なにわのクルーズ・味・歌声 １ (Cruising, Eating and Singing in Osaka -1-)

　さる4日、妻と私は JR 西日本ジパング倶楽部による催し「歌声の集い・なにわの味・道頓堀クルーズ」に参加した。一行約200名は2隻の船に分乗し、天満橋の八軒家浜船着場を11時に出発（1枚目の写真は出発後間もなくの光景）。われわれは、甲板上にぎっしり腰かけてガイド氏の説明を聞く。船は、阪神高速1号環状線の下になっている東横堀川を南下する。間もなく、東横堀川水門を通る（2枚目の写真）。水位差を調節しながら進む水門の通過は、2009年にライン河・マイン河クルーズで経験したが、国内では初めての経験である。上大和橋を過ぎて右折し、道頓堀川へ入る（3枚目の写真は、道頓堀川両岸の眺め）。浮庭橋（4枚目の写真）を通過したところで少し逆戻りして、約1時間後、道頓堀の太左衛門橋船着場に到着した。（つづく）

On October 4, my wife and I joined the event of JR-West Zipang Club entitled "Dōtombori Cruise, Taste of Naniwa and Singing Together." A total of about 200 participants rode in two boats and started from Hakken'yahama port in Tenmabashi at 11:00. The top photo shows the scenery we saw shortly after departure. We were tightly seated on the deck and listened to the guide's explanation. The boats went towards south on the Higashi-yokobori River, over which Hanshin Expressway was hung, and soon passed through the sluice gate (the second photo). My wife and I experienced the passage through sluice gates in the cruise of the Main and Rhine Rivers in 2009, but we had our first experience in Japan this time. After passing through Kamiyamato Bridge, the boats turned to the right to enter the Dōtombori River (the third photo shows the landscape at both sides of this river) and finally passed through Ukiniwa Bridge (the fourth photo). Then the boats went a little back to arrive at the port of Tazaemon Bridge in Dōtombori. (To be continued)