Halfway into our trip home to Nishio, Japan

I'm sharing photos, but they aren't in order of when they were taken~

We got to meet with our Rocker friend Chihiro at her workplace, Aichi Gakuin Daigaku for bentos while we sat with cherry blossom trees in full bloom surrounding us. The weather was perfect, Chihiro's company made it even more perfect!  We got a little dose of her~ but will miss catching a concert of hers.

At the College the cherry blossom trees were everywhere, also were a number of artist's painting the blossoms.

TANTANMEN~ another night!!!
I was SO happy also to find
a NO SMOKING SIGN!  

At another Chinese restaurant called HAUTSU, it was explained that Chinese like to smoke after eating. I don't believe ONLY Chinese~ but that's the excuse they still allow smoking?

Combining tennis AND a cherry blossom picnic is one of the BEST occasions!

Utayo, below, is one long time tennis playing friend too, actually. We didn't get to play tennis, be we had hours to visit, and the darling teated me to a sushi lunch. It seems everything almost is about food and friends! Utayo was picking KINKAN (kumquats) for me.  She's such a darling!

Utayo was taking care of a street cat for ten years?! See him sleeping in the middle of the flower patch?
She said he usually slept in the dog house (to the right)

And THEN, Taka and I got to catch up with Edwin Gombya and his beautiful family!

Taka and I drove to meet Edwin, wife Tomoyo and their twin girls Juli and Amali for a sento at Korona in Anjo. Taka had to leave then... but I got to go with them to catch up with lots of other friends from the area at IZAKAYA KARA.

And BOY those darling "babies" could eat. The twins are 16 months old, and the little boy is 13 months. The men did stay at the other end of the table- for the most part!

Starbucks Japan! Where longtime friend Hiromi now works!!! How cool is THIS! Hiromi used to help me teach in Nagoya, and we ALWAYS went for a Starbuck's when the only shops of theirs were  still in Nagoya. Now here's one shop in Anjo, closer to Nishio.

And there are a few little differences between th U.S. and Japanese Starbucks?!!

One thing was the dog leash stand outside~

And then these great blankets inside available to drape over your legs if you want to feel warmer. "Service" that only Japanese give?!

We went to see our body adjuster friend Ishida-san.

Taka'd been carrying around too many stepping stones and messed up his leg, and I've messed up my hand.

He stretched us out and did what he always does, relieve the aches and pains!

Here, with his wife and daughter.  He's one reason I never wanted to leave Japan!

And finally~ we got a lunch with Yoshie-chan and her son Akira, Taka, Sayoko and I at Cafe Ocean...

where Ischin is the Pasta Chef. I called him Pasta King of the Sea here!

Ischin's also making the bread.
Full time he's working. Leaves home about 8 and doesn't get home until around 8. He's finished University, but now it's full time job. He looks so good at it, and the pasta and bread reflected it!