This is the nonawaited sequel to A very flowery weekend: Saturday.

On Saturday night we went to bed at about eleven, exhausted and our systems still laden with alcohol - mine after a seven hour break from touching any of the damned stuff. Despite the sleepiness, neither of us rested well, and we sort of half-woke at seven the next morning to get ready for another day much like Saturday had been. Insanity!

We were scheduled to go back to Funaoka for nine AM, to meet with our friend Yuka, a sweet lady who taught at Fujigaoka Elementary last year (funaoka and fujigaoka are not in any way related: "oka" just means "hill"). Together, we walked up the main hill of Funaoka, the same one we got drunk on on Saturday. Thankfully, Yuka is a quiet, friendly person, in many ways the opposite of Saito, who is a boisterous friendly person. The difference kept us from collapsing. We walked up much of the hill, truly enjoying the flowers and the view more than we could have the day before, and finally took a ride in a sort of gondola-train-thingy up to the top. At the top of Funaoka's hill is a Kannon statue, a giant female buddha. Funaoka's is fairly small and unspectacular as such statues go, but it is still quite nice, and with the flowers all around it was a pretty phenomenal sight.

The view down from the top of the hill was nothing short of breathtaking. It made me really glad to be able to say that Jen and I got engaged in Japan in the spring. Even with the weather turning for the grey, the landscape was a panorama of colour. Flowers everywhere, mostly pink but also white, yellow, and red. Up close, in the grasses, Yuka pointed out some of the purple and blue Japanese wildflowers as well. It was a good time, and we got some great pictures that I hope Jen will remind me to upload, because I cannot be relied on to remember such things (or, indeed, anything).

After the hanami, we headed back to Yuka's house and met her family and had lunch. She and her older brother live with their parents, not uncommon for unmarried Japanese adults, and their younger brother is married and lives in Tokyo. We had quite a feast and talked for a long while, finally getting back to Natori around three thirty. We changed places from our roles on Saturday: I caught a short nap while Jen played computer, and at five we were ushered out for dinner with our friends the Iizawa family.

Thankfully, the dinner with the Iizawa's was not a formal affair, and it really capped off the weekend nicely. It was great to have what basically boils down to a normal family dinner at a friend's house, right down to sampling a little homebrewed beer and playing card games. When Jen and I got home, we fell asleep almost as soon as the door closed.

The only reason I am still alive to tell you this story, amusingly enough, is that yesterday when I came to work I found out Monday was a day off, a replacement day for this Saturday when I am going to have to come to work. Therefore, I actually got to relax yesterday and am glad to say I have NO interesting stories about it.