忘年会 in Gunma

Although we went last weekend, I never got around to finishing the post. Better late than never, I guess.

Last Saturday we left home around 11am, stopped off for lunch at くら寿司 then headed down the 関越 to Gunma for an end of the year party, staying overnight at a ryokan, with J's friends from when he was on working holiday in NZ. We catch up with these guys several times a year, I guess they are like his "group of friends".

Anyway, Y picked out the ryokan, a place called ひがきホテル at 水上（みなかみ).
It even had a pool in the gardens, pity it wasn't heated...

Apparently Minakami is a pretty well known onsen town. Unfortunately it poured raining most of the way there, so even though we got there at 3pm, we just checked straight into the hotel and stayed in the rest of the day. A bit of a chat, some ocha and snacks with the others, then a dip in the onsen before dinner. The onsen was pretty hot - K and I sat in the "tepid bath". I attempted to go outside to the 露天風呂 but K wouldn't be in it - "too cold" she said, lol. There was still no snow around anywhere, so it couldn't have been *that* cold outside!?!

Dinner was served in a private room, with little trays for each of us set up. K ate a bit, then played with H-chan 一応仲良し....well, there was only tears once in the night, when a fight broke out over the swinging door, and who could hide behind it. After dinner K and I pretty much fell straight asleep, while J and the rest partied on in the part-ay room nextdoor until 1am.

The next morning we had a lateish breakfast at 8am, then J and K went for an　朝風呂 before checkout. We stopped by the 道の駅 and picked up some veges, went for a walk to a bridge that goes over a part if the river that feeds the 利根川,
and they use for rafting, and then had some lunch at a soba joint(そば処　角弥) where the guys shared a 5人前 between three of them....
I think they did a good job!

I enjoyed the vege tempura with zaru soba for 1250yen (K ate most of my soba), and J had the 舞茸tempura with zaru soba,　大盛り for 1500yen.

Then we all drove to our respective homes, with a quick Tulleys stop at 高坂SA on the way home...I tried the tiamisu latte, which was lovely and creamy, but made me feel a bit sick afterwards.