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.