Picnic …

Saturday afternoon S and I had a nice picnic in Kitanomaru Koen, near my apartment. I brought Moet Champagne, camembert and brie cheeses, mangoes, strawberries, crackers, drinks, chocolate etc, and S brought 2 very very yummy o-bento boxes that we polished off.  The weather was lovely and we sat next to the pond in the garden and chatted about nothing much in particular.  She is so nice… There were quite a lot of people there but not too crowded.  A few people with dogs and lots of families with kids.  Most people clear off at around 4 pm so we had the park to ourselves (almost) until about 6pm. Then we went to my apartment to finish off the bottle of red on my balcony and I made dinner… Her first visit to my apartment.  I think she liked it.  Anyway, it was a nice Second Date but I was a bit tired from all the organising and I think I talked too much… Good thing I spent all morning cleaning my apartment!!

Kitanomaru secret spot

I found a nice spot for a Sunday picnic or afternoon reading a book. In fact, that is what I did on Sunday afternoon, with Sakura petals falling all around me and the moat on one side, hidden from most people’s casual gaze, up high…. so relaxing and peaceful with the birds chirpring and playing in the branches of the Sakura.  

This spot is elevated (there are very old stone steps leading up, quite steep) because it is the old wall of the Imperial Palace and the white building would have been a guard post or entrance.   This side of the old Palace would have been a special spot as it faces towards where many of the samurai families lived (outside the Palace) and in the same direction is Ochanomizu, which means “Water of Tea” because that is where they used to get the water (from the Sumida River) to make the tea for the Shogun Tokugawa.  Ochanomizu is now a centre for guitars and art supplies….

I think I will try to go back again and meditate or listen to music and take a coffee pot or something.  It would be nice to have someone to go with!! I wish I had taken my camera, but I had my mobile phone with me so here are some not very good snaps….   You can see my apartment building in the background of the second one… Just over the railing on the right is the Imperial moat.  Over the railing in the front is the Budokan and lots of sakura… 

Anyway, although this is a public park, I am claiming this as my spot!!