First, let’s eat Matsumoto’s soul food! After a moderate drive of about 3 hours from home, we arrived in Matsumoto in the early afternoon. First, let’s go have lunch at the famous curry restaurant “Mae Yau” in front of Shindai University. As of March 2026, there is no parking lot at the Shin-Dai-mae branch, and we were told to use a coin-operated parking lot in the neighborhood. We put our car in a nearby parking lot, and from the moment we got off the car, we could smell the amazing aroma of spices in the air. It was lunch time and we waited for a while before entering the restaurant. I ordered the Sri Lankan curry with tomato and pork black Kashmir, and my husband ordered the black Kashmir and chicken yellow curry with maximum spiciness. The rice here is a mixture of brown and white rice, and the savory aroma goes well with the curry. The black Kashmiri is a perfect match of a block of pork cooked to a hollowness and a little bittersweet Kashmiri. The spicy Sri Lankan curry is easy to eat with thin slices of beef. The acidity of the tomatoes makes it a crispy meal. We also had a little of the husband’s chicken yellow, which is spicy and tingling, but has a good balance of sweetness and a slight aroma of coconut. For garnish, there were pickled green chilies in soy sauce on the table, which was a good side dish that added both spiciness and flavor.
We were full, so we went to a park with nature for a nap. After filling up our stomachs and tasting a little wine, I became a little sleepy, so my husband, the driver, decided to take a little break and take a nap as well. We decided to go to a place with a nice view, so we headed to “Matsumoto City Alps Park”. This park is a huge area, almost the size of a mountain. Although the park retains a lot of nature, there is also a lot of playground equipment for children, making it an athletic paradise for them. There are also paid rides such as the “Alps Dream Coaster,” which is a roller sled ride on a track, and it looks like a lot of fun. Above all, you can see a spectacular view of the Northern Alps. There was a lawn in front of the scenic spot, so I laid out a sheet and took a nap with my husband. It was only a 30-minute nap, but sleeping in nature was very refreshing and helped me to get rid of my fatigue. We haven’t been able to go camping recently, so it was nice to be able to come to a park where we could experience nature in this way. It was a good rest time while enjoying nature.
The nighttime stroll along Nagate-dori is full of atmosphere, and it is fun to stroll in the dark. After leaving Tsukiyoe Coffee, we moved toward Nagate-dori, where the streets of the old castle town still remain. Even just walking around, it is very enjoyable to see many buildings with a sense of Taisho (early 20th century) romance. In the midst of all this, I found a used bookstore, cafe and bar called “Used Book Cafe Souundou. The storefront is cute, and the retro atmosphere and the way the books are arranged in the store make me feel as if I had wandered into a cave. I bought a few historical books and novels, and I wanted to have a cup of tea, but I had just had a cup of coffee, so I decided against it. I also bought a book on history and a couple of novels. I wanted to have a cup of tea, but I had just had a cup of coffee, so I decided against it. Next, we went into “toca by lifart,” a general store on Nawate Street, a row of row houses along the river. I bought a candle named “Shinshu,” a blend of apple and other scents, because I have recently become addicted to lighting candles when I take a bath. The refreshing scent will bring back memories of my trip with its fragrance as I take a bath. Walking along Nawate-dori, I found a delicious-looking ice cream shop. I like ice cream so much that I ate ice cream almost every day during my stay in Buenos Aires, Argentina. I ordered the “Coriander Raspberry Crumble,” even though it was a little chilly. It was a little chilly, but I ordered the “Coriander Raspberry Crumble.” The coriander was not too overpowering, but the taste was harmonious and delicious! The milk ice cream made everyone get along without any problem, even though it was a strange combination. The interior of this restaurant was very nice and foreign-looking. I felt like I was eating ice cream in Buenos Aires.
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