A lovely ‘high tea’ brekkie before I started my day. Delicious bitefuls of savoury items (croque monsieur; baked potatoes; slice of pork; green salad; sweet corn soup) and a few sweets (yoghurt with berries; 2 small fruit pieces; scone/jam/cream) at the end. Yum!

It began to snow just as I turned on the ignition…but thankfully stopped within about 10 minutes of setting off. My first stop today at Mishima-San’s Shibazakura garden in Kutchan which I knew wouldn’t be in bloom, but I wanted to witness the location, ‘cos its so lovely in May in pics. Check out that pink and yellow contrast, wow! As I was driving past, I noticed a darling little green cottage …..

And Mt Yotei @ 1898 metres, was loomingly magnificently, despite the overcast weather. Its also called ‘Ezo Fuji’ because it resembles Mt Fuji, another stratovolcano I’ll be meeting later in the trip!

As I was leaving Kutchan, I couldn’t help but notice this very unsavoury establishment……what the ???!!

And Mt Niseko was on the opposite side of the highway, gloomy, brooding and looking like a painting. I loved the colour layering of the image….

I chose to make this one a B&W image..reminded me of a few Japanese prints I had seen….

More than 50% of Japan’s total milk production and 90% of the cheeses originate from Hokkaido. Called into the Niseko Cheese factory and purchased some ‘super’ blue cheese. Takashi, behind the counter, told me they made the cheese from Holstein herds. Very yum!

Its quite the experience driving from Kutchan to Sapporo via the Nakayama Pass – superb mountain vistas for most of the way. And an incredible mountain tunnel system you travel through as well. Well worth the effort.