Takatsuki festival

At summer festivals in Japan, ice is most popular thing to buy. It is shaved with syrup on it.
And at this Takatsuki summer festival, there is a real ice shop with a stall out front selling ice, which Rica and Yumi always always talk about.
Finally, I could try one of their ices!!!!!!!!!!


I had two with mango syrup.
When Yumi said she was going to have 3 of them, I thought, "hah??", but I understand now.
The ice was very tasty, maybe too tasty to put syrup on. And it didn't melt easily even in this weather, and so it was very nice to walk around the festival eating it.
Could have eaten another one, but the stall wasn't there when I went back......

Anyway, it was 150 yen each. How surprisingly cheap!
I guess because they open the stall in front of shop and don't have to pay for the space

The 41th Takatsuki festival??!

I didn't know... it has quite a history.....

We had so much fun!!

Looked around many shops, bought lots of different food, watched Japanese dancing with summer kimono. We walked a long way!

We were...

Rica, Yumi, Noriko, Hiro, Yoshi and MEEEEEEE!!

Well, even Festival-Hater Me went to this one, so you see how much I like Takatsuki!!
I looooove Takatsuki!!

And this was the OMIYAGE=souvenir for Nick.

Yoshi's recommendation.

When Nick had a bite, he made a strange face for a second, and the next moment, his face expressed nothing...

Then I had a bite.

And I knew why he was like that.

It tasted of sugar, just sugar with rice cake!!

It was the first time that we kind of realized how amazing Kyoto's Japanese sweets are...
I had a second bite, but that was it. I couldn't eat anymore...

All I was thinking as I was trying to put the piece I bit off into my tummy was to go back to one of the famous Kyoto Japanese sweet shops to buy some, and enjoy them with appreciation!

Bravo Kyoto!!!

Oh, by the way, Yoshi is originally from Kyoto...Hmmm
And do NOT worry! I had another souvenir for Nick, and that was a very fresh charcoal-grilled squid. He loved it!!