竹泉荘 has beautiful 有田焼 dishes served at 竈神=Kamajin, their only and the best restaurant, while lovely glasses were also available for sake. Mei-Shun chose one for dinner, felt quite interested in a souvenir shop next to a small gallery. Shin did as well, visited there in early morning. They decided to bring home a pair of chopsticks rest shaped like flowers with different number of petals.
Instead of strolling around in the morning, a concierge recommended Shin and Mei-Shun to go up to the top floor where no guest stayed by chance. Compared to the 2nd floor for them, 5th was over the top of woods with Mt. Zao shining in morning light on eastern face, whose glow of foliage in the middle of autumn would be wonderful only to imagine.
Mt. Aoso
Shin chose a suite room with a private garden spa at 竹泉荘. Natural hot water here has no color, no scent while its alkaline component might stimulate a bit your small cut or scratch by fluffy pets. It keeps you warmed for long time, would not need any makeup if bathe in the morning. Mei-Shun put on sneakers expecting to walk around the hotel, yet disturbed by an unexpected guest — a wild bear!
Shin gave Mei-Shun a surprise gift: they went on one-night trip to 遠刈田温泉. They have several nice hot springs listed, while it is always exciting to visit another place for the first time. 3-hour drive was quite comfortable on a weekday, brought them at 竹泉荘 around 16 o’clock. The husband took a nap, the wife enjoyed wide public bath before tasty dinner.
Yes, they have already done it. Mei-Shun walked to the nearest shrine after months of interval on the last day of September. Along the lane, she found clear-cut rice paddy grown up into the second green. “Red rice” began to show lovely seeds, while a few spider lilies have kindly waited for her greeting. Gods softly chided her laziness with 末吉=the least lucky omikuji lot.
Shin and Mei-Shun drove to Narita Airport during their earlier obon holidays. 十余三, read to-yo-mi in the same city accommodates 東雲の丘 and a reasonable agricultural products shop. They always enjoy watching planes from various countries for a while, then move to above shop to buy fruits and vegetables. Thanks to the timing, lovely bouquets were available as well.
They canceled 花傘巡行=hanagasa-junko, a parade including lively children carrying portable shrines, women in kimonos and hats with handmade flowers, geiko ladies, maiko girls and etc., in Kyoto to avoid dozens of heatstroke patients this year. Meow, mom and I agree with 八坂神社 who organizes Gion Festival, flexible enough to make such a clever decision.
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Cicadas are singing lively, quite sooner to get up compared to Kanto area. Shin and Mei-Shun’s favorite itinerary includes walking around the commodious garden of 二条城 in the morning, yet they chose to take a bus to 四条大橋 this time. On the way to 八坂神社, the wife found a statue of 出雲阿国=izumo-no-okuni who started kabuki. Ah, 南座 is here protected by you, Master.
Shin and Mei-Shun felt heart-broken for victims in western Japan hit by extraordinary rainfall which triggered flooding and landslides. However, they decided to keep the reservation fixed months before, wishing to serve a drop of financial aid to those displaced. Sunny morning of Sunday allowed them to visit 八坂神社=祇園さん to return 粽=chimaki they purchased last year.
People living there will see Gion Festival soon, envied by Shin and Mei-Shun. Since hotels are full reserved before 前祭=saki-matsuri and 後祭=ato-matsuri held on July 17th and 24th respectively, they visited there this weekend. It was by chance that 七夕=tanabata was chosen, the only night an year for a celestial couple allowed to meet with each other crossing the Milky Way.
meishunkikunoe 