Urban safari - in search of springs

We live in an area rich in onsen (natural hot springs), but less people know about all the natural fresh water springs dotted around the city centre. Another beautiful day here in the central Alps, and the school still cluttered with boxes and stuff...bus trip!

Post office

Today we jumped off our bus before the station - we'd had fun waiting for the bus playing with the ice off the bus stop bench, and watching it melt quickly as our fingers got colder! We tried to walk on the sunny side of the street, as it was chilly in the shade. We inspected the post office and watched people put their letters in the post box.

We soon found a spring on Nakamachi street, with an old hand pump on top. We were careful not to wet our shoes. Across the road was another one, with bamboo pipes - and just up the street from there we found a man cleaning freshly cut poles of bamboo, which must have been 4 metres long. I never knew we had a bamboo business in the city!

We met a lot of older people at our next spring, and they talked to us as they filled their plastic bottles. It seems that a lot of people rely on the springs for their water supply. It was very fresh, and Sota said it was 'sweet'; it was also at a comfortable temperature - they never freeze over even in the middle of winter.

Bus stop gang!

On Frog Street we posed for a picture; what do you think? Clowns or really kool kids?! Snack time in the sunshine, gave us the energy to chase the pigeons around at the shrine, before we ran out of steam walking back to the bus stop...Sota and Hina were both ZZZzzzing in no time at all, and were transported magically back to a comfortable kip at Luna.

A delightful little excursion, lots of fresh air (and water!). Think we'll all sleep well tonight!