Slow Life Hokkaido II: Bring On Biei
Breakfast in Biei was a simple affair at home. Mum boiled eggs and blanched some asparagus that she had bought from Furano Marche, while sticks of coffee premix was provided by the host. The second day of our trip turned wet with constant drizzle.We didn't have far to go, as all of the planned sights were within Biei city limits.
Hokusei Hill Observatory wasn't very impressive. Once again, its because we came in the wrong season. Took leisurely walk around it and ascended the unique Observatory that looks like a pyramid squatting an a grassy hill. At the top is a great vantage point of the surrounding landscape.
Next came the tree-hunting. Doesn't sound exciting, but the drive around the rolling farmlands of the Patchwork Road is really beautiful. One of the famous trees in the area is the Ken and Mary Tree, a talllllll poplar that was made famous in a 1977 commercial.
Another tree was the Seven Star Tree. Due to age, it doesn't look as lush anymore, but it's still a great view with the curving road that is lined with white birches in the background. It's also surrounded by swathes of green.
While looking for the next POI, we stopped at a patch of farmland that had been overrun by dandelions. Think it has been abandoned else the farmer would be very pissed that we decided to trespass. Guess we were so desperate to see flowers that even dandelions made us go into a frenzy.
Mild Seven Hill is a grove of trees on a low hill. It was used years ago on the Mild Seven cigarette packaging. From there we went looking for a restroom, and ended up at Ferme La Terre, an atas bakery cum restaurant in the middle of nowhere.
All that tree-hunting really worked up and appetite, and of course we were so eager to get out of the cold and wet weather. Drove back into town to have lunch at Daimaru. Looking at the lunch crowd, it's definitely popular with the locals. When in Biei, one must try the curry udon, and I did. Not bad, but I prefer curry rice. Other yummy dishes on the menu include tender pork steak, and ginger pork slices.
We went back into farmlands after filling our bellies and ended up at a wooden toy shop. For some reason, it was so windy and super cold. Quickly took some pics outside and headed in. Basically a shop selling an impressive collection of wooden toys and decorative items.
The rain was not letting up so our choices were quite limited. Tried our luck at Takushinkan, Shinzo Maeda's photography gallery. All of his photos were taken around Biei in various seasons, but there was one repeating theme-- the tower of the Biei Elementary School. Behind the gallery was a scenic path lined with white birches.
Unlike MyFM DJ Lim Tuck Weng who was in East Hokkaido to admire the huge fields of moss phlox, we were happy enough to stop at side of Ritz Garden Café to camwhore at the biggest patch of moss phlox that we encountered.
In the end, Bro found us an Instagram-able café that we can lepak at. Also in the middle of nowhere (a Hokkaido trait), Likka Lokka is really quite a find. From the parking, there's a small path to the wood and cement café. The specialty there is bagels. We ordered the French toast bagel set, and a couple of coffees. The place is also very kid-friendly with children's books and a corner for colouring activities. Parents can also sit inside while watching their children play at the playground outside.
That night we raided the Super Chain Super Fuji in Biei. The cooked food section had already marked down their items to up to half off. On the dinner table that night was nigiri sushi, grilled chicken drummets, pork skewers, grilled fish in unagi sauce, and melon (not the super-expensive Yubari). Satisfying and cheap.
POI Mapcodes:
- Hokusei Hill Observatory : 389 070 315
- Ken and Mary Tree : 389 071 727
- Seven Star Tree : 389 157 156
- Mild Seven Hill : 389 036 417
- Ferme La Terre : 0166-74-4417 (phone)
- Daimaru : 0166-92-3114 (phone)
- Takushinkan : 349 704 245
- Likka Lokka : 0166(73)4865 (phone)
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