Taken under a sky of cherry blossom whilst standing on a carpet of pink petals this afternoon in Vallance Road, Whitechapel.
The area is fairly run down and a bit rough, in fact, Vallance Road is infamous for being the street the Krays (1960s mobsters) lived on.. But nestled away in a little corner is half a dozen or so cherry blossom trees, all in magnificent full bloom. Every cloud has it's silver lining I guess :-)
Thanks to my girlfriend for today's pic... She emailed me to say she walked past this morning and the trees looked lovely.. So off I wandered at lunchtime...
I know the Japanese love this tree, in fact I believe it's the national flower of Japan so I had a quick check and came a across this poem written by a monk called SAIGYO back in the middle ages:
"Could I die under a cherry blossom tree in full bloom on a full moon night of spring?"
Suppose when it's time to go, it'll be a nice last view..
Love Love *Love* the imagry and the sentiment! Oh, Andy, this is as beautiful as a picture could be to illustrate the quotation. I had to make this a fave so as to save both... Exquisite!
Andy, you're showing that soft side again!! love it!