The Paleo Express After a Long While, Part Two

As soon as we arrived at Nagatoro Station, we ran to the front of the station and found a spot to capture the steam locomotive’s departure on camera.

With a resounding blast of its whistle, it passed heavily before our eyes—a magnificent figure of black steel.

We watched it from behind until its smoke disappeared from view.

The plan had been to take a Nagatoro riverboat ride afterward, but with it being Golden Week, the line was extraordinarily long.

We gave up on that idea and decided to visit nearby Hodosan Shrine instead.

With Nagatoro Station behind us, we made our way up the gently sloping approach to the shrine.

In Nagatoro’s pleasantly mild weather—not too hot—colorful flowers were in bloom, and the fresh greenery was almost dazzling to the eye.

Hodosan Shrine has an atmosphere that somehow calls to mind Nikko Toshogu Shrine.

Within the shrine grounds is a spring where, it is said, Yamato Takeru purified himself, giving one a sense of its long history.

On our way back from visiting the shrine, we found a café called “Sansō” and went in.

The area from Chichibu to Nagatoro is famous for kakigori shaved ice, and this café seems to be one of the places known for it.

The kakigori we ordered, made with locally grown pears preserved in house-made syrup, had a gentle flavor that was not overly sweet.

It cooled our tired, overheated bodies just the right amount.

Our itinerary was nearing its end, but there was still one last dose of railway supplement left.

It was the Seibu Limited Express Laview.

Let’s take it back to Tokyo.

The Laview runs near our home, so we see it regularly, but it had been quite a while since we last rode it. That, too, was exciting.

Passing through Shomaru Pass, the longest tunnel on the Seibu Railway, we sped along the Chichibu route toward Tokyo.

Starting with the Limited Express Kusatsu-Shima that morning, followed by the Paleo Express steam locomotive and then the Laview, it was a day spent enjoying a railway journey so full it was almost too much to take in.

Now then, where should we go for our next day-trip steam locomotive journey?

The Oigawa Railway, which we have yet to visit, sounds like fun too.

Well then, we will soon be arriving at the final stop.

Thank you all very much for riding with us for so long.

*We made kappamaki cucumber rolls with cucumbers bought in Chichibu. I had been curious about these cucumbers ever since they were featured on TV Asahi’s “Shokusai no Okoku” three years ago. They really are delicious!