On Sunday we went to have massages and saunas. Soooo nice and relaxing. This is the local shopping street, the massage place is nearby.
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| I am really going to miss vegetable/fruit stands everywhere. |
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Three phases of ume - the Japanese apricot/plum that is used for umeboshi (salty pickled plum) and umeshu (a delicious thick, sweet dessert wine). I don't think they are just eaten though.
We had dinner at this restaurant.
The next day we decided to go to a garden that had irises and hydrangea. We picked up Reiko's mom both because we thought she'd like to go and because the highway toll is half price if a senior citizen is in the car and she and 1 accompanying person could enter the garden for free. Not a bad deal.
It was a beautiful garden, nothing beats a well maintained
(and they all are) Japanese garden.
Formerly this was someone's summer house and garden. Part of the garden
area was opened to the public even then, but when it became too expensive
for the family to keep the place up it was given to city.
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| There were scores of volunteers cutting the wilted flowers so it will look beautiful as longs as there are any flowers blooming. |
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| We stopped for a snack. |
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| Reiko and her mom had some special noodles. |
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| I had one of my favorites, kinako mocha. |
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| plum trees |
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| bamboo in the background |
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| There were a number of historic buildings that had been moved to this site. |
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| the roof from the inside |
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| This was a temple that accepted abused women. A women's shelter... |
The view from an observation area in the garden over part of Yokohama harbor.
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| It turns out Reiko loves feeding fish and animals at the zoo. |
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| wedding pictures |
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| The summer house. |
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| A lovely and cool place to sit. |
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| A rest and tea area in a little museum on the property. |
Then we went to the consulate area in Yokohama. Where we wondered
through this very nice park.
And to Yokohama's Chinatown for lunch.
This is where we had a very delicious French/Chinese fusion meal.
Fun!
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| This is a picture from when Peter (right) and Nick (left) visited Reiko and her girls Aya and Saki. Peter will be married this August. |
