The Willis Family Adventures: Snow, Tea and and a little Ski

Don't ask me why, but I just haven't gotten around to posting about our ski trip to Japan. I guess we all get a little behind and then it seems that posting now would be "too" late. Ok, so I am posting about our ski trip that was almost a month ago, but at least I am doing it.

First, I must preface this with the fact that my hubby is an avid skier. Me on the other had, not so much. I have skied in many places and taken lessons over the years and am not too bad at it, but to be honest, I just don't like it. It has something to do with the speed and not "being in control". I am good for the first hour or so, but as the hills get steeper I start cringing. Me, I would rather be on flat ground. Put in a pair of cross country skis and I am happy as can be. I can go and go and see beautiful things, but I don't have to work to stay on a hill where I feel like I will crash off the side of the mountain any second.

So, you might ask, "Why would you go on a ski vacation when you don't like to ski?" Well, I have this thing that I don't want my daughter to have the same fear and dislike that I do. And, I want my hubby to be happy doing what he loves. Also keep in mind, I love the snow and I like cold weather. Remember, I grew up in the stuff and being in the winter weather brings back some great memories. So, we decided to go and make a family vacation out of it.

Needless to say, the hubby said that it was the best skiing he has done in his life. And our E had the best time! Not to mention she was skiing intermediate runs with little struggle by the end of the week.

The Peak!

Rusutsu ski day

Our ski vacation was to the island of Hokkaido and we stayed in the village of Nesiko. It is a very small ski village that predominately caters to Australians and New Zealanders. We stayed in a hostel type lodge. When we entered the lodge and I saw our accomodations I was a bit skeptical. Not TV in the room, no chair in our room and only public common areas. But a few days into the week things were going well and in the end it didn't bother me at all. E was the only kid there, but honestly I think she liked the attention. We all slept great and for the price it worked well for us.

Alpine Central Lodge

Snow! Lots and lots of SNOW!! More than I had ever seen in my life. I grew up in the North and have seen snow, but not like this. It snowed every day that we were there and some days it didn't stop. Nesiko has had over 46 feet of snow this year. It as amazing to see snow walls along the tiny streets that were taller than some of the buildings.

Knee deep in the snow somewhere!

Exploring

Heading to ski school

Me posing with the snow

At the ice bar

Really? Not sure how this tiny Mom does it. One on her back and one at her side. Crazy to me!

Their kids ski school there was great! We chose the NISS ski school and E was in the Tic Tac group. They did a great job with the kids and it was so fun watching her glide along on her tiny skis with a big ole helmet on her head. One day as they came back from the big hill (skiing blues) and I saw something flapping off the back of her helmet. Come to find out they were cupcake papers that she had taped to the back of her helmet. She called them her "snow catchers". Got to love it!

Hey Mom, havin' too much fun to stop and chat!

On the lift

Ready to head down the hill

The Skiers

Sassy Miss!

So, what do you do in a small ski village if you don't ski? Well, you try to ski again because you really want to see your daughter out there on the slopes. I took another lesson. As I finished my day the highlight was riding up on the lift with E. I happened to catch her class as they were in line. As we got off the lift and she rejoined her class, off they went! Skiing off in to the winter tundra, gliding along with little effort. That made my day!

I did get to experience some of the Japanese culture, by doing a Japanese tea ceremony and kimono dressing at the the local Cultural center. My teacher used to own a kimono shop in the nearby town Kutchan. Her family had owned the shop for 150 years before selling it. As she dressed me, I could tell that her hands had done so many times before. As she dressed me I kept thinking about the book "Memoirs of a Geshia". I loved that book and it gave me such interest in the Japanese culture. As I watched the tea ceremony and all of the ritual, it was fascinating to me. Each movement was precise and almost like a rhythmic dance. With the tea they served mochi. (my new favorite snack) These were not only beautiful, but tasty. These were made a local bakery in Kutchan.

Tea ceremony preparations

Beautiful Red Bean Mochi

The presentation

My teachers

I also go to enjoy my new favorite activity - Yoga. I took a class at the one and only yoga studio in Nesiko. It was held in a function room of a suite type hotel. Our view was amazing and over looked Mt. Yotei, a volcano that last erupted in 1050 BC. As we began the class with a Namaste, the snow from the roof of the building fell with a massive swoosh in front of us. Now that's the way to start a class! I also fit in a massage and a facial that week. Ah, the life!

Mt. Yotei

And the food and drink in Japan? Fabulous!! We had some great meals! My favorites?

Hot pots with steaming fresh veggies and chicken. Simmered at your table; all of the flavors were blended to perfection and the perfect ending to a cold day. Our favorite place, Subara Subara just a short walk from our lodge.
Japanese BBQ - fresh thin slices of quality beef seared on a tiny cast iron grill at your table. Accompanied by fresh veggies and homemade dipping sauce.
Pastry - one of my favorite places was a small pastry shop in the heart of the village. They made their own pastries and they were divine! My favorite? Chocolate almond with vanilla custard and the Banana carmel custard. A Bu Cha - I probably spent too much time in this place!

The spread!

Green Tea - The tea here was delicious and very different. It was actually green in color. I also discovered a new favorite. Green tea with toasted brown rice. The toasted rice is brewed with the tea and filtered out with the tea in the pour. The tea has a faint popcorn scent and is a nice change to regular tea.

Sake - Ahh! There is nothing better than a nice hot sake at the end of a cold day. We enjoyed this with almost every meal.

Apres ski

Hot Sake!

On our last day we enjoyed one of our best meals. It was in a place that didn't even look like a restaurant, but a tiny house. Dinner consisted of small plates and bowls of food all made from natural ingredients. Each had it own flavor that complemented the other items on the plate. I also discovered my new favorite seasoning - Gomashio. Gomashio is toasted black sesame seeds combined with salt. They served it over black rice and let me tell you, I had a new appreciation for rice!