Then: Japan Pavilion, Epcot, Disney World, Orlando, Florida, USA—June 2008 Now: Heiken-ji Temple, Kawasaki Daishi, Japan—April 2009 Hmm, 10 months can make a world of difference! Err–half a world, anyway!
Then and Now!
Sakura Saturday
About 80 percent of the buds have opened into blossoms along the stream between Sakuragaoka (Hill of Cherry Blossoms) and my place. Many trees are 100 percent fluffed out as if hundreds of bunnies were living in the tree tops. Bare branches barely starting to bud in some stretches brings the average bloomrate down. Photos…
Spring in Kamakura
Kamakura retains its status as my favorite place in Japan after another fun day trip. Chris and I looped through its shrines and temples our first week in Japan and I keep finding reasons to come back. When I first visited the Tsurugaoka Hachimangu Shrine near Kamakura Station for Bean-Throwing Day in February I knew…
Kamakura Wedding Procession
I heard a weird reedy instrument today while walking through Tsurugaoka Hachimangu Temple in Kamakura. Oh, it’s a wedding procession. Well who wouldn’t want that noise at their wedding? It was a beautiful day for it, though—sunny, a half-mile of cherry blossoms leading to the temple, and temperatures rose to the upper 50s! Aaahhh, I…
Polly Put the Kettle On, We’ll All Have Tea!
Mid-50s, sunny 🙂So! I got my Lupicia tea delivery first thing this morning!! My teacups were so excited they formed a receiving line. It’s the limited edition spring Sakura black tea—that’s black tea with cherry blossoms. How perfect is that?? I just had my first cup (left) and it smells floral and faintly sweet with…
Fifty Degrees and Raining
This weather and I have a special something. Seriously. That seems to be the weather for adventures and one thing most major cities have in common, regardless of the time of year I visit: Paris in May: 50 degrees. Raining. Moscow in August: 50 degrees. Raining. London in May: 50 degrees. Raining. New York in…
Come on Over to My House!!
The living room is the warmest room of the house—not temperature-wise, but it has the couch and a bunch of blankets and looks the most polished. The first picture is what you see if you’re standing in the entryway peaking in the living room door. The below picture is centered on the couch. We bought…