Spring is on its way!

A recent batch of sunny and mild weekends has given us the opportunity to get out and enjoy some spring beauties! The plum blossoms are just beginning to burst open and their sweet fragrance fills the air with a delightfully refreshing aroma.

For weeks now I have been getting out our Yokosuka map to read about the best places to enjoy the flowers of spring. Mid-February was the first date noted for catching plum blossoms, so we headed out to the Taura Plum Grove to walk amongst a hillside grove of over 2,000 trees. (Josh is such a good sport!) We packed a lunch, found a lovely spot for a picnic, and followed a very vertical path up and through the flowering trees! It was beautiful!

Our next excursion took us to a walking path along Sagami Bay. (The opposite side of the Miura Peninsula from where we live.) It was a clear and cool day and we caught our best glimpses of Mt. Fuji to date. I must say, one of the things I enjoy most about Japan is how much the Japanese seem to enjoy and appreciate nature and the natural wonders around them. Half the fun of seeing Fuji tower above the bay and surrounding countryside was watching the locals be just as in awe of it as we were.