Glorious Spring

Yesterday marked my 2nd blogsary, and I am sorely reminded that I have not posted anything the past 6 weeks. It’s not an excuse, but my husband and I were on holiday in Japan last month, and it takes me a while to get back to the swing of things.  I didn’t have problems getting back to soaping, but I haven’t picked up my camera since arriving.  I did take a lot of photos in Japan, so that is what I will be sharing today.

March to June are hot summer months here in the Philippines, so spending early spring in Japan was a cool and refreshing welcome.  We were lucky enough to catch the famed cherry blossoms, even though it was already towards the tail end of its short season. The blossoms were already falling from the trees – appearing like snow on the ground – but still a splendid sight to behold.

Cherry blossoms or sakura in Japanese.

I met Maya last October and I was so happy we were able to meet again and spend a whole day together!  As cherry blossom viewing can be a very crowded affair,  Maya took me somewhere quiet: the Aoyama Cemetery.  Maya explained that the Japanese don’t view death as something terribly morbid or sad.   The cemetery was beautiful and serene, and felt more like a park than anything else.

Cherry blossoms in Aoyama Cemetery.

After Aoyama, Maya took me to the Imperial Palace grounds. In stark contrast, it was teeming with people.  I even bumped into my business partner and his family!  How random is that? Maya and I didn’t have photos the first time we met, but this time, we made sure to capture the moment.

I love this photo of Maya with her hair blown by the wind.

Everywhere I look, there is always something that catches my eye. These camellias are just stunning:

And it’s not just the flowers.  Even tree trunks have awesome camo patterns!

From Tokyo, we took the train to go to Kyoto, the former imperial capital of Japan. One of the highlights of our trip was our relaxing and picturesque walk along the 2-km cherry blossom-lined Philosopher’s Path.

Philospher’s Path

I don’t know the names of these flowers, but I found them along our walk. Aren’t they so cute and beautiful?

On one end of the Philospher’s Path is the Silver Pavilion or Ginkakuji Temple.  Because of a friend who’s a moss lover, I couldn’t help but notice and be in awe of the lush moss that covered a significant part of the temple grounds. My friend was so jealous when I showed him the photos.

Silver Pavilion or Ginkakuji Temple

Ahh, spring. What a lovely lovely time of the year.  It’s nature in all its shining glory. 🙂