Our trip usually has kids stuff here and there every time. Often we go to the same places but this time, we took one more step whether it was a good idea or a bad idea. 生駒山上遊園地(ikoma sanjyo yuenchi), a funfair on top of Ikoma mountain.
We used to go on cable cars just to go up the mountain but this year, we had more fun, riding other things and looking at the view of osaka and nara. I am a bit worried about this little fun fair since it was not crowded at all on a weekend. Everyone goes to big name theme park like USJ or Disney stuff( I will not bother having links) I assume. But at Ikoma, you do not need to queue at all, I mean at all. and it is free to get in. I hope this place will remain as it is...
yes. Little O is a possible train nerd. and what is more, i could be too. I was excited to see D51 getting ready for us to have a ride on it. デゴイチ。
Our friends K & Y joined, as well as my sister and brother-in-low who is a real train nerd. He just had a train trip all the way to Hokkaido from Kobe by himself to see his father. While he was gone, my sister and us had a nice time in Kobe, having lunch at modern ark cafe bigger than the kyoto one and boys had a great time without us. Shopping without boys is much easier but I was overwhelmed by the people, noise, smells and everything. We went to three shops and that was it. All I bought was two pairs of socks but looking at shops were quite inspiring and that is why I usually visit some shops. To get inspired. Here.
九条公園 is another fun place to go with little people. (do check out the link for the photo)
Big space to run around and a very long slide.
other attractions as well.
Harvesting rice was on the list since little o has been talking about it but me, going out the night before, coming home so late, we cancelled it, sorry Kana, Russel, Haruka and Yujin. There were other reasons too but it was mostly my fault. We did see lots of lots of lots of ride field everywhere we went and little O kept telling big O " tanbo, tanbo" with a bit of aussie accent. He is an aussie alright.
But we did go and see tea farms with friends Mika and Bob. Tea farm was another obsession for little O since he read about it. 健一自然農園 is where we went. Long time ago, I read an interview in Re:s that the founder of this farm was from where I am from. Instantly I wanted to support him so I used to buy his tea in places, thinking one day I would go and buy his tea from him and this little dream of mine came true. We sort of got lost so had to phone him then he came back from his farm to his house/ office, an amazing old Japanese house with かまど He let us come into his house/ office and gave us tea to welcome us as if we knew each other. How lovely. and we bought some teas. Different kinds. then to a little park for a picnic and a play. picnic lunch always taste better when we have friends, don't you think?
other kids stuff we did, well little O's favorite was to go to どんぐり公園( acorn park) .
The next day we got there, I took him there as I used to go when I was his age. Nothing was changed in this little park. This place is called park but just a hill and lots of acorns and trees.
Little O picked some and one of them was like himself with the thing on top( what do you call those?)
anyway next time, he wanted to take big O so I draw him a map and they followed it. and the next time, he wanted to take my sister when she was visiting, they used a map again. My map was so popular.
and this is nothing to do with Japan trip but UNO. When big O came a few days later, he brought UNO cards from Nanna and little O learned to play really well. I think UNO will be
our travelling mate for a long time since he could do it at airports while waiting, in air planes or friends house where they have no toys. By the way he really beats us!
