It’s fireworks season. Each city holds its own display on a different date, so it’s possible to see fireworks every weekend throughout July and August. This year we choose Ayabe. We wander around the town in the sweltering heat, then, as the day fades, we climb up to a park on higher ground to watch the show. The structure is rather classic: a succession of “chapters” where the pace builds until a mini “grand finale.” In one of the chapters, a few shells explode into the shape of a smiley face (a circle, two eyes, a smile)… meh, I’m not convinced. The finale, on the other hand, is spectacular!
We spend the night about twenty kilometers away, in a guesthouse tucked away in a tiny hamlet in the mountains. It’s a traditional house: a mosquito net serves as the front door, the floor is cement or tatami, the walls are made of paper sliding doors, and belongings are scattered everywhere (toys, clothes, …). We arrive late, but we meet the whole family (a couple and their two children) and chat with them while getting ready for bed. Before sleeping, we step outside for a few minutes to gaze at the starry sky.
In the morning, we join the children and their mother at the riverbed below. It’s a charming, shady spot right next to the village. The water is shallow enough to place a chair in it and enjoy a cool foot bath. I love this place and the house, and for a moment I imagine myself living here too, leading a simple life in the calm of the mountains.
We then head to Maizuru, on the northern coast, to visit the Red Brick Museum. It’s not really a museum, more a complex of restaurants, attractions, and galleries. But when it comes to red bricks, the name doesn’t lie! We cool off inside the buildings before heading back to Kyoto.
