more fall foliage

Yesterday was a gorgeous day, no clouds in the sky, just blue.

I decided to drop all household chores and head up to Minoo falls. As I've written before it is 2.8 kilometers one way to the falls, there are several gradual slopes until reaching the falls so it is quite a workout.

But, if you ooh and aah enough at the leaves, it'll take your mind off of things and you'll reach the falls in no time.

Every year, I look forward to the leaves changing. It is not something we have in Hawaii and no matter how many times I see them, I never tire of them and I also love how the leaves "light" up with the sunlight.
Thinking I could enjoy the weather, I packed myself a musubi filled with goya tsukudani, a mikan (seedless tangerine) & some water.

Unfortunately, when I reached the falls, most of the benches were wet from overnight rain, and the sunlight hadn't reached the area to dry them off, so most people were standing around.

Luckily for me, I had brought my mikan in the plastic bag it came in, so the bag came in handy on the wet bench.

I ate rather quickly because 1) I didn't want to be preyed upon by the wild monkeys, and 2) because it was quite cold sitting on a wet bench (even if I had the plastic bag).

REMEMBER: don't feed the monkeys or you will have to pay a 10,000 yen fine (about US$100).
After lunch, I walked up to the parking area to see the foliage above the falls.

It was breathtaking!

Like a patchwork quilt.
Then I made my way back down to the station.

This was the first year that I have seen volunteer guides. They have probably been around for some time, but this was the first time I've noticed them.

They are dressed like this cute grandpa with a white jacket and green cap that has "MVG" (Minoo Volunteer Guide) on it.

I'm not sure but I think you can request a guide at the Minoo Tourist Information Office near the Hankyu Minoo station.

While getting closer to the station, there was an ambulance and fire truck that came up the roadway/path with sirens going. They were heading for somewhere in-between the station and the falls. Hopefully it wasn't anything too serious.

Of course, before going home, I popped into one of my favorite cafes in this area, Per Caffe Bianco, for a cappuccino & their seasonal tart (sweet potato almond tart).

The sweet potatoes had a crunchy caramel coating (like the kind you find on creme brulee)...delicious.

Although the lady barista doesn't have as good an artistic hand as the male barista does, the cappuccino art today was still cute.

It was a beautiful day, lots of nature, and definitely lots of walking.