Our hostess was not expecting any guests and was initially a bit wary as she felt unprepared to offer her usual level of hospitality. So sorry, I cannot remember her name as we were pretty tired and forget to jot her name in our notebook. She is known for her food and its healing properties. She could see that we were struggling. We reassured her that we had food with us and that we would be ok. We shared a long conversation in English/Japanese and after choosing our room for the night, she quickly initiated running the bath and getting everything ready for us. We learned that her home is next door and this house would be exclusively for us. It is so relaxing to have your own space. She emphasized that we should arise and leave only when we were ready. She was unconcerned about the time.
We feel like we hit the jackpot. We have come to realize that this woman and her business are unique and exclusive….the fact that we stumbled upon it when we needed it most is true serendipity.
The design of this home makes you feel like you are staying in nature, yet within the confines of a building. There are high ceilings, banks of floor to ceiling windows, special Japanese wood on the floors and walls, stained glass detail built in, unique pottery, beautiful art and her gardens meet you at the window. The tranquility of this space is no accident. It has been lovingly built and created.
The bath made of cypress was divine. Our host was most concerned about Barry’s height…how will he fit on the bed? how will he fit in the tub? Well, he managed and it was just what he needed.
When we arrived our host was so upset that she had no food ready for us…after all she did not know that any guests were coming. We awoke to this special breakfast she had prepared for us as a surprise. She had quietly left our meal with a note. Such consideration.
This room is a wonderful space with high ceilings and different levels to relax. The hand carved furniture is lovely. Her home is close by beyond the glass doors, but you can ‘t see it as her garden gives complete privacy.
Her father lived an impactful life in many ways and was Mayor of Aya 50 years ago. He had travelled to Canada at that time to learn about logging practices. He returned to Aya and vowed not to let the forests be logged in this area. There were many articles about him as well as about his daughter concerning their philanthropic work in nature conservation as well as her renown in culinary pursuits promoting healing.
The aerial room of the room where we ate also shows the beautiful grand piano. Mary Ellen had a great time playing this instrument. A good way to unwind from a long day on the road. The tone and responsiveness of the keys were outstanding…a treat.
The entry door to our place. Everything is so thoughtfully designed. As you walk along the path through the garden she has created, you suddenly see this door. Magical
This path leads through the garden to where we will be staying. When we arrived last night it was dusk and our way was lit by the globe lights. We really didn’t know what to expect.
These two women seemed to be pretty excited. They were watering flowers and started waving and calling to me. Well, we had a robust conversation in Japanese and English with none of us understanding what the other said. Nonetheless there was a lot of goodwill and laughter.
This encounter made us realize how rare it is for locals to see travellers like us who come from far away. We have experienced genuine interest from people we have met here and their desire to make us feel welcome and communicate anyway they can.
We were excited to find the sign for the cycle path to Miyazaki. We had read that it existed, but it doesn’t appear on any maps, so it was reassuring to see the sign.
This doesn’t seem right…the path doesn’t ‘t look new, we are going in the wrong direction and it feels like we are on our way back to the hills we left behind yesterday. We turned around.
Riding along this wonderful landscape makes us want to return to Kyushu one day. When Barry has a functioning motor, we will certainly want to continue exploring the west coast.
Now this was a funny moment. We pulled in to a Family Mart to get a cold drink and more importantly to use the bathroom. An older man was so excited to see Barry that he rushed in and bought these cold coffee with soda drinks for us. And then he was gone..as quick as that.
It is an easy ride to the Ferry Port and we got there with hours to spare. It is customary in Japan to pay for your passage the day it sails. We had no trouble getting a cabin, and the time passed quickly as you can’t beat people watching in this situation.
Our ferry is ready to go…we are waiting to board with the motorcycles….first the footies and trucks, then the cars and us.
Susan JamesHow cute! At first I thought he was transposed onto a person with clothing because of the positioning of the window then I realized it's his own clothes! Reply to this comment 10 months ago
