温泉 ❖ Onsen!

虹と海

Niji to Umi

部屋の入り口

Entrance to your room

ベッドのある部屋

A room with a bed

部屋からの眺め

Ocean view from your room

お洒落にセッティングされたテーブル

Your dining table

好きなものを取りにいくカジュアルなバイキング形式

A casual buffet style dinner

地元の獅子舞

A local lion dance group dropped by to show their dance.

二年前、家族で和倉温泉にある『虹と海』に一泊しました。『虹と海』は、『加賀屋』グループの旅館として近年オープンした新しい旅館です。ちょっと敷居が高い（お値段も高い）『加賀屋』とは違い、カジュアルでちょっとモダンな温泉旅館です。Colinは、もうかれかれ6回も日本を訪れているにもかかわらず、温泉旅行の経験がありませんでした。日本の文化にもすっかり慣れたColinも、人前で真っ裸になってお風呂に入るという習慣には、さすがにとまどいがあったようです。可哀想ですが、日本人と結婚した以上、そんなに戸惑ってばかりもいられません。和倉温泉に行く前に、休暇村能登千里浜で温泉の予行練習を無事に成し遂げ、和倉温泉に到着した頃には、もうすっかり温泉大好き人間になっておりました。そうした下準備を整えての温泉旅行、とても楽しかったです。外国のお友達もはずかしがらず、どんどん温泉のすばらしさを知ってもらいたいですね。温泉に入ると日本人に生まれてよかったなあ、と心から思います。いいですね、温泉。『虹の海』お勧めです。七尾湾をパノラマの窓から眺めながら楽しむ温泉は、何とも言えない贅沢です（ここから景色がみれます）。ウェブサイトは、www.nijitoumi.jpです。

Two years ago, we all stayed at onsen ryokan in Wakura. The Onsen is called "Niji to Umi," which means "Rainbow and Ocean" in Japanese. Niji to Umi is operated under a Kagaya. Kagaya is one of the most prestigious onsen ryokans in Japan and it's also in Wakura. When Kagaya is involved, you know you are in good hands. But fear not, Niji to Umi is much more affordable and casual than Kagaya. The view from a room is amazing. It is literally facing the Nanao Bay. But wait until you get into its onsen. The onsen has a panoramic window facing the bay, and you just want to soak yourself in it for hours. You can see the incredible view from here. 

It was Colin's first onsen trip. Colin has been to Japan 6 times but, he has never done an onsen. I suspect it's because of the intimidating "ritual" of getting completely naked in front of strangers. It's not as bad as it sounds, really. But I'm so proud to report that he did it gracefully, and most importantly he loved it. A couple of days before this trip, he practiced his first Japanese onsen at the Kyukamura Noto Chirihama, so he was already thinking of himself as a veteran onsen goer by the time we arrived in Wakura.

People wonder what you do at the onsen. This is how veteran onsen goers, Akiko and Toshio (my parents) spend their time at onsen.

➀ You check into your room and you go straight to onsen.

➁ Dinner! Lots of fresh sea food. This is the day you eat until you collapse.

➂ You are totally stuffed and happy. You go back to your room and lay down.

➃ You begin regaining your strength to get up so you go to onsen again.

➄ By this time you are pleasantly exhausted from being all steamed up in onsen, so you have a very pleasant night sleep.

➅ You wake up early the next day and you go to onsen. 

➆ Breakfast! You impress yourself by stuffing yourself again.

➇ You go back to your room and lay down.

➈ You realize you still got a bit of time before you check out.  So you go back to onsen.

➉ You leave onsen, wishing you could stay one more night to repeat the 9 steps all over again.

Happy onsen! I hope you will enjoy it as much as we did.

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