Yufuin back to Fukuoka

We enjoyed a blissful night's sleep on those tatami mats - although I think it had something to do with the effect of the onsen soak and the plum flavoured sake we drank with dinner the night before.

We enjoyed another long hot soak in our private onsen early this morning - total bliss under a canopy of steam and the maple trees in their autumn colour - so nice to be able to see it all in daylight this time! We both love the feeling of well being the hot soaks give us.

And this is what greeted us for breakfast! (not in our room this time; but in a very serene area of the ryokan - with just room for two tables) ........

 and this was before a few more courses were added ...... and all quite delicious, despite being so unfamiliar.

The Hinoharu Ryokan is a beautiful, VERY traditional Japanese onsen and inn. We have LOVED our stay here - what an experience!!

 The small township of Yufuin has a lot going for it (that's Mt Yufu, towering over the main street) but somehow it's not handled the waves of tourists very well and parts of it look tacky and overcrowded despite the beauty of the hot springs and the onsens in this area.

 We found the town's small Marc Chagall Museum and enjoyed a close look at it's collection of lithographs from the Le Cirque series. A surprising collection of work to find in Yufuin we thought - but I'd never miss a chance to see a Chagall anywhere in the world!

 And we left after that - managing to catch the 12.30pm bus back to Tenjin Terminal here in Fukuoka again without any mishaps. The bus trip (express) took about two and a half hours and gave us views of some spectacular mountains and farmland in this beautiful part of Japan, especially in the first half of the trip.

We're back in the Solaria Nishitetsu Hotel again, but in a bigger better room now, looking south over the city. This is the view from our 15th floor window.