Day trip to Nikko

We got up early for breakfast and grabbed the nook by the window on tatami matting with a low table to enjoy our Japanese breakfast at 7 am then we headed down to Asakusa station, discovering a delightful path with cherry blossoms. We took an express train out to Nikko which cost quite a bit more but I had read online that the train on the day pass was a crowded local one. It was also quicker. At Nikko we found some fresh bean dumplings in a shop then stopped at a Family Mart for more lunch supplies and at the tourist information centre for walking maps. Our pass included buses but we walked the 30 minutes uphill and continued on upstream where we ate lunch before heading across past shrines and uphill through forest. Down the other side we came to falls and had another lunch before heading back through the shrines to the station. It was a lot of walking once again and we were glad to get on the 3.30 train back. It was the local train, not crowded and quite comfortable. We talked to a couple of older women as we neared Asakusa and admired the Sakura along the river. People were picnicking on blue tarps in their black business suits along the river under lanterns and boats were lit with more people out to enjoy Hanuma. We wandered back to our lovely path home.
This night we dined at a ramen restaurant quite close to Andon.