On the way to Martinborough, we stopped at Petone for some light lunch, that’s where we found the Home of the world best burger – Burger WISCONSIN, and indeed, it was the best so far, and we definitely will go back again next time.
Tried “something different” – minted lamb, fresh and nice. But friend’s satay looks nice too =P
A day trip with friends to hot spring. It mainly happened around 洞川温泉センター Dorogawa Onsen Center. I guess it’s more like a tourist place now since they are registered as world heritage. The hot spring itself was really normal, 600yen per person, just one inside with spa bubbles, one still water outside with fence and top cover 亭, only can see a little bit trees. Darling said maybe it’s not 100 percent natural. Maybe time has changed, there is only Rinse in Shampoo, body soap and hair dryer. No Onsen milk, no Onsen egg. Even view is not as good as other one on the other side of the mountain.
The good thing is always coming with food. It’s probably all first time that I have all the food today.
蒲公英(たんぽぽ)アイス 250yen – Dandelion flavor ice cream, but have coffee flavor since they use coffee beans for planting dandelion. Very nice flavor I have to say, with mild coffee feel. Darling’s two friends in the pictures. 
鮎(あゆ)の塩焼き 850yen – fresh river ayu fish caught yesterday with lots of eggs. A bit salty but I definitely would have it again. Darling said it wasn’t bad at all. 
いもぼた 100yen – at 天川村小路の駅, a uncle was selling souvenir and an auntie was in charge of kitchen product. It’s a mix of rice and potato pieces, both steamed, separately maybe since rice was soft and potato is not fully melted, roasted with either salt or soy sauce. It’s interesting experience, maybe I could try to make it at home next time 🙂 just not darling’s flavor 🙁
Went up to the men-only mountain entry, but seems it changed over time, different from what he remembered over maybe 20 years ago.
On the way back, we passed the oldest shrine of water in Japan where there were to two ponies, for god to ride on on ceremonies. 
Inspired from news of a restaurant, we made this ourself.
Peel of all bean shoots, but big spring onion thick like hot pot and layer underneath, then bean shoot and pork slice, have seaweed and salt in water and steam for around ten minutes until pork is cooked. Serve with ponzu, didn’t have pepper and small spring onion. Need more flavor in bean shoot as darling commented. Could serve cold in summer maybe?
This is only to record the stretch exercises I have done in class.
* All images and pictures are picked from Internet, click picture to check the original source.
The Bound Angle
Sit on the floor with your legs straight.
(A) Bend your knees and bring the soles of your feet together, letting your knees drop toward the ground. Hold your shins as you inhale and stretch your chest upward.
(B) Exhale as you hinge forward from your hips (without rounding your back) and place your palms on the ground. Hold for five slow breaths.
Incorporating turnout into functional extensions
The objective to achieve a fully turned out front split, begins from the upper leg. The goal is to keep the hips square, with attitude (90 degrees lower leg), front and back, working progressively toward alignment of each fully turned out leg, through the centerline of the body.
From the attitude position, each leg is extended maintaining full rotation of the upper leg. Please note the difference between a fully rotated extended leg, and a parallel extended leg.
The Seated Back Twist
Sit on the floor with your legs straight.
(A) Bend your right knee and step your right foot over your left leg. Put your right hand on the floor, fingers pointing outward, for support. Bend your left elbow and turn to the right, placing the back of your arm against your right knee. Inhale as you sit tall.
(B) Breathe out as you twist, pressing your arm into your leg and looking over your right shoulder. Hold for five breaths, then slowly return to the center. Switch sides.
Upper trapezius & neck
Starting Position
Sitting straight with one arm either a) sitting on your hand or b) holding the chair bottom or chair leg with your hand.
Procedure
Tilt head laterally to the opposite side and use your free hand to push head to increase neck stretch.
Coaching Keys
Push head to increase neck stretch. Pulling the hand under the chair will increase stretch in upper trapezius.
Advanced Stretch
Rotate head so that chin points to opposite shoulder and pull with hand from behind the head.
Gluteals
Starting Position
Lying on your back, bring your knee towards the opposite shoulder while keeping the opposite leg straight.
Procedure
Use hands to bring knee towards your body until you feel a stretch in the buttocks.
Coaching Keys
Keep shoulders relaxed and head on the floor. If the position is too difficult, guide the knee to the shoulder on the same side. If experiencing back pain, bend the resting leg.
Advanced Stretch
Rotate further by grabbing the ankle and pull towards body.
Trunk rotation & lower back
Starting Position
Lie on your back with one knee bent and the other straight with your arms to the side and palms facing up.
Procedure
Rotate hip so that the bent leg rolls over the straight leg, until you feel a moderate stretch in your lower back.
Coaching Keys
Keep both shoulders on the ground at all times.
Advanced Stretch
Place the hand opposite the bent leg on the bent knee and push down (keeping your shoulders on ground).
だし: stronger than udon dashi but less than tempura dashi.
500ml water, two bags dashi, sake 1 tbsp, sugar 4 tsp, salt 4 tsp, soy sauce 2 rounds. Check flavor. Cool down before soak fried eggplant.
なすび: 6 for 150yen from 道の駅. Normal small long ones. Cut vertically to quarter and fry with thin tempura paste, just enough to cover the eggplant. Soak into sauce soup after fried.
* small round ones are preferred, cut to half only, looks better with half white and half purple color, this time has too much white color.
* fresh eggplants skin keep nice purple color after cooked. Old ones skin color turns black after cooked.
Topping: 茗荷みょうが cut to half vertically and then thin slice. Add to eggplant after soak into sauce soup. And leave it fridge.
Topping 2: green shiso cut to thin string, spring onion cut to 3mm, add to dish before serving. Shiso color will get black if leave it in sauce or fridge for too long.
