It was horrible weather, but after a two hour journey to Tsukuba from home, I went on a short hike to Mt. Tsukuba where I couldn't see a thing. But it was a good bit of exercise before stopping for lunch at a soba (buckwheat noodle) restaurant called Shin Inda そば心 ゐ田. I love the traditional Japanese setting!
On a recommendation from my companion who lives in the area, I ordered the duck set which was delicious. But what makes it so special compared to the countless of other soba restaurants that I've eaten at, is the guidance - or interference, for those who dislike being told what to do - of the owner, who takes it upon himself to tell you step by step on how to eat your meal, and will personally take over the frying of the duck and soba. It really shows how passionate he is about the food he prepares, especially about soba. Speaking of which, his soba is quite unusual in Japan, which is made of 100% buckwheat flour, where normally it's a blend of buckwheat and normal wheat flour.
Afterwards, we went to see the Tsuchiura National Fireworks Competition which ended up being a bit of a disappointment because of the low visibility caused by the drizzle that had been going on all day. But saying that, watching fireworks in the rain, all dressed up in rain gear and sitting on a wet tarp whilst munching on gas-stove-toasted marshmallows and chestnuts and drinking mulled wine, was a first ;)
I crashed over at a friend's for the night, who by the way, made the yummiest breakfast that I have had for a long time. She whipped up hotcakes topped with butter and warm chestnut syrup with sweet chestnuts on the side, nashi pear, yogurt and a selection of homemade jams all washed down with freshly ground coffee. My god, it was good. I didn't remember in time to take a photo, but I did manage to take one of the chestnuts that she preserved in sugar syrup.
After cleaning up, she showed me around her two allotments, one for rice and another for veggies. I got to pick my own chestnuts and eggplants! Chestnut-gathering is so fun! The trick is to use your feet not your hands to open up the prickly husks! Not sure what I'm going to do with the load of chestnuts that I gathered, but the eggplants already found their way into a big pot of chicken and vegetable curry ;) I also came away with a few cuttings of rosemary and mint, so after they've sprouted some roots, I'll pot them up, and soon I'll have me own personal supply!
