Hokkaido - New Friends

We were lucky enough to spend a day with the lovely Vicky and her equally lovely family while in Hokkaido. We chatted, we visited a local hand-made glass shop, we visited a local historical site, and then ended up with lunch and a quick walk around Ecorin-mura. It didn't feel like a first meeting and the day sped by far too quickly, but both U and I felt the day was a highlight of our trip and hope to go back and visit again!

the ceiling of the bathroom of the glass shop -

Vicky instructed us to go to the bathrooms to check it out,

poor U didn't realize why he was being ordered to the toilet,

but dutifully went (and then went again when he was shown my photos!)

long past the end of lotus flower season in Tokyo we spotted these beauties

Ecorin-mura, a delightful mix of gardens that we sadly had too little time to enjoy

Wordless Wednesday - Hokkaido Lotus

Ajisai - Take four

It has taken me way too long to get these pics up, but here goes one last ajisai post as the flowers come to the end of their season...

When Rurousha wrote about the best hydrangea gardens in Tokyo I knew I had to visit at least a couple, which is why,  one day after work found me toddling off to Hakusan Jinja.  It was a bit dark by the time I got there, and I had to keep dodging couples who were... well... not quite so keen on flowers as I was...

But the hydrangeas were gorgeous! Asukayama may have numbers and it certainly is beautiful, but  Hakusan Jinja has variety - wine red, white, speckled, stars, curled little flowers...

 

Ajisai - Take three

Who said you had to go to a famous spot for gorgeous hydrangea? I spotted these two rare types outside of the coffee shop where my coworker and I had lunch!

Ajisai - Take two

After reading Rurousha's list of the top hydrangea spots in Tokyo I was inspired and toddled off to Asukayama with my camera (and iPhone macro lens!).

Not being a morning person it was mid-day by the time I got there, and there were plenty of others. There were older couples, pairs of middle aged women, mothers with young children, and men in suits. There were old flip-phone cameras, disposable camera, point-and-shoot digital cameras, and SLR with lenses longer than my arm. There was a young guy with a spray bottle of water setting up mood shots

and an older man with a mega camera on a monopod who had hidden himself in a gorgeous bush of hydrangeas to get shots of the trains.

But there were also gorgeous hydrangea - white,

and pink,

and blue,

and purple,

and even a mix of all of the above!

There were also all sorts of trains whizzing by

and even a spider enjoying the blossoms.

And, just for Rurousha, there was even views of Skytree to be seen (if you look really really hard...) with trains AND ajisai!