The Course Dinner of Meli Melo in Hotel Setsu Niseko !

by Kazu

We rarely use Restaurant Meli Melo in Hotel Setsu Niseko for dinner but we tried the dinner course in that evening. Of course, we have breakfast in the restaurant whenever we stay there but as each room is equipped with Miele kitchen appliances including IH and microwave oven, we can select and savor the culinary delights sourced locally.     

To be honest, I think the grade of the cuisine to be savored in the area got much higher than before and they use and coordinate the veggies, meats, dairy foods and seafood so nicely  but we can enjoy what we want to savor the food on the occasion and place. 

Nevertheless, we were so satisfied with the quality and taste of the dishes of the dinner course in the restaurant on that day. Everything was sourced in the area, I think. Different from the room dinner, the course dinner in the restaurant was photogenic.

 

Restaurant Mandriano run by Takahashi Ranch !

 

by Kazu

The pastoral Italian ristorante Mandriano run by Takahashi Ranch provides the visitors with genuine tasteful top-quality cheese made in the ranch. To control of the quality of dishes must be tough to make the most of the genuine quality of the ingredients but the staff seemed to be well-trained and learned a lot.    

The photo spot on the northern side of the ranch is so well designed with sunflower, hay roll, used old tractor to cultivate the field and scarecrow. Many visitors were enjoying the landscape and recording happy memories on the spot.

Fortunately, the visitors taking photos seemed to be paying attention to others and disciplined, so far. I hope no arrogant visitors would not come here and other places in Hokkaido at all, if possible. 
 

Mt.Yotei as a landmark !

by Kazu

I think Hotel Setsu Niseko kindly provided us with a room with Mt. Yotei view this time. The people living around the mountain grew up watching a variety of countenances of it every day. They must be relived to see the beautiful shape of the mountain.  

The residential areas of Niseko and Kutchan Town are away from this place but this LAWSON store earns the most in the area because Hotel Setsu Niseko is equipped with built-in microwave-oven, intelligent heater,  dishwasher, laundry machine made by famous "Miele" headquartered in Germany.

Other accommodations are also equipped with microwave-oven, IH  and other electric machines for long stay in winter. As I got surgical operations and rubber ring through my anus and colon, the in-room bath tub with the mountain view was so helpful and healing.

 

The Birthday Service in the confectionery " Rokkatei Cafe !

by Kazu

One of the most famous and popular confectionery Rokkatei cafe kindly provided me with a birthday cake on my birthday. You have to show the staff your licence card or something that can prove your birthday but if you want, the staff sing the birthday song bringing the complimentary cake plate.  

On our way to Kutchan/Niseko Area, we dropped by New South Otaru Market and had seafood lunch. My wife chose sushi plate and I did sushi-grade sashimi plate that contained shrimp, fatty tuna, conch, salmon halibut and scallop.   

This is the sushi plate my wife chose. Other than my lunch plate, salmon roe and flying fish roe and squid were added and the tuna was red and not fatty. The soup was made of salted and dried cod or something like that. After that my birthday stay in Hotel Setsu Niseko started. 

 

The Sign of Good Luck !

by Kazu

I had been wondering what the theme of this statue had been since my infancy. A lady seemed to be playing a strings like a mandorine to ease the pain of the deceased bu no explanation was provided. It has been the over a century. I hope it will continue to exist there and give the  comfort to the visitors. 

After coming back from Kitami City, 

 l found  a magnificent rainbow on the westside of my condo. It was like a dome of light. I kept my fingers crossed, praying for somntg🧍fortunate.

It was so huge and beautiful but it disappeared soon after I gave a glance. The color of the buildings turned pin in the dome.

 

Kitami Hollow Shining !

by Kazu

It was a pity that we could not explore the east coast of Hokkaido Island during my stay that time but we could enjoy our stay and remembering my younger days in the hollow amply.

The graveyard seemed to be well-maintained. Actually, a senior gentleman was trimming the trees and lawn at the peak of the hillside early in the morning. The stone stairs at the center of graveyard looked a little bit damaged but each tombstone seemed to be polished every spring, summer and autumn.

I heard that some families closed their tomb and the bones were put in the common bone house in the graveyard. There is a collective bone house in the graveyard but a new one is under construction at the foot of the stone stairs.

 

Midorigaoka Graveyard in Kitami City !

by Kazu

This graveyard is located at the northern end of Kitami Hollow. The whole city can be seen from there. It was developed before my birth. I used to visit there to catch beetles with scissors early in the morning during my infancy.

Tokoro River made this hollow. There was a hydrogen mine on the upper side of the river and produced tons of hydrogen every week but it was abolished. The waste water should be treated even now and my office contributes to the treating cycle by giving the grant in cooperation with the central government.

Of course, the river water is used for drink, so the quality of the water should be well-checked continuously. Different from the scenery that I had seen from the peak of the graveyard half century ago, Kouei Town at the foot of this hill was rebuilt and well-organized for the citizens. Jogging around the area, I was remembering my grade school days.