Aizu-Wakamatsu

About a week ago I saw an add for a steam engine train ride into Aizu Wakamatsu from Niitsu and thought it would be a lovely opportunity for a trip though the mountains and Fukushima Prefecture country side. I was quite right but much more in for a treat than I had expected. (Mostly due to people watching)
I left around 7:40am to catch a train north to Niitsu (50 min) and hung out in the station for about an hour writing Christmas post cards and catching up on some calendering and reading Orwell's "1984". It was great!
Then in rolls this amazing steam engine about 10:14.





The actual ride up to Aizu was about 3 hours long. It gave me quite a long time to just have some thinking time and enjoying the scenery time. It was really nice and I did some brain storming too for my book.
By the time we got to Aizu-Wakamatsu I only had a quick hour and 20 min to check the area out and snap a few shots of the Tsuruga-jo Castle before I had to head back onto the train to go back.
First off before we get there, the scenery was amazing and just absolutley gorgeous. The pictures do it no remote justice at all, I tried to take a few pictures but they where all blurring from the movement and from the drippy condensation on the windows and the smoke from the engine. I realised this was something I couldn't share easily. It was amazing and I love love love love love the Japanese country side!





Aizu-Wakamatsu and the Tsuruga-jo Castle