Spring 2015 Hanami in Hasselt

Hasselt is home to one of the largest real Japanese gardens (built by Japanese gardeners) in Europe and I'm lucky to live an hour or so away from it.
Traditionally every Spring the garden holds a Hanami.

What better place to wear a kimono ?

Lucky for us the weather was splendid : lots of sun, no rainclouds anywhere ( very unusual here in Belgium !).

 

 The Japanese garden has a large waterfall cascading down into the upper lake ,

 from where the water flows through a winding stream , with paths alongside it.

 

 



Several plants and shrubs were already in bloom , thanks to the warm weather. 

 

 

Ofcourse we were here for one blossom only : sakura !

 

And we weren't disappointed : the sakura were in blossom everywhere around us.

First to arrive : Maaike and Ben, as always impeccably dressed.

Maaike's musubi.

Meeting up with their friends from the tea ceremony , that was held in the tea house later on.

Joining us from the Netherlands : Thirsa , Amy and Jody.

Our party settles down in a choice spot underneath the sakura trees.

 

And while we're getting comfortable in the sun,

 

 

below us in the square, the taiko drummers are getting ready for their performance.

 

 

Amy, watching the drummers play.

Thirsa , who's here for the first time, is a professional photographer. She also loves to pose for photographs.

 

 That's a very dignified look. Stern almost :)

Lovely smile, though :)

Amy and Jody , showing off their sleeves.

Amy at the entrance to the teahouse.

Posing by the tea-house : Thirsa, Amy and Jody.
Personally I prefer not to pose people in the sun, because of the shadows on their face, but here I had no choice.

 

 What a lovely surprise : Caroline (in kimono) and her sister.

That's a wonderful plushy ! Oh, it's a pirate ?

Everyone posing at the bridge.

The traditional tabi shot ( well at least three are tabi ! ).

When you visit a hanami in kimono, people are always curious and ask what you're wearing :)

and want to have a picture posing together as a memento. It's lots of fun.

 Before we go back to the lower lake by the tea-house , everyone poses
fearlessly on the narrow bridge by the waterfall.

And while Jody is trying to lure the koi and get some free sashimi,

we're taking pictures in the setting sun by the lake.

Tip of the day :) : use a flash or a reflector for this shot, when the sun is behind your model, otherwise this side will be too dark.

 

Another day over, one last look at the waterfall and we're headed for home.

Till next time, sakura !

 

 

 

Autumn 2013 : Japanese garden Clingendael near the Hague

Every year when autumn comes around, nature starts to prepare for winter :
the leaves on the trees start to turn yellow and red and many birds travel south.

These are some geese in front of the park, preparing for their long annual journey to the south.

Each year in autumn the park of Clingendael near The Hague, the Netherlands , opens their splendid Japanese garden for visitors for a mere  2 weeks : an excellent opportunity to get together and wear Japanese kimonos in a unique setting.
This is the main 17th century house of the Clingendael Institute in the centre of the park.

Although the weather was still mild for October, it had been quite windy and rainy the past week. Luckily the rain stayed away while we were visiting.

The Japanese garden is criss-crossed by many small paths

 
and bridges, giving excellent views of the many ponds, with their moss-covered edges.

Everywhere you look you can see beautiful mossy patches and shrubs.

 

Sitting at the tea house : from left to right : Youandi ( who has organized this year's meeting) and our newest members , Maxime , Jente and Jordy.

To welcome our newest members ( and also because I like food ) I'd brought a few sushi I had made that morning at home.

I have several favorite spots around this garden  : one is behind the tea houseand through the round window with bamboo lattice.

 Jordy and Jente.

 Maxime and Youandi.

Musubi shot behind the tea house.

Maxime's musubi.

Youandi's musubi

Youandi's kanzashi ( hair ornament)
 

Jente's musubi (Obi knot). The picture is a bit unsharp , sumimasen !

A little fountain right next to the tea house.

All of us , posing in front of the tea house

 Showing off our sleeves.

We stood there for quite a while  : suddenly everybody wanted to take pictures and pose with us :)

 Our traditional tabi shot :)

A grey heron decided to pay a visit to the garden, but unfortunately for him , there are no fish in these ponds.

This little bridge between two ponds is another favourite spot of mine :
Youandi showing off the motif on her sleeve.

 Jente in a kimono with lots of autumn colours.

Maxime, wearing a michiyuki ( outer garment ) over her kimono.

Maxime, showing her kimono without michiyuki .

 Jordy.

While the sun was starting to set and everybody started to move towards the exit, I took a few last shots around the garden.

 The pond in front of the tea house.

A typical red-lacquered  bridge near the tea house.

One last look at the tea house

and I'm off to Belgium again.

Till next year.

(as always click on the pictures to see a slideshow with enlarged photos)