Flowers, floats and flights.

Another of those days which deviated quite considerable from that which was planned! An early woofer walk had us chance upon a wonderful flower festival, where local businesses had sponsored the creation of beautiful flower pictures, made mostly from entire flower heads. This was followed by a visit to Sumiyoshi for the 'Danjiri Matsuri Float Festival.'

An important element of Japanese festivals are processions, in which the local shrine's kami (Shinto deity) is carried through the town. It is the only time of the year when the kami leaves the shrine. Decorated floats (dashi) are pulled through the town, accompanied by drum and flute music played by people sitting on the floats.

We arrived just as the float was leaving the shrine for a tour of the town, but hung about for a little while, by which time the float had returned. By the time the float returned to the shrine the people on it were clearly getting more adventurous!

After fitting in two different festivals in just one morning we headed off to Meriken Park and finished with a helicopter flight across Kobe harbour - just magical!

If only every weekend was a bank holiday!

Celebrate the happiness that friends are always giving, make every day a holiday and celebrate just living.
Sydney Smith