Who needs cherry blossoms when you've got plums?
Of course, I write this as I sit in subzero temperatures in snow-covered mountains, after spring has officially started, slightly weeping at the sight of all this living color. ;)
Guardian of the Sea
This regal corvid guards the Sea of Japan.
Tonight, I celebrate the decision made thousands of miles away in the port cities and towns on another sea—a warm sea I haven't visited since my childhood.
"Hello!"
Pink
Walking through Umi no Naka Michi Park on the shoreline of Fukuoka, Japan I noticed the delicate pink of this plant (unknown to me) under the recently deposited rain drops.
Not having had many reasons for macro in the winter, I had to document it.
Dazaifu
Moscow, beloved though it is, is not Russia, and Tokyo is not Japan, particularly at the era of near-complete globalization. Perhaps, it sounds contrived, but my idea of "real" Japan lies in smaller towns.
One of them is Dazaifu.
As with yesterday's impromptu visit to the coast of Fukuoka, today's stroll through Dazaifu's gardens and temples was a decision graciously made for me by a friend, and I'm glad it was this place that got chosen.
Normally, I briefly research what I visit, so this time around I was more than pleasantly surprised to be standing in a town not only quaint and surrounded by beautiful scenery, but also one with certain key buildings as old as the 8th century. Indeed, it was an international hub with foreign embassies even earlier.
To top that off, we really lucked out with the warm and sunny weather and all the plum trees already exploding into every blooming shade in the red part of the color spectrum, making the experience into a well-balanced mix of nature and culture.
Tomorrow promises to be a long journey back to Tokyo--where I should spend almost a week--with a daytime stopover in Osaka and Nara, if all goes as planned. In the meantime, I leave you with these mobile remnants of today.
The Sea
My plans to play a predictable tourist and visit the castle ruins in Fukuoka were thwarted when I stopped by an area map at the train station only to realize that there is a seaside park that I absolutely must visit!
This park, Umi no naka michi, did not come up in my Google search. Blasphemy!
I admit I am not a spontaneous person: I really don't like changing plans last minute (especially if I'm not the culprit!). That said, I can be spontaneous within a designated time frame. Let me explain: if I know that I'm going to take a day off, then flexibility within that day is not only permitted, but sometimes welcome.
This was one of those cases.
Of course, I knew this was a solitary day, too, so I hopped onto two local trains (beaming with pride that I didn't get lost even without the English-language announcements) and walked into the drizzling glory that is essentially the Fukuoka shoreline of the Sea of Japan.
I met two funny cats, several very large winged predators (one has to have been a golden eagle), my favorite ravens in countless numbers, and a multitude of tiny and colorful birds chirping about. I wandered down the cool, winding paths, empty on a weekday so early in the season, and even turned off the music to better tune into the sounds of the forest.
When the rain slowed down, I was able to change my lenses and photograph both the wildlife with a telephoto and the plants with a macro.
And the brooding sea that wasn't in the best of moods? I had to use the fish-eye...then the macro...then the telephoto. You get the idea.
I can't wait to work on the images. In the meantime, here are some mobile proofs and candids.
