Wednesday, November 19th

After I finished my blog on Monday, my home host took me out to a French Restuarant which was the best ever. We enjoyed more courses during that meal than any other dinner in my life. Before I leave I would like to have a list of all the foods we enjoyed. Tuesday morning we toured the Tom ni oka Suntori Winery. The large vineyard 370 acres was very beautiful. We tasted five different wines following the tour which was about 11:00 a.m. (which was a little early for me to be drinking wine). We enjoyed a great lunch at the winery restaurant where the dining room had a great view of Mt. Fuji. In the afternoon we visited the Rakusuien ravine where the colors were very beautiful and we had a twenty minute ride in a carriage behind a horse we nicknamed Rusty. Then a twenty minute walk to the falls. Next we enjoyed what was my first public bath at the Rakusuien Hotel and the Welcome party for Group #3. Great food as always and for the first time out GSE team had to sing a song before the group. Their assistant governor who speak very little English but he was singing "White Christmas" and I was asked to join him in singing. Visiting with my host family showing pictures until about 10:00 p.m. Wednesday enjoyed a walk with my home host for one hour and ten minutes (yesterday it was about 40 minutes) Mr. Furuya is a great guy. We both moved into our homes in 1971 and both of our Mothers died in 2003. We always enjoying visiting. He laughs at my Japanese and helps me learn a few new words. His English is good but he always carries a Japanese-to-English & English-to-Japanese dictionary. We toured the Inden deer skin leathercraft place. They have purses that cost over $1,000. All of their products are the best. We met the past president to the company who was a past governor of this district in 1985-86, which is the same year as Dick Trammel served at governor in our district. "You are the Key" was a theme for the year. We all enjoyed a great stop at the Shinnkonya Elementary School. We learned how to write "the Beautiful Ocean" in Kanji. We showed the PSU DVD and then answered their questions. The finish was a presentation on paper cranes (a good luck symbol) and singing of their school song. A presentation to the Kofu North Rotary Club at lunch. We toured the local broadcasting company and the Yagamagashi prefecture museum this afternoon. I am tired but have honestly enjoyed every day. Love to all my family and Friends.
Ken