Yesterday, having finally recovered from my annual spring cold (the second one, actually!) I found it was about time to shake the torpor out of my legs and take a long ride/walk into some places I do not usually visit in town!

I’ve known about a private garden since I arrived 38 years ago in Shizuoka City located in Aoi Ku, Kamiashiarai 5 Chome opposite Midori Cho, 10 Chome but funnily enough never bothered to really investigate.

As I said it is a private water garden and I may not really make the names of their owners public, but many people call it “hasu ike/蓮池”, that is “waterlily pond”!

By Japanese and Shizuoka standards it is an enormous pond. Completely surrounded by nets, one cannot naturally enter it although it is easy to admire and take pictures of.
Apparently it belonged to a very old family, probably of noble origins judging by the small stone wall keeping the large houses away from the water!

Waterlilies everywhere!

But it is not all waterlilies!
More than half of the flowers are splendid ayame/菖蒲/Siberian irises!

And there are more flowers whose names I haven’t found in spite of my friends’ help!

Calla lilies!

Other unknown beautes!!

And there some other unknown tree flowers to be discovered. Absolutely glorious!

But all in all these Siberian irises are my favorite!

RECOMMENDED RELATED WEBSITES

So Good Sushi Restaurant in Nice France
Navigating Nagoya by Paige, Shop with Intent by Debbie, BULA KANA in Fiji, Kraemer’s Culinary blog by Frank Kraemer in New York,Tokyo Food File by Robbie Swinnerton, Green Tea Club by Satoshi Nihonyanagi in Shizuoka!, Mind Some by Tina in Taiwan, Le Manger by Camille Oger (French), The Indian Tourist, Masala Herb by Helene Dsouza in Goa, India, Mummy I Can Cook! by Shu Han in London, Pie
rre.Cuisine, Francescannotwrite, My White Kitchen, Foodhoe, Chucks Eats, Things that Fizz & Stuff, Five Euro Food by Charles,Red Shallot Kitchen by Priscilla,With a Glass, Nami | Just One Cookbook, Peach Farm Studio, Clumsyfingers by Xethia, PepperBento, Hapabento, Kitchen Cow, Lunch In A Box, Susan at Arkonlite, Vegan Lunch Box; Tokyo Tom Baker, Daily Food Porn/Osaka, Only Nature Food Porn, Happy Little Bento, J-Mama’s Kitchen, Cook, Eat, Play, Repeat, Bento Lunch Blog (German), Adventures In Bento, Anna The Red’s Bento Factory, Ohayo Bento,

Must-see tasting websites:

-Sake: Ichi For The Michi by Rebekah Wilson-Lye in Tokyo, Tokyo Through The Drinking Glass, Tokyo Foodcast, Urban Sake, Sake World
-Wine: Palate To Pen, Warren Bobrow, Cellar Tours, Ancient Fire Wines Blog
-Beer: Another Pint, Please!, Beering In Good Mind: All about Craft Beer in Kansai by Nevitt Reagan!
ABRACADABREW, Magical Craftbeer from Japan
-Whisky: Nonjatta: All about whisky in Japan by Stefan Van Eycken
-Japanese Pottery to enjoy your favourite drinks: Yellin Yakimono Gallery

Non gastronomy must-see sites by Shizuoka Residents

HIGHOCTANE/HAIOKU by Nick Itoh in Shizuoka City