Travel: The Japanese Garden

This is a short one, and the result of a quick, in-and-out visit to the Japanese Garden in Hasselt, Belgium. The garden was a gift from the people of Itami (Japan) to Hasselt, who reciprocated by shipping a carillon all the way to Japan. I'm pretty sure who got the best deal out of this ... Anyway, visiting the place was a rewarding experience. The trees with their typically very open treetops, the running and falling water, the rocks, and the straightforward yet sophisticated architecture made for a tranquil and soothing blend. I guess the visit was quite timely too: leaves started to turn, making for an appearance that can only be described as "balanced" when compared to the almost unnatural deep reds and bright yellows of autumn. As is common for Japanese gardens, this one too has been meticously laid out. While no doubt pleasing to the casual visitor, who's view is guided to (presumably) the most pleasing scenery by strategically placed benches or bends in the pathway, by gaps in the planting, etc, ... shots taken at those vantage points were somehow less gratifying than those less "directed". Still, I tried to sync with the place, valuing the experience more than chasing ultimate file quality. As such, I eschewed the use of a tripod, relying solely on a 24 mm manual focus prime.