Christmas in the Country

We spent Christmas at an old farmhouse in Hattoji. The setting was idyllic.
Well, for the most part.


Not sure what these beached paddleboats were doing in this dodgy campground in this otherwise picturesque countryside. Aside from rusting. Gotta love the way the camera makes it worse.

The playground was slightly better.
Hit it!


You couldn't call it traditional, but it was great. Christmas' number one requirement is family, and we had that in spades.



It was unseasonably warm at something like 15 degrees during the day with the sun a shining. Christmas Eve saw us ripping into a traditional repast of pasta with roasted vegetables while Christmas Day's main meal was soba at a local restaurant. The food was fantastic, but what we didn't have in tradition we made up for in laughs. Slightly competitive card games and wacky charades kept us in seasonal mirth.