June 30, 2011

It's the high noon of a scorching day.

The first half of the year 2011 will be gone.

How fast time flies!

I've just come back from shopping at a supermarket.

I bought a case of Yebisu Beer for my daughter's husband.
I bought a dozen cans of fruit cocktail for my daughter.
I bought 20 cans of Mitsuya Cider for my grandchildren.

I put these drinks on my bicycle's carriers and walked my
bicycle back.

koharu has no school in the afternoon.

She will soon be home and some of her classmates will
come to play with her at 2 o'clock.

My daughter is very busy and so I'll take care of them.

I'm glad I can still help my daughter's family.

(in front of my apartment, today)

mystery bus tour (5)

Where are we going next?
It's a mystery.

The last visit was Shiroishi Castle
in Shiroishi City in Miyagi prefecture.

A local guide told us about its history.









Then our bus ran and ran to go back to Tokyo.

We left Shiroishi City at four in the afternoon.

I wanted to take pictures from my bus window
but it had been raining all the way.

I came back to Higashimurayama at half past nine
at night.

I hurried to my apartment by train and by taxi.

I enjoyed the mystery tour very much anyway.

mystery bus tour (4)

The highlight of this mystery tour was
cherry picking.

Before lunch we went to 川口観光果樹園
in Kaminoyama City in Yamagata prefecture.

We enjoyed picking and eating cherries
for half an hour.

You are allowed to eat as many cherries as
you like for 30 minutes.

I have a weak stomach, so I ate only a few cherries.

I like that pleasant atmosphere of cherry picking.









Then our bus took us to Zao and we had lunch.

山菜miso soup was absolutely delicious!

mystery bus tour (3)

The next morning we left the hotel at eight.

Where are we going? It's a mystery.

It was raining all day long.

Our bus took us to Takahata-machi.
First we visited 安久津八幡神社.

Its three-storied pagoda is very famous.















Our next visit was Takahata Winery.



I like wine and enjoyed sampling fruit wine.

I bought a box of wine cake, two boxes
of cherry cookies and a box of cherry rusks
for my daughter's family.

mystery bus tour (2)

We had bento-lunch on the bus.

Our bus continued running.

How far would we go, I wondered.

Our bus reached Yonezawa City
in Yamagata prefecture.

Our next visit was 上杉神社　in Yonezawa.
Oh, I had been there before.







Then we visited a famous sake brewer東光の酒蔵.

Many of us enjoyed sampling the local sake.
I didn't. I was afraid to get drunk.

Our hotel was located in the 小野川温泉 resort,
which is famous for its hot springs and
its lightning bugs.

It is in the suburbs of Yonezawa City.

The lightning bugs are seen to fly here at night
--very near to our hotel.



(from my hotel room)