Apple tarts and coffee started off the day – light fair to be made up for later.

The daily exercise of excess started at lunch. Pretty standard North Indian fair as can be found all around where we live in the US, but presumably a find in Japan. At least I can only imagine that Japan is not a standard destination for Indian emigrants.

Portions here are much larger than expected. They are still smaller than the pile of food one would get from, say, an Italian restaurant in the US, but we are usually full to bursting with some food remaining after our meals. Maybe, like hummingbirds, having a smaller general stature increases the metabolism.

Dinner portions at the ryokan were not large but numerous: ten courses!

1. Tasting of local specialties including a superb potato croquet and wasp larva. (Not the first insect we have eaten). Truly, the baby waspies were quite tasty.

2. Grilled whole trout (a small fish).

3. Local salmon sashimi. This breed was crossed with trout to increase its sweetness.

4. Miso vegetable and mushroom hot plate with rice.

5. A small salad of local mushrooms, salted cherry blossom, and salted preserved squid.

6. Mountain vegetable tempura.

7. Seasonal boiled vegetables.

8. Bonito broth soup.

9. Gohei-mochi (mochi on a stick broiled with a sesame peanut sauce).

10. Dessert of coffee jelly, green tea cake, and apples.