פֿאַרעפֿנטלעכט: 17.04.2023
Tokyo again. We are passing through to Tomi-shi in Nagano-ken. We are using our evening to watch the cherry blossoms (yes... again... or rather still...). We walk for a long time along the Meguro River under a blooming avenue of cherry trees. The blossoms float in the river and create playful images. We were afraid to have missed the cherry blossoms in Tokyo, as we only saw a few trees at the Imperial Palace. But we were lucky and the journey to Shibuya was well worth it.
Actually too tired, we take a walk through the bustling district (bustling is an understatement...) and ride our 'ship' through the sea of people. We learn, again as in the train stations of Tokyo, to keep going, not to stop, with our eyes forward, without hesitation. It's actually fun. No one tripped over our stroller. The girls don't say much. They are bombarded with too many stimuli. We pass by a beatboxer and at the same time the flashing advertisements of the high-rise buildings blare in the background. On the way home* at 1 o'clock in the morning, Salia is exhausted and asleep (or unconscious?) in the stroller, while Namira sings her songs through the streets - fortissimo.
The next day we treat ourselves to a little hanami in Ueda Park. Luckily, we find a spot by a small stream to sit. On the lawn, you can see one picnic blanket after another. Namira and Salia cool down. They get pretty dirty in the process. Other children watch from a safe distance.
We are very exhausted, but happy.
*= overcrowded trains at 11 p.m. Had to let three trains pass us until finally one came that we dared to get on. But it was just as full as all the others.