So, today was mostly a travel day I have to admit, normally I don’t like travel days, but today! Today we got to ride a bullet train! AWESOME!!!! I’ve posted a video of it on our YouTube channel if you want to watch what I could catch of that thing (Damn it moves fast!).
We travelled by bullet train from Odawara station to head to Nagoya, and then from Nagoya to Takayama. All I have to say is thank goodness for Starbucks! I woke up this morning with a NEED for some Chai Tea – not quite like home, but pretty darn good.
I have to say that I personally find Takayama to be one of the most peaceful places that we visited. Calm, small, town. Only 500,000 inhabitants. Big enough to have modern conveniences and small enough to be just perfectly charming.
After being settled into our hotel, we went to the best preserved section of town, an old commercial street and visited the local stores and street food carts.
Some of the old homes were just lovely! (This one has been turned into an Art Gallery!)
I just love how they use the natural world around them to make even small spaces gorgeous representations of the world at large.
Known for it’s beef, the Hida prefecture ranks #4 behind Kobe, etc. in best beef in Japan. 
And yes, it was quite yummy! Beef bun steamed! Yum! I LOVE street food!
Nice and simple afternoon/ evening. It was COLD! Windchill, raining, and so we ran back and got into our Takayama hot baths! Jeez I love this country!
Can’t wait to see what tomorrow holds! 🙂
Shauna~