Golden "Week"

Spring has finally sprung in northern Kyoto! Too bad it came at the end of our long holiday. Golden "Week" if you will remember from past posts is one of Japan's longer holiday breaks. There are 3 public holidays in a row, and if they are combined with a weekend that's 5 whole days off of work! This year the Golden "Week" holidays fell on a Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday. (This is why I am using the term "week" loosely...a week, in my book, is 7 days...I'll even go with 5 days for the work week.) There was also a public holiday on April the 29th, but Bryn and I both had school that day anyways.

[Side Bar: The Royal Wedding just happened to be on the 29th...did you watch it?!? I did, every last second of it! Loved it. Am very jealous of Dutchess Catherine.]


Anyways back on topic. Since we had to work on a holiday, we both had a day off to make up for it. Bryn's was this past Monday, mine was Friday. Typical! It did mean that we each had 6 full days of holiday, just not all at the same time.

The weather was decent over our T-W-TH holiday. Mostly sunny, but with a fairly cool wind. We decided we needed to do something interesting to warrant a good blog entry though, so we decided to take a bike ride to Amanohashidate on Wednesday morning. It was a pleasant ride for the most part, but very windy! Also, seeing as all of Japan was also on vacation, Amanohashidate was absolutely packed! We made it to one of the restaurants there just in time to get a good table and beat the crowds. After lunch, we had chi-on mochi - well that's what I call it...apparently Bryn tells me it's real name is chie no mochi. So, if you ever find yourself at Amanohashidate, DON'T order chi-on mochi or you will get odd looks. (By the way, it's mochi covered with red bean paste that you eat for knowledge...I think) Then we continued on across Amanohashidate, made a brief stop at the big temple which is actually a shrine...oops and headed home. (Four whole years and I still couldn't tell you the difference between a shrine and a temple...oh well!)

A farmer plowing their flooded field.

A freshly planted field. Notice how hazy it is out...that's the sand from China that blows over - no joke! It has cleared up now though.

Me eating my knowledge mochi.

Entrance to the shrine (NOT temple) at Amanohashidate.

It was a nice little outing, aside from the uncomfortable bike seats...and a good way to get out and see the freshly planted rice fields and the mountains which are quickly turning the happiest shade of bright green. Yep, I would dare say spring is here and I can finally say SAYONARA to winter!!!!