Awaji Island Open-Air Bath Trip/淡路島露天風呂の旅
Before I got cancer, we were looking forward to staying in a guest room with an open-air bath tub serving excellent hot spring water quality while enjoying a cozy feeling of openness and a treat at the local destination, but since I lost my stomach, the amount of food I can eat has dramatically decreased. So we never went on a trip for nearly ten years.
At the end of September, when the emergency declaration was lifted in Osaka, my wife suddenly declared that we would go to a hot spring. While many people had lost jobs due to the coronavirus, there were industries where jobs had drastically increased. Her workplace was the latter, and she had to work hard and long enough to get home near the last train and needed to relieve stress.
We used to take days to decide where to go, but this time it was easy. Since we live in Osaka, we watch a TV commercial of Hotel New Awaji almost every day, but she had never been to Awaji Island. I had twice, but I wouldn't complain if I could eat my favorite seafood in a hot spring where I could see the sea. I can request a small amount of food in advance.
We found that there are two hotels, Hotel New Awaji facing the east coast, which is on TV, and Hotel New Awaji Plaza Awaji Island at the southern end. We chose the latter. For a two-night three-day trip, how to spend the afternoon of the second day is important. At the southern end, we can see the whirlpools in the Naruto Strait where the Pacific Ocean current meets. When I saw it before, I was a kid, so the impression would be different, and it will be the first time for my wife.
We departed on the afternoon of October 10 with fine weather. A bus crossed the Akashi Bridge which was not built yet when I visited before and went to Awaji Island. We arrived at Fukura Terminal as we looked at the countryside scenery that we hadn’t seen in a long time. When the shuttle car ran on the mountain road from the coastline for a while, a stylish hotel appeared.
My wife chose the highest-class guest room. Although the bedroom, tatami room and living room are connected in a barrier-free manner, each room has a TV, and there is the spacious wood terrace with deck chairs that we can overlook the sea from the top of the hill. As soon as we checked everything, we stepped into the wooden bathtub surrounded by fancy glass walls. It was just great. While enjoying a touch of smooth and soft chemical-free natural warm water, we viewed the Onaruto Bridge in the distance under a hazy sunset without thinking about anything.
罹患以前、年に数回、良質な天然温泉の露天風呂付客室に宿泊して、心地良い開放感と地元のご馳走を味わうのを楽しみにしていたが、胃を失って以後、一度に食べられる量が激減したため、十年近く旅行に行くことはなかった。
大阪で緊急事態宣言が解除された九月末、ワイフが突然温泉に行くと宣言した。コロナ禍で多くの人たちが職を失った一方で、仕事が激増した業種がある。彼女の勤務先は後者で、終電近くに帰宅するほどの激務が続き、ストレスを解放する必要があった。
行き先を決めるのは難航するのが常なのに、今回はすぐに決まった。大阪にいると、ホテルニュー淡路のTVCMを観ない日はないが、ワイフは淡路島に行ったことがなかったのだ。私は二度あるが、海が見える温泉地で好物の海産物を食することができれば文句はない。前もって量は少なめにと言っておけばいい。
TVで流れている東海岸に面したホテルニュー淡路と、南端のホテルニューアワジプラザ淡路島のふたつあることがわかり、後者を選択。二泊三日の旅は、二日目の午後をいかに過ごすかが重要。南端なら目前が鳴門海峡で太平洋の潮流が流れ込む渦潮見物ができる。前に見たときは子供だったので印象も違うだろうし、ワイフは初見だ。
10月10日の午後に出発。快晴に恵まれた。以前訪れたときにはまだなかった明石海峡大橋を渡り、淡路島へ。久しく見ることのなかった田舎の風景を眺めていると、福良に到着。送迎車が海岸線から山道に入ってしばらく走ると、瀟洒なホテルが現れた。
最上級客室だけあって、寝室、畳部屋、リヴィングルームがバリヤーフリーで繋がっているのに各室にTVがあり、デッキチェアが置かれた丘の上の広いウッドテラスから海が望める。早速、洒落たガラスの壁に囲まれたヒノキ風呂につかる。ケミカルフリーの掛け流し天然温泉の滑らかな感触を味わいながら、時を忘れて夕景に霞む遠くの大鳴門橋を眺めた。
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