We woke up at our leisure today- 7 a.m. We got packed up and grabbed a tasty breakfast downstairs. We hopped on the electric assist bikes again and all 3 of us went cruising down by the riverwalk. We headed around town and around Imperial Palace and then back over to Heian Jingu Shrine and its adjacent gardens. There is a huge orange Shinto gate that marks its entrance a couple blocks away and then you approach a huge courtyard and several beautiful old wooden orange buildlings. There were many trees tied with bad fortunes around the shrine. One tree had pink papers and I thought that it was a cherry blossom bush it was so covered. We all did the purification with the water in the left hand, then the right and then some back into the right hand that you touch your lips to and then a scoop and lift to rinse the handle.We made an offering, bowed, clapped and then made our wishes, said our prayers,...fun to do and then finish with a big bow. Shinto shrines worship many gods, they say over 8,000,000 gods- mostly of nature. To the side were some of my favorite gardens, still filled with weeping cherry blossoms. I had taken Kendall and Sydney before and felt nostalgic that here I was with Sam now and remember the girls excitiment about this garden and taking pictures in the same places that I took pictures of the girls.
I just couldn't get over how beautiful all the weeping blossoms were and the artistry of the garden. We came to the covered bridge by the pond and there was a bride and groom all dressed in traditional wedding clothes. The bride looked just unbelievable with her white kimono and high sandals and beautiful flowers arranged on the whole right side of her hair and then a large white dome over her head- spectacular and SO elegant. We enjoyed watching them and the family in beautiful traditional kimonos.
Right by the park we went to the Traditional Handicraft Store. There Sam bought a Japenese Samurai sword in natural wood. He was excited about it and can add to his collection of knives and swords he has collected all over the world. Ibought abeautiful chime that I will hang from a tree in NH and will remind me of Sam and our trip with Nate.
After we checked out of the Ritz we took a cab to the traditional Ryokan that I had booked. It wasn't inexpensive by any stretch but it wasn't nearly what I had expected. Felt a little run down and anything after our unbelievable acommodations would have felt second rate. But we checked in and was a little set back. It was in a good neighborhood and we could walk everywhere from there, and that is what we did. We dropped our bags and then wanted to get something to eat, so we went to "the joint" - Sam refers to it as, and ordered some Chinese food! Yes, starnge to be eating Mongolian Beef when you are eating it in Kyoto, Japan.
After lunch Nate went for a shave, most entertaining and apparently very relaxing. He shaved everything starting from his forehead! to his ears ;) Sam and I went exploring the beautiful back alleyways of the area. There are these little hidden roads with lanterns and large stones and they lead up to the Kodaiji Temple and the Yasaka Pagoda and the large Buddha WWII Memorial. We wandered through the park that was a War Memorial for the over 2,000,000 Japanese that died and for the over 45,000 Unknown American Soilders that died on Japanese soil. There were many little buildings that represented different groups. One was filled with thousands of small buddha like statues that were holding babies and with children at the skirtsof their robes. Behind the large Buddha you could enter inside and it had the statues that represented different zodiac horoscope signs. I am the year of the monkey and you could make donatoins to that Buddha. They had a huge platform that had the footprints of Buddha with large henna looking prints on the bottoms.
Nate met up with us and we wandered the streets outside- beautiful little winding streets with lovely small souvenir shops. We stopped and I met a gentleman that was making wood block prints. They were so carefully done on a thin two sided wood block he had carved and then swipes with paint and prints paint onto these small white cards. He was making a traditional Japanese woman and would start with the feet and then the head and kimono and sash- each a different print color and shape on his woodblock. Loved it. I purchase a few beacuase they were such small affordable works of art.
We wandered down to the Yasaka Pagoda- beautiful and very recognizable old wooden pagoda and meandered around back to our hotel. At the Inn we were taken to our room which is a series of screened off tatami matt covered rooms. It wasn't nearly as nice as the ones I had stayed with with my parents or we stayed at with the girls, but once you get inside and close the screens, they are all very much alike with 3 futons on the floor for us and a small table where they served us green tea. Sam had a little adjusting after coming from the Ritz ;) But, he collapsed on that mat after a day of walking and biking and was out cold this evening.
As the boys took a rest, I went back out and wandered the streets. I just love walking these hilly streets and exploring all the gardens and parks and shrines. I stopped in Maryuama Park and read for a bit before finding the boys and trying to locate a place for dinner. Funny, there were so many places that looked like we could do dinner while it was light out, but at night, they all close up and hard to tell what is an Inn or a home or a place to eat. We put our head into one place, it was a small counter and no one was in there but a chef. Looking very deserted we said arrigato and left. He came out after us. Oh no, we had offended him by looking in and then not staying. He said it was rude to step in and not stay and that these are Kyoto kitchens, that people come at this time for green tea ceremoy- well it looked like a sushi bar and couldn't imagine that we were up for more green tea- we were hungry. We apologized many times and then moved on quickly. We found it was impossible to identify restaurants and then we came upon a beautiful almost park with large lanters and an ENGLISH menu! It was clearly a restaurant with a very friendly host that led us through a garden to a tasty "Italian Restaurant" We were so tierd and really appreciated our first western dinner of the week.
Although so tierd after dinner we had to go to Kodaiji temple. It was literally advertised ALL over Kyoto for being open at night. We went to the temple up these beautifully lit stairs. It was so beautifully lit. I think these temples are as beautiful at night as they are in the day. We wandered through beautifully lit gardens and tea houses and an old home and up into the hills and through a bamboo forest that lit at night was just magical. I couldn't believe how lovely it was. Love how there are so many winding pathways, it really is so relaxing to walk with everythign designed to be aesthetically pleasing, telling you, this is zen... just meditative and peaceful to all the senses.
We made our way back to our Inn. Slipped off our shoes the door, slipped on slippers to go into our room and then slipped off the slippers to go onto our tatami mats and then basically right into bed. Tomorrow we see the last of the sights we can see, which there are nearly countless sights in Kyoto and head to Nara.
I just couldn't get over how beautiful all the weeping blossoms were and the artistry of the garden. We came to the covered bridge by the pond and there was a bride and groom all dressed in traditional wedding clothes. The bride looked just unbelievable with her white kimono and high sandals and beautiful flowers arranged on the whole right side of her hair and then a large white dome over her head- spectacular and SO elegant. We enjoyed watching them and the family in beautiful traditional kimonos.
Right by the park we went to the Traditional Handicraft Store. There Sam bought a Japenese Samurai sword in natural wood. He was excited about it and can add to his collection of knives and swords he has collected all over the world. Ibought abeautiful chime that I will hang from a tree in NH and will remind me of Sam and our trip with Nate.
After we checked out of the Ritz we took a cab to the traditional Ryokan that I had booked. It wasn't inexpensive by any stretch but it wasn't nearly what I had expected. Felt a little run down and anything after our unbelievable acommodations would have felt second rate. But we checked in and was a little set back. It was in a good neighborhood and we could walk everywhere from there, and that is what we did. We dropped our bags and then wanted to get something to eat, so we went to "the joint" - Sam refers to it as, and ordered some Chinese food! Yes, starnge to be eating Mongolian Beef when you are eating it in Kyoto, Japan.
After lunch Nate went for a shave, most entertaining and apparently very relaxing. He shaved everything starting from his forehead! to his ears ;) Sam and I went exploring the beautiful back alleyways of the area. There are these little hidden roads with lanterns and large stones and they lead up to the Kodaiji Temple and the Yasaka Pagoda and the large Buddha WWII Memorial. We wandered through the park that was a War Memorial for the over 2,000,000 Japanese that died and for the over 45,000 Unknown American Soilders that died on Japanese soil. There were many little buildings that represented different groups. One was filled with thousands of small buddha like statues that were holding babies and with children at the skirtsof their robes. Behind the large Buddha you could enter inside and it had the statues that represented different zodiac horoscope signs. I am the year of the monkey and you could make donatoins to that Buddha. They had a huge platform that had the footprints of Buddha with large henna looking prints on the bottoms.
Nate met up with us and we wandered the streets outside- beautiful little winding streets with lovely small souvenir shops. We stopped and I met a gentleman that was making wood block prints. They were so carefully done on a thin two sided wood block he had carved and then swipes with paint and prints paint onto these small white cards. He was making a traditional Japanese woman and would start with the feet and then the head and kimono and sash- each a different print color and shape on his woodblock. Loved it. I purchase a few beacuase they were such small affordable works of art.
We wandered down to the Yasaka Pagoda- beautiful and very recognizable old wooden pagoda and meandered around back to our hotel. At the Inn we were taken to our room which is a series of screened off tatami matt covered rooms. It wasn't nearly as nice as the ones I had stayed with with my parents or we stayed at with the girls, but once you get inside and close the screens, they are all very much alike with 3 futons on the floor for us and a small table where they served us green tea. Sam had a little adjusting after coming from the Ritz ;) But, he collapsed on that mat after a day of walking and biking and was out cold this evening.
As the boys took a rest, I went back out and wandered the streets. I just love walking these hilly streets and exploring all the gardens and parks and shrines. I stopped in Maryuama Park and read for a bit before finding the boys and trying to locate a place for dinner. Funny, there were so many places that looked like we could do dinner while it was light out, but at night, they all close up and hard to tell what is an Inn or a home or a place to eat. We put our head into one place, it was a small counter and no one was in there but a chef. Looking very deserted we said arrigato and left. He came out after us. Oh no, we had offended him by looking in and then not staying. He said it was rude to step in and not stay and that these are Kyoto kitchens, that people come at this time for green tea ceremoy- well it looked like a sushi bar and couldn't imagine that we were up for more green tea- we were hungry. We apologized many times and then moved on quickly. We found it was impossible to identify restaurants and then we came upon a beautiful almost park with large lanters and an ENGLISH menu! It was clearly a restaurant with a very friendly host that led us through a garden to a tasty "Italian Restaurant" We were so tierd and really appreciated our first western dinner of the week.
Although so tierd after dinner we had to go to Kodaiji temple. It was literally advertised ALL over Kyoto for being open at night. We went to the temple up these beautifully lit stairs. It was so beautifully lit. I think these temples are as beautiful at night as they are in the day. We wandered through beautifully lit gardens and tea houses and an old home and up into the hills and through a bamboo forest that lit at night was just magical. I couldn't believe how lovely it was. Love how there are so many winding pathways, it really is so relaxing to walk with everythign designed to be aesthetically pleasing, telling you, this is zen... just meditative and peaceful to all the senses.
We made our way back to our Inn. Slipped off our shoes the door, slipped on slippers to go into our room and then slipped off the slippers to go onto our tatami mats and then basically right into bed. Tomorrow we see the last of the sights we can see, which there are nearly countless sights in Kyoto and head to Nara.
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