Today, my husband and I had to babysit our grandson for thirteen hours because his nursery school was closed and his parents couldn't take the day off from their work either. So, we had no choice.
We considered which way was the easiest for us to babysit him because he's been getting more energetic lately. Then, we decided to go to mentai park in our hometown, Shiga Prefecture. Since my parents wanted to join us, the five of us went there for the first time.
Mentai is a short term of mentaiko (spicy pollock roe), and it's a very famous local speciality in Fukuoka city, Kyushu. One of the major companies of mentaiko built this theme park in Shiga.
When we arrived, the mentaiko shaped mascot greeted us.
Half of the inside of the building was a mentaiko factory, where fresh mentaiko is made and sold.
Since the factory is see-through, everybody can look at how they make mentaiko. I was very curious, but unfortunately, my grandson couldn't allow me to enjoy watching it.
The picture below shows a food court, where we can order some fast food with mentaiko flavor. Mentaiko is spicy, but my grandson likes its pasta.
We had lunch there, but I was so busy taking care of him that I completely forgot to take some photos.
The next picture shows the souvenir shop. They sell all kinds of mentaiko products, including mentaiko itself, mentaiko-flavored cookies, mentaiko rice crackers, mentaiko snacks, and more.
The picture below shows mentaiko. When my husband and I lived in Kyusyu, we often bought it. It reminded me of our younger days.
This mentaiko character caught my grandson's attention. He stopped in front of the display and started cuddling the staffed toy, so I had no choice but to buy one for him.
Through the window, we could see Lake Biwa, the biggest lake in Japan.
The very last photo shows what I bought. I'll make mentaiko past soon!
Although it was my first time visiting, it was fun. Neither my husband nor I I felt pretty tired even though we babysit our grandson for thirteen hours. My parents had fun with their grate-grandson too. The park made everybody happy, so I'd love to go back there sometime soon.
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子守、大変だけど成長を見守れるのはいいですよね。それにしても琵琶湖は大きいな。近いうちに琵琶湖一周サイクリングをしに行かなきゃいけないと思ってます。そのときには、めんたいパークに行ってご飯のお供を買おう！ :D
When I'm home in Luxor, I spend a lot of time with my niece and nephew, and I struggle with how to keep them entertained. There aren't enough amusement parks or clubs in Luxor. In addition, I find it difficult to move around with the two of them, especially that my niece sometimes feels tired or falls asleep and I have to carry her! :DD
友達はまだ孫もいない人が多い上、たぶん、子供が近くに住まないので私はほんと恵まれているなぁ～と日々感謝してます。孫は文句なしに可愛い～。
琵琶湖、主人や甥っ子も琵琶湖一周よくやってます。私は真っ黒に焼けるのが嫌なのでしませんが (ガーデニングでもうすでに黒い！）。是非！すっごく楽しいらしいですよ。そして、めんたいパークだけじゃなくて近くにクラブ・ハリエの食べ放題もあるので是非！！
@Double-Zee Taking care of two kids at the same time is hard! Carrying sleeping kids is really tough!!! You sounds like going through being a full time mom! I raised only one daughter, and I don' think I can take care of two kids at the same time. It drives me crazy. Thank you for sharing your experiences.
It's so great that you get to spend time with your family. I've actually never tried mentaiko. Maybe I'll have to try it when I visit.
@Ersatzjello Thank you for reading and commenting! If you want to try it, it's better for you to go to Fukuoka. The area ones are the best!