The Marriott Hotel in Northampton, my regular place to stay over the last few years.

It’s quite a long way from the city centre, and it’s not exactly close to the shoe factory either, but it’s still my favourite hotel.

There’s just one reason: my morning walk☆

 

Although it faces a main road, a mere three-minute walk from the hotel brings you to a tranquil pond, where you can stroll through a small yet enchanting woodland.

Although I lead a rather undisciplined life back in Japan, thanks in part to jet lag, for the first few days of my business trip I find myself getting up ridiculously early and staying active☆

 

It seems that a major cold snap—the first in several years—is sweeping across Europe this year; even when I turn up my coat collar and wrap up as warm as I possibly can, my ears still ache as if they’re about to freeze off……

Well, I don’t dislike winter at all—after all, the colder it is, the more authentic it feels, and the scenery is truly beautiful.

Long before global warming became a hot topic, I’m sure the winters in my home town—the countryside of Chiba—must have been just as cold as this.

I fondly recall the sensation of walking whilst crunching through hard, cold frost heaves.

 

The person chosen for this business trip wasTricker’s Country Side Gore Boots in Black。

To be honest, due to various circumstances, this child has been rather neglected and treated unfairly for many years.

I got covered in frost and mud on my walk this morning, but they did a great job of protecting my feet.

I’m looking forward to seeing what changes they’ll show by the time this business trip is over♪

 

Back at the hotel, a hot coffee tastes lovely after my body has got so cold☆

I’m hungry! Right, let’s have breakfast!!

So, it’s the start of another exciting day.

 

Currently in the UK Nakagawa