...take the B train ... (113/365, 23 Apr 2022)
Not surprisingly, today's post carries on a little from yesterday in terms of transport options, mainly trains. As much as I enjoy driving at home, I don't drive here, being in the fortunate position to have no real need to drive anywhere...there's always a train (and supplementary bus) to get me to where I have to go.
Today, being a fine day, (compared to the rain forecast for tomorrow), I decided last night that in my continuing adventures of going places before I go home, I thought Odawara, a famous castle town just a little further along the line from Chigasaki, might be the go. I've been there before but it has been a few years.
Woke up this morning to find that the train line was disrupted early on and at 10:00am, it was still uncertain when it might up and go. That left it a little pushed for time then, on when I might get there, when I might return. Time to turn to plan B... there's always a plan B waiting in the wings, sometimes it just doesn't know until it is called upon.
It was a little late too to switch to the other coastal area I quite like so when the coast can't be reached, head west(ish) on the home line, which is just what I did. In posts previously, I've talked of trips to Kawagoe, and one earlier this year to Ogawamachi, home of craft beers and sake, and lovely paper products.Today I opted for a familiar place, the Shinrin Koen, a national park in Saitama stretching over some 300hectares. It is the first designated nation park in Japan and was established for the centenary of the Meiji era (1968, although it didn't open officially until 1974). And just less than an hour from home. Also, on the weekend, there is a shuttle bus service from the station to the entrance of the park. All very convenient. I anticipated some interesting flora, being spring, but I was also hoping to capture (photographically-speaking, of course) some of the birdlife... So I packed the full camera bag and off I went.
There is a certain familiarity with this train line of course, but also coming this far out west too always brings with it a little nostalgia, as it passes through the station I used to travel to to attend classes on the Saitama campus of my first university here in Japan...once a week. It was a longer trip back then, they didn't have as many express trains back in the day. But I digress. It is always nice to get out into the country.
Not surprisingly, quite a few people had the same idea today. it was a day for it. Disappointingly, on the one hand, I didn't *see* many birds (apart from the resident ducks, of course) but I *heard* many, and really, just to sit and pause and take in the sounds of all the chirps and tweets, was reward in itself. A lovely day really. After all, it is not all about the photos now is it. Is it?
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| Imagine having this park on your back doorstep... |
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| Tunnel to... |
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| ...here, actually |
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| The Centenary Commemoration Tower/structure |
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| Have you really been to a park if you haven't seen the resident duck(s) |
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| Spring contrast, or Rabbitohs colours, depending where you are from (niche, I know) |
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| Something about reflections... |
On the return to the station, I was back just in time to sample a coffee from a lovely little place I spotted on the map. It really is heartening to see young people setting up these wonderful little establishments in these towns, just I like I saw in Ogawamachi, a few stops further along. I will have to return.
Today, I took nearly all the equipment, the Canon EOS 90D and associated lenses but ended up using the 70-300mm and 24-105mm. The birds, and the 400mm lens, can wait for another day.
