2012年12月14日金曜日

2012年12月14日金曜日 -

Darin - Gero Onsen, Gifu



　　　　　　　　       Darin                          
Last week, my wife and I went to Gero Onsen in Gifu prefecture. We caught an early morning bus from Shin Osaka and it took us about six hours to make it there. Our journey was unexpectedly delayed because of heavy snowfall, and our bus was forced stop on multiple occasions on the highway. We enjoyed watching the winter wonderland pass by, and were able to eat some rice balls, sandwiches and tea we had prepared the night before.

Gero was constructed on the banks of the Hida River, and situated in a deep valley surrounded by picturesque mountains. After we checked into our hotel, we decided to go exploring around the town to see if we could find anything interesting. The town itself is quite dense, with many hotels and hot springs located in a central area on either side of the crystal clear waters of the river.


　　　　　　Gero Frog                
The motif in Gero Onsen is a frog, and you can see many frogs in shops, restaurants and on the streets. I enjoyed taking some photos and we found some interesting souvenirs to take home with us. But I decided not to buy the seasoned grasshopper snack I found in one souvenir shop! We bought some locally brewed craft beer, and returned to the hotel for some karaoke before dinner.



After walking around the snow-covered streets and enduring the cold air, the hot spring was very warm and relaxing. And after a good soak, we enjoyed a delicious dinner which included Hida beef and fresh crab from the Sea of Japan.

to make it there = たどり着くのに
unexpectedly =  予想に反して
delayed = 遅れました
forced =  強制的に
multiple occasions =　複数回
winter wonderland =  素敵な冬景色
constructed = ～に築かれた
situated = （特別な場所に）位置している
picturesque = 絵のような
dense = 密集している
located = 位置している
crystal clear =  澄み切った
motif = モチーフ
souvenirs = お土産
seasoned grasshopper =  イナゴの佃煮
locally brewed =  地元で醸造された
craft beer = クラフトビール
snow-covered =  雪に覆われた
enduring =  耐える
good soak = 気持ちよくお湯に浸かる


　　　            　　　Gero Mountains