2017年4月29日土曜日 - 
Hugh： Cherry Blossom Viewing - 2017
This year, I was fortunate enough to go to
three different places to experience the wonder of
the blossoms.
Kyoto: Tetsu gaku no
michi, aka
the Philosopher's Walk. This is one of the wonders of Kansai, maybe even
Japan and is a great viewing spot. One can walk along the
dis-used tracks and see a flourish of cherry blossoms. I was lucky
enough to be there when there was a light gust of wind and it was snowing pink
cherry blossom petals. From there, I proceeded to the canal and walked the whole
way surrounded by cherry blossoms. It was such a nice vibe and there was even a girl playing the recorder, which added to the
atmosphere.
Nara: Yoshino Yama, aka Mount Yoshino. It's common knowledge that this is one of best places
in Japan to view cherry blossoms and it didn't disappoint. It was out of this world and although it was a bit of a hike to the middle (and then top), when
I got there, the view was amazing. As far as the eye
could see, there was white and pink. There
were a number of restaurants and food stalls midway up the mountain (including Mos
Burger) but I opted for bamboo tempura with pink sakura salt. Visiting Mount Yoshino is a must.
Osaka: Sakuranomiya. This is a
place which is often left out of the discussions of good viewing spots.
Actually, it's great and you can see miles upon miles of cherry trees. From the
bridge (sorry, I'm unsure of the name), it was possible to take photos of
cherry blossoms with the river and Osaka Castle in the background. Additionally
in this area, lots of viewing parties were in full swing with people eating, drinking and
having fun. I felt like a bit of a munch and went to my favorite food stall to have gyoza. In the words of
the prophet The Terminator, “I'll Be Back.”
Word Bank:
gives me a feeling：～な気持ちにさせてくれる
by far：断然
wonder of：驚異の
aka. ：別名
dis-used：使用されていない
flourish：花盛りの
gust of：突風
vibe：雰囲気
common knowledge：共通の認識
didn't disappoint：がっかりしません
out of this world：この世のものとは思えない
bit of a hike：少しハイキングみたいで
As far as the eye could see：見渡す限り
midway up：登る途中に
opted for：選んだ
a must：必須
in full swing：盛り上がっている
a bit of a munch：さくっと食べること
The Terminator：映画「ターミネーター」