Nagano trip

I’ve just got back from a week away in the Nagano countryside. It was a much needed rest, and a time to fill my eyes with the splendours of the Japanese Autumn.

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We stayed at the Ryokan Nakadanasou, in a small town called Komoro, on the Eastern edge of Nagano. It was a little Japanese slice of perfection. The momiji trees were superbly red, the styling was minimal, and the onsen had local apples bobbing about in it, which gave a wonderful gentle appley scent to the whole bathroom. Bliss.

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After a relaxing overnight at the ryokan, we drove on to the foothills of the Southern Yatsugatake mountains, to our rented cabin. The view of the koyo Autumnal colours was delightful, and the burbling of the river going by in the distance was all you could hear…

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The weather was cold and rainy, and then cold and brilliantly sunny. We stayed in, cooked meals, and kept warm by the fire…

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This sort of holiday is good for my imagination, and I had time to think about artwork I want to make, as well as catch up on current projects..

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The pretty little still-lives around the cabin enticed me to draw also…

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The listing for the cabin we stayed in on airbnb is here, in case anyone in Tokyo needs a little R & R.