Matsumoto

Okay, so I am in Matsumoto now (I think that is how it is spelled). It was a lovely day when I got to see a few amazing sites and try some more new foods. It started with a bike ride out to a Wasabi farm. I haven't been on a bike in years so it was certainly a chance to brush up on my skills and introduce myself to a pole along the way. Although the bike ride wasnt long we still had to get out of the town and into the plains. Lucky for me the cars here are much more accomodating of cyclists unlike in NZ where I and the others would have been squished several times. 

The Wasabi farm was actually quite interesting. I had no idea what wasabi actually was so getting to see how it is grown and what it looks like. For your information, it sort of looks like a root vegetable but greenish and ugly. It can only be grown in very particular environments - it is grown in stones, in free flowing, icey water. If it doesn't have fresh, cold water flowing around it, it won't grow the same so they have their farm just below the mountains where there is constant water coming down off them. While there I tried some wasabi flavoured foods like crackers and tried fresh wasabi which has an almight kick to it. I didn't like it. Still me and Jarvey got some good photos.

After the bike ride, while waiting for my train back, I bought a Match icecream. So good. They do match here in the most amazing ways. I have bought myself some green tea kitkats too. Nomnomnom.

After that we headed back to Matsumoto castle which is the only castle to survive earthquakes and WW2. It is a Samuri castle with 6 levels and steeps steps. I am pretty sure this is where I gained the two large bruises on my leg but I honestly didn't feel anything. I think my legs were so cold that they were numb till I had a hot shower hahaha. It is quite neat as it is surrounded my a moat too. Thankfully, when we visited it also wasn't super busy. The stress of being around so many people is really starting to get to me. I need some more nature to recharge. Nature and space.