おばかず
Continuing the Biei drive (Ramen Tsumugi), this is the final chapter. After visiting Ramen Tsumugi, we drove towards Shirogane Onsen. The new summer tires are working well, making the drive enjoyable. It's been a while since we've had Shirogane hot spring water. It's actually an active volcanic area that erupts frequently. We walked while looking up at the smoking snow-capped mountains. After a good walk, we drove again. We are heading back to Asahikawa, but it feels a bit lonely on the national road. Should we go to the Seven Star Tree area? And then drive back while enjoying the pastoral scenery. Oh, there's a former elementary school with an observatory on the rooftop. It seems to have been turned into a shop. We entered the shop out of curiosity. It looks quite stylish. The way they display the bread on the shelves is like something out of Kiki's Delivery Service. I love hearty bread, so I must have the Pain Complet. My wife ordered the potato bread, croissant, and kouglof. Having lived in Austria for two years after graduating from university, my wife is knowledgeable about European bread. I've traveled to Europe for work, including the UK, Italy, Switzerland, Austria, and even Turkey. The bread there is completely different from Japanese bread. The Pain Complet is a must-have. It means "complete" and refers to whole wheat flour. The shop is clean and very beautiful. There's a restaurant too, with all the walls made of glass so you can enjoy the countryside while dining. This shop is like a role model. The taste is enhanced by the good impression of the shop and the staff. As we were thinking that, a young male employee came out to fetch firewood. He had a natural and kind expression, greeting us with a smile. This alone makes the shop feel wonderful. The taste improves drastically with a good impression of the shop and the staff. It's all about human connections. Greetings with a smile make a pleasant experience. Back home, I cooked scrambled eggs with a lot of butter, cooked at low temperature without stirring much, then slowly and carefully stirred to create a hotel-style scrambled eggs. This was paired with the bread. The bread was more moist than expected, suited for Japanese taste. It had a strong wheat flavor, very similar to European bread. We also tried the kouglof that my wife chose, which is a bit like a sweet. It could be sliced like pound cake and served with whipped cream, making it a nice dessert. It goes well with coffee or tea. It might be good for breakfast too. It was delicious. Thank you for the meal. Next time, I want to enjoy a meal slowly, dressed in a slightly stylish outfit, savoring the time, scenery, and food. Thank you for the meal!