Thursday 8 May 2014

Golden week(end) (2) to Gunma via Nagano

The first two days of GW were spent in domestic mundanities; Saturday cycling to Ameyoko to buy SE Asian ingredients that I'd run out of and on Sun a planned trip to Kameido Tenshin to check out the wisteria there was trumped by investigating alternatives to the company accommodation where we live... sigh.. It won't be difficult to find somewhere better quality, but to find somewhere in a more convenient location that's affordable,  has sunlight and won't be worth nothing in ten years is a monumental task.

Monday & Tues were a reprieve: biking to Gunma via Nagano.  Hiro had studied up the route and we took the Chuo expressway to Chino & the "Venus Line" through Tateshina, a place famous as the location of second houses of Tokyo people wanting respite from the Tokyo summer.   It was immediately obvious that it was a different climate zone with blossoms lining the river banks.

Blossoms and a foreboding sky.

Bishamonten @ Shokouji 聖光寺 in Tateshina

Sakura at Shoukouji




The front somewhat different looking

Shoukouji
It was cold and there were few people sitting down for hanami parties.



View from the Venus Line



Lake Shirabakawa - too cold be out on the lake. 


My battery died not long after this, but we made our way on a round about road and arrived in Gunma for dinner.





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