Walk to Makomanai

On Tuesday, we decided to take advantage of the spectacular sunny weather and walk to Makomanai along the Toyohira river.

Here we are already pretty close to our destination. In total, it's about 5-6 km I believe to Makomanai from where we live. 

 

There are lots of bridges to pass. 

 

Mt Moiwa looks so small and unimposing from this angle and distance. To think we were so high up the day before! 

 

Some people have super cool yards.

 

Sunny signs of summer:

 

All the spruces are making new growth.

The first wisteria we've seen in bloom.

 

Ah this bridge. Tucked away. :)

 

We picked up some lunch (sushi of course) from a grocery store deli and went in search of an appropriate lunch spot. On our way, we found a blooming little apple tree with some friends who also found lunch. 

Ick.

 

*giggles*

 

 We sat at the end of a playground with views of this park.

Apparently, it was made in honor of the Sapporo winter olympics in 1972. 

I believe.

After dinner, we let Elisabeth go down the slide a few dozen times. 

 

 Then we went to investigate the mock ancient Greek ruins. ;)

Oooh a cherry tree!

 

While taking the pictures, Elisabeth played with my sunglasses, took off her socks (her shoes were long gone at this point), and was generally having a good time.

 The bike parking lot by the Makomanai station. 

The subway parked at the station waiting to leave. 

 

It was pretty empty so I dared to take a quickie snapshot so you can see where we spend our time travelling (when we aren't walking)! 

 

It was another fun day! :)

Hokkaido University Botanical Garden Pt 1

After our trot in Odori park, we went to Hokkaido University botanical garden. 

It was 400 yen per person to get in and worth every penny if you ask me. 

Brace yourselves again, flower pictures are coming! 

 This giant pale pink rhodorendron was close to the entrance of the park.

Blooming forsythia. 

 

Our picnic spot under this massive tree. Sushi and tea for lunch! 

 

We walked through the wooded arboretum bit of the park to a garden area.

 

Very inspiring for how I'd like my dream kitchen garden to look. The beds were lined with roof tiles!

 

We walked on to a rose garden, complete with tadpole filled pond in the middle.

 

Under the trees on the outskirts of the garden, there were flowers to be admired. :)

 

 

Obviously none of the roses are blooming yet, but this is a place I will have to revisit once they do! 

A rose tunnel of climbing rose vines... ooh fantasy! 

 

They had a partnership with Oregon something or other (university was it?), and it was in the form of this rock garden.

The rock garden quickly became a bushy azalea place. 

This bush was so red, that the camera doesn't even capture it.

 

I couldn't get over how lush this play of colors was.

 

The path went on to a little babbling brook and waterfall, then to an algae filled pond and this gorgeous tree.

 

Then there was a little area with I believe, most of the species of plants found in the garden with their name in Japanese and Latin.

 

And this pink tree was I believe a "decorative" apple tree like in Finland and not a cherry tree! 

(The sign said malus = the latin name for  a type of apple tree)

 

Next up: pictures of the greenhouse! 

Told you this was my paradise! :)