Togura's tengu greeting the cherry blossoms and the Japanesen Alps in the distance
信州の冬は長いです。寒い日々永遠に続くような感じ。でも、我慢すれば、杏そして桜の花が見えて、我慢する価値があったように思われる。昨日は常連のお客さんを戸倉駅に連れて行った途中で、駅の上の天狗公園によった。千曲市の桜の花見スポットの1つ。前日の雨のお陰で、空気が澄んでいて、遠い北アルプスは綺麗に見えた。青空と桜の花との合わせを見て、この為に冬を我慢したと思った。
千曲市の森「杏の里」の上の方はまだ咲いていて、そして今度は桜も咲いてきました。亀清旅館の裏の中央公園の桜は夜にライトアップされるし、戸倉駅の上の天狗公園の桜も見事だ。今は信州に来るとして、いいタイミング！
Nagano's winters are long and cold. But enduring those cold days is worth it when the apricot and cherry trees start to bloom in the spring. Yesterday, on the way to taking one of our regular guests back to Togura Station, we stopped to see the cherry blossoms at Tengu Park above the station. It was a perfect day, as the rains the previous night had cleared out the air, and you could see the snow-capped Japanese Alps in the distance. Seeing the beautiful mountains along with the blue sky and pretty cherry blossoms made surviving the winter worthwhile.
Chikuma City's famous apricot blossoms in Mori "Apricot Vilage" are on their way out, replaced by cherry blossom in various areas throughout the town. The cherry trees in Chuo Park behind our inn here at Kamesei are lit up at night, and the cherry trees in Tengu Park above Togura Station are spectacular, too. Now is the perfect time to come to Nagano.
