17 May 2009

We woke at 7.30 to a dark rainy morning. I was mildly hungover, having polished off a bottle of red wine to myself the night before. Breakfast was a buffet of typical Japanese fare: salads, cold cutlets of fish, natto, rice. The saving grace was bread rolls, albeit fluffy white ones. The dispenser labelled 'orange juice' was full of something that looked like toxic waste as it was so bright orange, and the coffee was more like thin gravy. I would have killed for some freshly-squeezed juice and a decent cup of strong coffee.


Before we checked out we went to try the last of the three baths. This one was large and done out in art deco style, though labelled 'roman bath'. However, we discovered that it also had an outdoor pool in a lovely setting: a rock and pine garden with a backdrop of bamboo fencing to provide privacy. We sat around in that one for some time chatting before realising that we were cutting it fine to check out in time.

Luckily, it transpired that there was a bus due in ten minutes, so we traipsed off down the road to the bus stop and got aboard for the return to Tsukuba station. Once there we settled in at Starbucks and got that proper coffee we had been yearning for. There were plenty of trains and we were soon back in Tokyo. It felt like I had been gone a lot more than 24 hours. Big change in the weather too: now it was overcast and extremely windy. I found both Nick and Emily napping when I got home. It sounded as though they'd had a good time and she was definitely Daddy's girl for the rest of the day.

I was very annoyed with myself when I discovered that I'd lost my mobile phone. Having used it on the train I had put it in my pocket and no doubt it had slipped back out onto the seat. I expect I was too busy chatting to cast my eye over the seat before getting off.