Shinto Shrine and Gifu Koên

So as you can hear (or read) from the title I went to Gifu Shinto shrine near Gifu's downtown. My host mother took me there to look around and I'm really happy she did! Sakuras didn't yet quite bloom but it was breathtakingly pretty! Luckily this time I also remembered to camera so I have some evidence to show you!

When passing throug gates like this you had to bow for the Kami(gods)! Also walking in the middle is forbidden because it's the way of the kami

Before praying you have to clean your hands and mouth

Throw a coin (5 yen is for good luck but we used 10 yen coins) clap your hands and pray. In here there were so many different praying places I got to wish for many things

This was the Foxes section of the temple complex. Praying for wealth

Going to the Shinto shrine I felt more like.. Amm, "in the touch of the gods" than in a christian curch ever. XD I like the idea of many different gods and a temple in the mountains and fresh water flowing everywhere it was really amusing. I also got to taste Tea ceremony sweets as my HF mother had to use the bathroom and these kind old ladies came to offer them to me. Pink and cherry tasting at this time of the year, of course! :D

Water water pretty

When leaving the temple we decided to buy drinks from a vending machine. My HF mom said many times to be careful not to drop the coins in the drain just below the automat (coincidence?) but I did! XD We had to remove the top but were able to rescue the 100 yen! She bought water and I melon milk, which was reeeaally goood I want more!
 (Note: I also have dropped a bowl of miso soup in family dinner. The funny part is that I was just holding it and turned my head slightly to right and somehow just managed to throw it all to the table. Like, NOTHING EVEN HAPPENED. XD I don't know if should I be proud to have such an ability..)

Well, after the money incident we continued the trip to Gifu Koên. It may be my favourite place this far. It's really big, has this Totoro like forest, really near to Gifu castle and all kinds of shops as well. At the moment it's full of cherry blossoms but it didn't show yet at the time I was there the first time!

Pretty or what?

White and black carps <3

Ground and sky~

Those insects remind me so much of Animal Crossing

These are from a day a bit later on but same park :3 That shop's yakisoba is yamayamaam!

                    Sakuras and non-sakuras

The park is in it's prettiest in the spring and in the autumn, I've heard. In the summer there are also fireflies! I wait forward seeing them!! Also getting sidetracked, there are so many chilren in Gifu everywhere! And their so cute I want one toooo, they wouldn't mind me taking one with me, right? And their playing parks look like so much fun.. Maybe at night I'll sneak into one.. Like a pro ninja yes and my next post is most likely going to be "as an exhange student in jail"

or not 'CAUSE PRO NINJA DON'T GET CAUGHT !