We arrived in Sendai to explore the region and we decided to head to Matsushima as we had heard that it was one of the most beautiful spots in Japan. To arrive there we took for once a normal-paced train, not the bullet shinkansen one. It was like having stepped in the real Japan. But its technology was there, as people were already watching TV on their mobile screens -something we could not dream of in Europe so far. The train passed lots of small villages, houses after houses very close to the railway.
We finally arrived in Matsushima and went straight to the shore. The sea was calm, and the scenery simply beautiful, the Japanese love for simplicity. A long, red bridge took us to the green island. I bought a red bean sweet that was too sticky for the humid atmosphere. A pleasant stroll on the small island and our new digital camera fell in love with a dragonfly, so we had to take lots of pictures of it.
Back in Matsushima we explored the village and discovered the temple and sorrounding zen garden. One would say there is always a zen garden, but how do they get to create the atmosphere you breathe while you are walking around of them? Is it the way they arrange the stones and the sand, are they especially oriented for us to feel peace and quietness? As we tried to enter the temple, I was once again warned to take my shoes off, this time not in the usual polite way...but it was worth the "effort" to admire the wooden house. After the visit of the temple and its museum, we took the train back to Sendai. The day was rounded with a dinner in a nice and lively restaurant next to the train station. It had been a good day.
It is sad to know that some of those nice places have been swept away and disappeared, as these memories will.
