Lavender Fields, Furano

It was Sheep Sheep's dream to go to a lavender farm. He looked so eppy eppy here!!!

Coz u see, when we bought Sheep Sheep from Vienna, he came with a lavender pouch inside him. Notice that lil lavender logo on his chest? And ignorant this mommy of his, threw him into the washing machine without removing his lavender pouch. He was almost ruined!!!!! So we got more lavenders for him at our following trip to an organic market in Paris. But nothing is complete without visiting one, since we couldn't make it to see the lavenders bloom in Provence, I guess the one here at Furano isn't too bad either huh?


Choo Choo Train

Furano is the navel town of Hokkaido, being in the center of the 3rd largest island of Japan. They even have their very own Hokkaido Belly Button Festival. Don't ask me what do they do nor parade on that day. Being in the center, it's alwiz perpetually cool...and during winter months, temperature drops to -30*C. Because of that Furano is famous for their soft light powderie snow, something that every ski-ers dream would come true. Yes in winter, this is a power packed ski resorts with lodges and snowmobiles cruising around.

I am pretty sure that's a display and not meant as a source of energy for this choo-choo train. The Lavender Norokko train is the best way to travel here. After 2 hours special direct train from Sapporo, to have this 'al-fresco' style train, we were a bit relieved for some fresh air.

Only in summer months and especially the lavender period, there's direct traisn from Sapporo. Plus this cute lil Norokko trains have special stops directly at lavender farms at this time too.

As usual, we've alwiz have everything booked and reserved in advance. There's the reservation coach and the none. So u could imagine it's much more proper when you have designated seat numbers, there were also some passengers from the none-reserved coach that came over to this coach. Luckily there were a few attendants managing and ssshooooooo ppl away politely.


and off we go!!!!
Chooo chooo choooo...chug a chug chug chug chug a chug a chug a chug
Wahhhh not only Sheep Sheep and the hobbits were leaping in joy. Monkey was perpetually hopping around her seats.

While JS was complaining he's hungry...Japanese have this culture of packing bento boxes on train rides, even if this mean a short 15 mins ride. To JS having a bento in shinkansen is a novelty. My only delight was to choose which beautiful bento to purchase bcoz all of them looked so beautiful!!!!
Every piece of food was cut, prepared and merchandised beautifully inside that tiny box. I dunno how they do it.

Woohoooo~~~

JS: "Monkey sit down and don't push ur head out!!!"

There were miles and miles and miles of potato farms, leeks farms, nursery and some other vegetables which I couldn't identify.

What a scenic ride and it's kinda too short for me, bcoz before we could enjoy the novelty of such train ride, the announcement in Japanese came that Tomita Farm is next!!!


When we arrived at the farm, Monkey rannnnnnnn to the colorful patches of flowers.

JS: "Monkey....that isn't lavender u know?"
Monkey: "Oh ya kar? oppsss nvm it's so pretty I want a pic!!"

JS -_-"
he refered me as "Horkatis" = orang kampung in greek language

Nvm lar...all the farmers here are orang kampung anyway.




There were rows and rows and rows of many types of flowers including barleys? I thought these were wheat at first.


Then we sniffed around and there's the lavenders!!!!

July marks an important month bcoz it's the harvesting months. The dry season further intensify the maturing process of its flowers. So if u wanna see lavenders it's as critical as sakura flowers viewing. There's only 2 optimal weeks a year to see beautiful abountiful lavenders!!!


Bcoz we were late by a week....the lavenders were almost gone!!!
oh no!!!! come back!!!!

There were so many hongkies doin wedding photography at the lavender farms. Hongkies and their boorish way of speaking. They were trying to chase off tourists walking around...but u see most of these tourists are Japanese and they won't understand cantonese.

Yeah hardly u could find westerners here. Local tourisms is pretty much evident with mostly japanese, Taiwanese and Hongkies. And 2 of us orang kampung from Malaysia.


very rare to have JS's pic taken. He's not so keen. Bcoz he was looming around with his giant camera, most ppl mistaken him as a photographer as well.

While Monkey was more keen on Lavender Soft Serve Ice Creams. OMG it was sooooo yummy and soooo different that I've imagined it to be. The high quality milk produced in Hokkaido makes any dairies from pastries to ice creams to cream puffs super awesome!!!

There's also a production cottage manufacturing essential oil from lavender. The smell was so intense u felt like u are swimming innit!!!


Then stomach klu-klu.....not me but JS. I was so excited bout the lavenders that I've forgotten bout food.

The sight of a huge green balloons signify FOOD hahahaha.
Monkey: "Look JS!! there's follow the balloon."


As we walked following the direction of the giant green balloon, there were more beautiful sights and we de-toured agian and again.


More beautiful flowers!!!!! Yaaayyy!~!!!!!


Let's take a scooter instead? It's faster?
but we couldn't find its keys...*well obviously!!!*

and we have arrived!!!
The giant green balloon was actually the famous Melon!!! 

Look at his hungry face!!!

JS: "Can I eat now???"

the famous Sweet-White-like-Snow-White-creamie-super-Sweet-Hokkaido-White-Corns!!! It was soooo delicious and u can even eat them raw. The taste was super sweet, non-fibrous, and extremely creamie. So so different from the best corns I've ever had.

Oh nom nom nom nom and Monkey had to finish JS's sweet white corns

JS T.T~~~~~ my corns~~~~~~
Okie lor...dun cry. I buy u Pao

Yubari Melon Pao!!!!
wow this is a new discovery. Its skin was crispy, then with middle soft like bread texture and finally the warm creamie Yubari Melon butterie jam oozzziinnnggg out~~~

and for desserts, we had Yubari Melon drinks and more fresh Yubari Melon. The sweetest thing I've ever had in my life. It has a very long length in the mouth, it's almost too sweet for me. No trip to Furano is complete without indulging in everything Yubari for the town that produce the famous melons is just after the next mountain range.

For more information and visits to Furano:
http://www.lavenderfurano.com/
http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e6826.html