Contemporary French cuisine experience in the middle of nowhere. Do you know where Saint Alban de Roche is? (I did not) Anyways, chef Romain Hubert is simply brilliant. The dishes are imaginative and a tickle to all the senses – sight, aroma and taste. His artistic flare with flavours and complex cooking method really does pay off. Think foam and paper thin aubergine… His restaurant serves upon appointment only. Just himself and a…

!@&^$£?@ Got stung by this mint looking plant myself. Totally need to share with you all out there. My leg brushed past this plant and it felt as if my leg was burning. It is not poisonous, but hey, it hurts. The pain went away after a day. The whole plant has micro hairs to sting. Evil plant!!!

Right next to the Takachiho Gorge there were some intriguing food stalls. At this place, ‘you snooze or you lose’ had a new meaning. That’s right, the noodle floated along the bamboo, but not into your bowl… if you didn’t catch it in time, they just fly off the cliff. This style of serving udon was the regional specialty, nagashi somen 😀