*purrs*
Need to load photos still, but I had a gorgeous day today!
Went to Tokushima with Iain on a day trip. We took a mid-day train, getting in about 12:30. We were both starving by that time, but luckily there were plenty of restaurants right in the station. I spotted an Il Rosa, which is a favorite cafe of mine, so we went off there.
After lunch, our plan was to find the ropeway and go up to Mt. Bizan, but we instead found this pretty river walk and took that. It lead us to the old castle grounds, which were lovely. Lots of little playgrounds, an old-style train engine, a fountain, couple of water spots, some ruins, and a nice elevated look-out. Ended up not making it to Bizan but that was fine. Had a light 'dinner' at another coffee shop - just toast sandwiches and coffee. Teased Iain about his addiction as that was his third cup of the day.
Best moment was bizarre and lovely and just oh. There were these small little rose gardens, but with big gorgeous roses still mostly in bloom. And this in November, with all the fall foliage out too! Wandered through them, and spotted this stray black cat. She looked a good deal like my tomcat back in the states, save for smaller and with a white patch on her chest. She was in great shape for a stray too - dusty but obviously well-fed and uninjured. She let Iain pet her and when I sat down on the bench, she came right over to me and cuddled up on my lap, purring! So there I was, in Japan, amid roses and fall foliage, with a boy man from New Zealand and a black cat curled up on my lap. It was amazing and beautiful and the most wonderful, crazy moment.
It reminded me of this blog post one of you linked to once. Sadly, I can't find the link! If anyone has it, would you please, please send it to me? It was all about walking along the Philosopher's Walk one day in autumn, and how that one day just make all the shit in life worth it. And the writer concluded by wishing that everyone could have their own "autumn day in Kyoto", and saying that she(?) believed they would.
Because today was that sort of a day. ♥♥♥
Went to Tokushima with Iain on a day trip. We took a mid-day train, getting in about 12:30. We were both starving by that time, but luckily there were plenty of restaurants right in the station. I spotted an Il Rosa, which is a favorite cafe of mine, so we went off there.
After lunch, our plan was to find the ropeway and go up to Mt. Bizan, but we instead found this pretty river walk and took that. It lead us to the old castle grounds, which were lovely. Lots of little playgrounds, an old-style train engine, a fountain, couple of water spots, some ruins, and a nice elevated look-out. Ended up not making it to Bizan but that was fine. Had a light 'dinner' at another coffee shop - just toast sandwiches and coffee. Teased Iain about his addiction as that was his third cup of the day.
Best moment was bizarre and lovely and just oh. There were these small little rose gardens, but with big gorgeous roses still mostly in bloom. And this in November, with all the fall foliage out too! Wandered through them, and spotted this stray black cat. She looked a good deal like my tomcat back in the states, save for smaller and with a white patch on her chest. She was in great shape for a stray too - dusty but obviously well-fed and uninjured. She let Iain pet her and when I sat down on the bench, she came right over to me and cuddled up on my lap, purring! So there I was, in Japan, amid roses and fall foliage, with a boy man from New Zealand and a black cat curled up on my lap. It was amazing and beautiful and the most wonderful, crazy moment.
It reminded me of this blog post one of you linked to once. Sadly, I can't find the link! If anyone has it, would you please, please send it to me? It was all about walking along the Philosopher's Walk one day in autumn, and how that one day just make all the shit in life worth it. And the writer concluded by wishing that everyone could have their own "autumn day in Kyoto", and saying that she(?) believed they would.
Because today was that sort of a day. ♥♥♥