今日は、京都まで出向いたついでに、久しぶりに学生時代にアルバイトしていた和菓子喫茶に立ち寄りました。喫茶店のご夫婦は相変わらず仲良く、お元気そうで何よりでした。そして、同い年の娘さんもお店を手伝っている姿を見て、久しぶりにお話ができて嬉しかったです。
あまりにも懐かしさが込み上げてきて、自分も学生当時のアルバイトの制服を着て、少しお店を手伝うことにしました。その制服は、淡い水色の着物をイメージしたもので、着物の美しさがありながらも、配膳作業がしやすくお気に入りでした。何より久々に制服に袖を通すと、とても気分が上がりました。当時の懐かしい思い出がよみがえり、学生時代の活気溢れる日々を感じました。
お手伝いのお礼として、お店の名物である芸術品のような水羊羹をごちそうになりました。その水羊羹は、表面は寒天と金粉でとても品がありながらも涼し気な見た目をしており、一口食べると深い抹茶の香りと、餡子のやさしい甘さが絶妙に絡み合い、本当にたまらない味わいでした。口の中に広がる美味しさに、心が満たされました。
久しぶりに学生時代の思い出が蘇り、嬉しい気持ちになりました。京都の残りの時間を楽しみつつ、いつもの日常に戻ります。この素敵な体験を忘れずに、日々の生活を豊かに過ごしていこうと思います。
Today, on my way to Kyoto, I stopped by for the first time in a long while at a Japanese-style confectionery cafe where I worked part-time as a student. The couple at the cafe were as friendly as ever, and I was glad to see that they seemed to be in good health. And I was happy to see their daughter, who is the same age as me, also helping out at the store and talking with them after a long time.
I was so filled with nostalgia that I decided to help out at the store a little myself, wearing the uniform of my part-time job when I was a student. The uniform was a light blue kimono, and I loved it because it had the beauty of a kimono, yet was easy to use for serving food. Above all, it was a great feeling to put on the uniform after a long time. It brought back fond memories of those days, and I felt the lively days of my school days.
As a thank you for helping us, we were treated to the store’s specialty, mizu-yokan, which is like a work of art. The surface of the mizu-yokan was covered with agar and gold dust, giving it a very elegant yet cool appearance. When I took a bite, the deep green tea aroma and the gentle sweetness of the red bean paste intertwined perfectly, creating a truly irresistible taste. The deliciousness that spread in my mouth filled my heart.
For the first time in a long time, memories of my student days came back to me, and I felt happy. I will enjoy the rest of my time in Kyoto and return to my usual routine. I will try to enrich my daily life without forgetting this wonderful experience.
コメント