Summer retreat: Ura-Bandai -1

Surrounded by mountains and lakes, it is quiet, the water, sake, and food are delicious, transportation is surprisingly convenient, the locals are friendly to travelers. But the most important thing is that it is literally cool.

Ura-Bandai has all the charms of a summer resort, and for over 20 years, it has been my top summer travel destination.

The first place I visited this year was Bandia Herb Garden.

Bandia Herb Garden

福島県の裏磐梯高原（北塩原村）にある小さなハーブ園＆喫茶テラスBandia（バンディア）の公式ホームページ。入場無料のガーデンやティーテラスの他、精油やアロマセラピーグッズ、ハーブクラフトを扱うショップもございます。ペットOK！レジャーやウィンタースポーツ、五色沼...

This place has been in business for a long time and is popular with female customers for its café and shops.

Another charm for me is being able to freely take photos of flowers and plants in the herb garden. The joy of walking around and taking photos in the cool air with a faint, elegant fragrance is truly special.

At this time, the most vibrant flower in the garden was this Echinacea (Purple Coneflower).

Perhaps because my senses are dull, I didn’t feel that it had a particularly strong scent, but it seemed to attract an overwhelming number of insects, including swarms of butterflies.

Beautifully blooming yarrow (Sanguisorba officinalis).

When using a macro lens too close, the flowers tend to show signs of being nibbled or marked by insects, so I think this distance works better for capturing their beauty.

It was blooming beautifully but delicately, but unfortunately I forgot its name. I’m weak for flowers like this, glowing in the dappled sunlight.

I looked it up later, but I think it might be Japanese Honeysuckle. However, It isn’t a plant commonly used as a herb, so I’m not sure. There’s an another similar plant that’s known as a medicinal herb, but the shape of the leaves doesn’t match. Identifying plants is difficult.

I’m so engrossed in taking photos of the ground that when I look up, I see the blue sky spreading above the trees.
It’s summer in a summer resort.