島) right now.

　　After that, we left Ayamega Pond for lunch very soon because it was too cold.

2020.11/2 Niigata Day 1, Yuzawa Grand Hotel

     After a long and deep consideration, I decide to bring back my old habit of writing travel diary.

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     As some of you might know, my day off is Tuesday and Wednesday. With WFH, the trip started from home on Monday's night has become my new travel pattern. (Also thanks to Michelle who always uses her annual holidays for me)

     After clocking out, we took train to Omiya station (大宮駅), starting our 4-days trip in Niigata (新潟). From Omiya, we rode on the 2-story Shinkansen, Max Toki (MAXとき) to Echigo-Yuzawa station (越後湯沢駅). 

     Max Toki was originally planned to be withdrawn entirely before the  end of 2020. However, the flood water brought by Typhoon Hagibis on November of 2019 inundated many trains of Hokuriku Shinkansen. They had no choice but keep these old trains in service. I think my first time to take 2-story Shinkansen was at 2005. I thought this 2-story Shinkansen would be there forever... never thought they would be out of service someday. Anywhere I am kind of glad to know its retirement would be postponed. Guess there will still be many trips with Max train.

      Also, there is actually a new limited railway pass called JR EAST Welcome Rail Pass 2020 recently, allowing foreign people to travel on all JR East trains unlimitedly in three days. Usage area route map is as below.

     The best part is that, it is even available to foreign people who doesn't hold temporary visa!

     Unfortunately it was a little bit late for us to know this new railway pass coming out, we had already planned everything up and ordered all the shinkansen tickets on Eki Net (えきねっと). However, thanks to "Go To" Campaign, the tourism promoting campaign which was often criticized to make the epidemic worse, I booked almost every shinkansen ticket with half price. Yes, the ticket to hell is always come with good intentions.

　　The chicken bento I bought.

　　Fukagawa-meshi (深川めし) bought by Michelle, with lots of clams and leeks topped on it. Thankfully I didn't choose it.

     At 9 pm we arrived at Echigo-Yuzawa station. Comparing to Tokyo, apparent temperature was not colder, and rain still went on as in Tokyo. For this kind of cold rainy weather, I bought oden in 7-Eleven before entering hotel. I think something just never changes. No matter you are in Japan or in Taiwan, 26 years old or 15 years old, high school student or grown-up, your body will be always craving for oden in convenient store.

     For hotel, we booked Yuzawa Grand Hotel. From Google Map, the hotel seems to be very close to the station, but you couldn't see a steep road between hotel and station. But since the place we were heading for was an onsen ryokan, it was not so annoying to walk the steep road with luggage in the rainy night.

　　There is aquarium in the lobby.

　　Our room was located at 6th floor of East Hall.

     So the first day of trip was just like this. Next day we would take Genbi Shinkansen (現美新幹線) to Niigata.