桜 Sakura Season, 2022

A flurry of snowflakes one and half months ago turns to that of Sakura petals.

Pink Sakura (cherry blossoms) petals cover the ground like a newly fallen snow.

Every year, Sakura come and go enchanting us with their ethereal beauty.

- Nara Park -

The site of the East Pagoda, where a five-story pagoda once stood.

Sagi-ike Pond

At the Sagi-ike Pond, branches with flowers hang low over the water 

to cast pink shimmering reflection

Nara National Museum Buddhist Art Library

There are more than one hundred Sakura tree varieties in Japan. 

The large majority of them have been cultivated for decorative use in gardens and parks.

染井吉野 Someiyoshino, Prunus x yedoensis, with five light pink petals,

is most widely planted.

紅豊 Beniyutaka,Cerasus Sato-zakura Group 'Beni-yutaka', has deep pink 

multiple-petaled blossoms.

山桜 Mountain cherry, Cerasus jamasakura, is one of a few varieties native to Japan's mountains.

Green or coppery brown leaves appear at the same time with blossoms.

紅枝垂れ Beni-shidare is a cascading tree with deep pink double-petaled blossoms.

八重桜 Multiple-petaled Sakura

I was standing marvelling at each sight.

   - Along the Saho River before sunset - 

Sakura burst into bloom so intensely and disappear from sight so briskly 

 that even a moment of being in awe last long in heart ....

probably until we finally leave this world in accordance with the will of Nature 

like Sakura.

河鵜 Kawau, or River Cormorant

Lunch at the restaurant Tekisui located right across from the Sagi-ike Pond.

 Yugayama-enchi Garden.

Sakura at Koriyama Castle Ruins, another Sakura post this year.

Linked to Mosaic Monday

Lucky Garden, unpretentious Sri Lankan restaurant at Mt. Ikoma

This is local information about Lucky Garden, a unique restaurant which features dishes from Sri Lanka near the top of Mt. Ikoma.

(Photos taken with a point and shoot camera)

The restaurant welcomes visitors with small children and pets.  My 1-year-and-six-month granddaughter looked free and comfortable sitting on the floor or exploring the space.  Pets are kept at animal run beside the openair seats.

Stone basin with elephants.
Sri Lankan elephants are the most loved animals by Sri Lankans.

As you feel from the photos, Lucky Garden is unpretentious.  I like it because it is simple in appearance rather than sophisticated or luxurious.  It might look shabby, but it's very clean, neat, and comfortbale.

And because, the dishes are so delicious.  This is A-course lunch (1600 yen) which includes fresh salad, three kinds of assorted foods, two kinds of curry, yellow rice, naan, and tea after the meal.

I forgot to include salad and naan.

To get to there by car is a bit of adventure.  One way is via old highway Kuragaritoge which is so narrow and winding that two cars can't pass by.  Another is a recommended road by the restaurant, a wider road you can drive overlooking Ikoma City on your way back, but it is too steep for the low body cars to climb.  Or, you can walk about an hour from Higashi Ikoma station.  Everyone who has been there likes to talk about that experience and conclude anyway it’s worth going there. 

Reservation is required to secure seats.  They prepare both outside and inside seats and you can choose one you prefer on your arriving.  Some people find this restaurant by chance during their hiking to Mt. Ikoma, but without reservation it’s almost impossible to have seats or even when possible, not at the main building but at the open space in the backyard which is called "sheep area", and menu is different.

 

Two sheep, Coockie and Cream, are grazing.

I had a good time with my family in the overcast afternoon at the end of June.

(click on the photo to enlarge)

wind chime made of glass

I'll be offline for a week. 
Have happy summer days, Friends.