Solo Trip Nagoya (August 2023) - Tsuruma Park, Domatsuri, and Meals

 

On my way to my Shoji Session, I arrived at Tsuruma Park earlier than expected. I had a good 30mins before my appointment, so I decided to explore the park. From Sakae to Tsuruma Park, it took me maybe 30mins walk? But it was the summer, so it was rather hot when I arrived. Above is a map of the park. I didn't explore everything, just the places nearer to where my Shoji Session was going to be held.

Look at the bright summer sun. Above was taken around 9am or so! The sky was pure blue!

There were some garden landscape here and there, but nothing too elaborated. 

But I remembered the beautiful lotus found at the pond. Lush and green leaves. I saw some in pink, and I remembered there was also a pond with white lotus, but I don't have any photos of those.

Have you seen lotus so huge and beautiful? Perhaps Singapore's Garden By The Bay have some too, but here, it was so much more natural. I just love lotus! 

After my Shoji Session, I actually walked to the nearest Aeon Mall to shop. I think I might have had some anmitsu there too, at one of my favourite Fast Food Sugakiya. I love Aeon Mall. The things are usually more affordable there than say, Takashimaya. And they have a lot of ready bento for sale too. On my way back after shopping, I saw the above cute Daruma! Domatsuri, a dance festival was still on-going in Nagoya. 

Domatsuri is an Annual Dance Festival in Nagoya, and groups from all over Japan, and even Taiwan, came to participate in this dance festival. The groups were mainly Japanase university dance group. And some even have older generation taking part, as well as kids. It was quite an energetic affair. The participant were all so lively, and their costume so colourful!

There were dances, and singing, and drama, and some strip tease too! I have more materials on this, so I will post it separately in another post. 

Here is what I got for lunch? I actually bought a sushi platter from Aeon Mall and walked 30 minutes back from there in the summer heat! My brain was so dried that I decided to splurge on a Calpis Soda, instead of my usual free ice coffee, but I misread (or didn't read at all) the wordings and got Calpis Water instead, which is NOT the same! Trust me, the soda is a lot better! The sushi platter probably cost me maybe less than 10sgd?

For afternoon snack, I must have bought back, or gone out and buy again this lemon snail danish. It cost around 3sgd+, super expensive! But I ate it twice or maybe three times during my trip! It was THAT good! I think it was mainly the lemon sugar frost on it that made it lovely. I still think of this pastry now and wonder where I can buy something similar in Malaysia or Singapore. Ice Americano curtesy of the hotel :)

I also snacked on this orange chocolate dessert cheese. I love this flavour. Even when it cost a bomb in Singapore, I still buy them cause I can't find these in Malaysia. Even in Singapore, it's rare to find them. But this flavour is my favourite. I have tried the rest of the flavours before as I used to make cheese buns using these cheese. It was fun to have different flavoured cheese in my buns. Previously my favourite was actually the mixed nuts. Now it's this one. They have a lot of other flavours in Japan too. So I will try to get some whenever I am there.