AMAZON Life by SUNA

８日（日）は、朝から快晴。「ゲストハウス　ダーナラ」は、夜明けとともに、ＡＭＡＺＯＮの暖気音で目覚めました。昨夜の心地よい”酔い”の余韻は残るものの赤アマゾンのＧさんとＮさんは、朝陽を受けて早速、撮影と整備。我々は素晴らしく豪勢なスウェーデン風朝食をいただき、午前９時過ぎにはＡＭＡＺＯＮ５台を連ねて会津路のツーリングに出発。樹齢４００年とも５００年とも言われる、見事に黄色に染まった「大銀杏（いちょう）」で撮影。その後は、一路、路肩に先週降ったという雪もちらほらと残る紅葉真っ只中のワインディングロードをＡＭＡＺＯＮの隊列は福島県側の尾瀬沼入口「桧枝岐」へ。ご自分でも蕎麦を打たれるＡさんご推薦の「本格的」”裁ち蕎麦”と名物”はっとう”を味わい、またまた、露天風呂で紅葉の山々を満喫。道の駅では、新鮮な野菜を買いこんで、夕方の大渋滞を避けるべく、午後３時には東北道の西那須野塩原ＩＣに乗りました。美しい夕陽に向かってＡＭＡＺＯＮは帰路に着き、私は予定通り、大きな渋滞にも捕まらず、午後５時半には、東京の自宅に帰還。しかし、そのころ、名古屋の赤アマゾンＧさんは、当然走り続けて、午後１１時にご帰宅とのご連絡をいただきました。ただ、もっと大変だったのはＮさんで、なんと、帰路でＡＭＡＺＯＮにトラブルを抱えられたそうで、ご帰宅は、午前０時２５分とのこと、、、。未明から、いち早く起きられていただけに、お気の毒にも本当に長い一日になってしまいました。とはいえ、一応、久々のＡＭＡＺＯＮツーリングを皆さんと楽しむことが出来ました。かつての「ＡＭＡＺＯＮ　ＯＷＮＥＲＳ　ＣＬＵＢ」ツーリングの名簿を見ると、今回ご一緒したＡさんが２７歳と書かれています。現在は私とほぼ同じ６２歳ということですから、約３４年振りにご一緒したＡＭＡＺＯＮツーリングです。ＡさんのＡＭＡＺＯＮは、当時のままですから、この白いＡＭＡＺＯＮも３４年振りのツーリングです。こんな素晴らしい再会とツーリングが楽しめたのも「・１２２」ＡＭＡＺＯＮのお陰ですし、この日のために、気持ち良くスペアエンジンを貸してくださったＮさんのお陰に他なりません。本当に感謝、感謝、、、です。

Sunday the 8th started under bright skies. At Guesthouse Dalarna, the morning started at day break with the sound of an Amazon engine warming up. With a bit of buzz left from yesterday's wine, Mr. N and Mr G with the red Amazon went off for an early photo shoot. The rest of us were presented with a sumptuous Swedish breakfast. At 9am, the 5 Amazons were off for a day of touring through the Aizu countryside. We took a break for a photoshoot by some ginko trees which were somewhere between 400 and 500 years old. Then it was off to Oze. We entered from the Fukushima side thru roads winding thru trees in their autumn splendor. Mr. A who can make his own soba recommended an authentic soba shop where we had soba and hatto which we followed up with another dip in an outdoor onsen bath. We stopped by to buy some fresh local produce and then rushed off to Nishi Nasu Shiobara IC trying to avoid the traffic congestion by getting there by 3pm. We drove into the sunset and I was back home by 17:30. For Mr G in his red Amazon, his drive was much longer as he had to go all the way back to Nagoya, but he got safely back at 23:00. Mr. N. had much more trouble as his Amazon started to show signs of trouble, and he did not get home until 00:25 the next day. He was one of the earliest up, and must have been quite a long day for him. In any case, we all enjoyed our Amazon tour. During our time together over the weekend, we were looking at an old register of a tour we had during the days when "Amazon Owners Club" was still existing. The list showed Mr. A who was with us this weekend at 27 years old. He is about my age so that means that this tour was after a 34 year gap. Mr. A's Amazon is the same white Amazon as 34 years ago. My Amazon .122 has made all this happen again for me, and I am especially indebted to Mr. N who has "lent" me his engine.

「ＡＭＡＺＯＮ紅葉ツーリング」が、１１月７日（土）、８日（日）の両日、行われました。１１月７日（土）午前７時半に東北自動車道の佐野ＳＡに集合したのは、ＡＭＡＺＯＮ１２３ＧＴのＡさん（群馬・桐生）とはるばる名古屋から夜を徹して走って来てくれた”赤アマゾン”ことＧさん、そして、１２２ＳのＮさん（神奈川・相模）と、１２３ＧＴが板金中で、仕方なくハイラックス・サーフで参加のＯさんに、私の「・１２２」ＡＭＡＺＯＮの５台。本来は、１２２ＳのＫさん（東京・中野）と、新たに仲間に加わったＣさん（神奈川・鎌倉）の１２２Ｓの合計７台が集まる予定でしたが、そうは簡単に話は進みませんでした。Ｋさんは、感冒性下痢に苦しんでいるそうで、遅れて西那須野塩原ＩＣで合流、Ｃさんは、電気系統のトラブルで、午前３時に鎌倉を出発したものの、八王子の整備工場に寄ることとなり、夕方のホテル合流。ということで、差し当たって、４台のＡＭＡＺＯＮと１台のハイラックス・サーフでスタート。東北自動車道の西那須野塩原ＩＣへと向かいました。西那須野塩原ＩＣから塩原温泉へと向かった「菓茶寮林檎庵」というカフェで小休止。「”りんご”庵」というくらいですからアップルパイを堪能して、体調の優れないＫさんのＡＭＡＺＯＮも合流、この度の「ＡＭＡＺＯＮ紅葉ツーリング」が始まりました。その後、「ゲストハウス　ダーナラ」のオーナーＯさんと待ち合わせをして、塩原温泉に置いてあるＯさんのＰＶ４４４とＤｕｅｔを拝見しました。数年前まで実動していたというだけに、旧いＶｏｌｖｏのわりにはコンディションも良さそうで、来年からのレストアと実動復帰に期待が膨らみます。そして、そのガレージから、”山道”を歩いて、渓谷にひっそりと佇む、Ｏさんに言わせると「世界遺産”級”」の蕎麦屋さんへ。確かに、「こんな所」に、今にも崩れ落ちそうな「こんな建物」が、、、と、驚きながらも、紅葉の美しい渓谷で、川のせせらぎをＢＧＭに、お蕎麦とおでん、名物”草だんご”など「秘境の味」を堪能しました。のんびりとくしたくつろぎの後、Ｏさんの先導で向かった、福島県南会津の「ゲストハウス　ダーナラ」（http://www.dalarna.jp/guest/about.html）は、萱葺き屋根の古民家を改築したそうで、まるで、ヨーロッパの田舎の街角に来たような錯覚さえ覚える素晴らしいゲストハウスでした。ＡＭＡＺＯＮを並べれば、本当にスウェーデンそのもの、、、。近くの「赤湯温泉」で、赤い鉄分を多量に含んだ”赤い”お湯の気持ち良い露天風呂で山々の美しい紅葉を楽しんで、「ゲストハウス　ダーナラ」へ戻ると、トラブルを克服してやって来たＣさんのＡＭＡＺＯＮも到着。早速、古民家そのままの囲炉裏を囲んで、オーナーのＯさん差し入れの会津の地酒でアペリティフ。Ｏさんご自慢の本格的スウェーデン料理の晩餐後も、美味しいワインﾄとともに、ＡＭＡＺＯＮ談義に”酔いしれ”会津の夜は、賑やかに更けていきました。

We started off on a 2 day "Amazon Autumn Foliage Tour" on Saturday 7th. The meeting place was Sano SA on the Tohoku expressway at 7am. 5 Amazons were able to get there - Mr. A with his 123GT from Kiryu Gunma, Mr. G with his red Amazon from Nagoya, and Mr.N with his 122S from Sagami Kanagawa. Mr. O came with this Hilux Surf as his 123GT was not able to leave the shop in time. Mr. K's 122S from Nakano and Mr. C's 122S from Kamakura were also supposed to join, but things never go as planned. Mr. K. had come down with a flu and came later to join us at Shiobara IC while Mr. C suffered from electrical problems and despited leaving Kamakura at 3am, he had to stop by the service shop in Hachioji and was not able to get to the hotel until later in the evening. Anyway, 4 Amazons and 1 Hilux Surf start off towards the Nishinasu Shiobara IC. There was a cafe famous for apples so we stopped by for some apple pie. Mr. K's Amazon was able to catch up with us here. We met up with the owner of Guesthouse Dalarna Mr. O to see his PV444 Duet which he keeps in Shiobara. This PV444 had been in working conditions until a few years ago and was in good condition so we all look forward to have it up and working again after being restored next year. We walked down the mountain path from there to go to a Soba shop which was located in a "hidden spot" at the bottom of a ravine. We were all surprised that they were able to have a soba shop in such a location, but we enjoyed our soba & oden with the autumn leaves surrounding us and the sound of the river running. From there, with Mr O at the lead, we drove out to Minami Aizu Fukushima to Guesthouse Dalarna. It is a renovated old Japanese house, but looks like and old European house. With the Amazons lined up in front, one could fantasize that we were all in Sweden. We went over to the onsen - Akaonsen for a dip with another beautiful scenary of autumn leaves. We found that Mr. C had finally made it to the guest house when we got back and we all got around the hearth for a round of local sake. Then out came a great parade of swedish food with wine. Time past quickly as we ate, drank and talked endlessly about our Amazons.