Strolling around Yamadaike Park

I saw an advertisement for a great spot to view some Plum Blossoms, and this park was one of them. Unfortunately, the weekend that I was planning to visit the park it snowed and rain, not a very motivating weather to take a nice stroll around the park.

On a nice Sunday afternoon in May, I convinced T to join for a walk along this beautiful park.

Ike(池) mean pond and right in the center of the park is a big pond.

When we got there, the irises where just starting to bloom and this little guy here is enjoying some of nature’s bounty.

Lots of trees where you can place a mat and just enjoy the weather, the view and the company of family and friends.

A big wide open space for kids and adults to play around.

This is the top view of park.

How to get to the park :

By Keihan Line ( Hirakata Station) or JR Gakkentoshi Line ( Nagao Station)  then take the Keihan Bus to Deyashiki(出屋敷)

or

By JR Gakkentoshi Line and get off at Fujisaka Station and walk about 10 minutes toward Northwestern side.

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Some Random Sakura

The Sakura on my way to work

Close up version.

The Sun and Sakura.

The Sakura @ Nozaki Kannon Temple

Sakura no toorinuke @ Osaka Mint Bureau

Let us take a short break from all the manhole covers and enjoy some cherry blossoms (Sakura) for this year 2014.

During this season, I call it Sakura Season,  I love walking early in the morning and just enjoy the beauty of what Spring could offer. Every year the Osaka Mint Bureau opens their gates to the public for 1 week to share the beauty of the Sakura inside the complex. They currently have 350 trees and 130 varieties inside. Unfortunately it’s very famous , thus the crowd.

The very first time I visited the place many moons ago, I could barely moved much less take a decent picture. The second time, I was there even before the gates were open and I was able to enjoy the beauty of the Sakura and was able to get a decent picture so I was satisfied.

After returning to Osaka , three years ago, T and I tried to see the blooms once more but turned back after we saw the crowd. For this year I decided to create a meetup event to force myself to go 🙂

Here are some of the pictures I took.

I love the lamp among these fluffy Sakura.

This place would have been perfect for a picnic , unfortunately it is not allowed.

It looks like fluffy pink marshmallows 🙂

I was underneath it. I wished I could have stayed longer underneath it.

A close up shot.

Another one.

Fluffy little white clouds 🙂

The whole place is less than 600 meters long but you could easily stay there for hours just taking pictures of these lovely Sakura.

If you are in Osaka at this time of the year make sure to include a short visit to the Osaka Mint Bureau, I’m sure you will enjoy it, minus the crowd 🙂

Till next year.

Spring is almost upon us

and also all the pollen that comes with it. I’m crossing my finger that my preparation, by drinking local pollen to boast my immune system would be a help to me this year.

Anyways, I recently found out that Osaka Castle have a Plum Blossom (Ume) garden. It looks like it has about 1200 plum trees planted in the area. So last weekend together with some folks at meetup we checkout how much of the plum have bloomed.

Three Beautiful Dainty Pink Plum Flowers were blooming on this branch.

Another 3 on this branch.

There were still several trees that have not started yet, specially the whipping-type. Hopefully the weather will be nice this coming weekend so I can go and check out the garden again.

How are flowers in your side of the world? Has spring already arrived?

WPC: Juxtaposition

It’s been a long time since I joined but here are my entries for this week theme’s : Juxtaposition.

The black butterfly and the flower.

The leaf and stone on the river 🙂

hope you like it, have a great weekend everyone.