Exploring Nihonmatsu

I'm going to have to make this short because I've been hogging the public computer here at the city hall for a while now, and I'm starting to get some "looks" if you know what I mean. Maybe I'll take a break to let somebody else on and then come back later.

Anyhow, I haven't been doing much lately, but I have been managing to get out and go for quite a lengthy (3-4 hour) walk every day. The other day it was up (and up, and up, and up a bit more...) to the top of the mountain to see the ruins of Nihonmatsu castle. There is nothing left there but the stone foundation, but it is still impressive to imagine the way this castle must have dominated the surrounding territory from its vantage point at the top of the hill. When I was there, I was all by myself for quite a while, but just as I was leaving, three middle-aged Japanese folks came by and tried to tell me about the history of the castle. I'm afraid I didn't understand most of what they were saying but I guess the castle played some important role in the collapse of the Shogun's government toward the end of the 1800's.

Yesterday was Christmas so I treated myself to dinner at Denny's ... kind of sad, but it's just about the only restaurant in this town. And for some reason, the Denny's franchise in Japan seems to be trying to go "upscale" ... it's not cheap by any means, and the food is actually quite tasty and "gourmet style". So, anyway, it was quite a nice meal and a fine Christmas treat for myself. It was a rather lonely Christmas but I didn't let that bother me too much. I thought of all my family and friends, and I knew that (some of them at least) were thinking of me...

Anyway, I'd better go. More later?