K y o t o

We returned to Japan for a 10-days holiday. In this trip, we travelled with my sister & brother in-law to Kyoto, Takayama and Shirokawa-go. We proceeded on to Tokyo and Sendai while they left for home. This trip meant a lot to me as it has been a long time since I travelled with my sister. It was a pleasure having them along, especially when they left their children at home to be with us on a holiday. We made the most of our adult time to visit several new places. I shall take this opportunity to share and thank them for some photos taken by them in the trip.

1st stop: Ginkakuji Temple.

 To get to the temple, we walked the Philosopher's Path. Did it make us any wiser?

The Philosopher's Path is a stone path along a canal that is about 2km long. It is pleasant to walk on a cool morning.

Along the path lie some of Kyoto's beautiful houses.

Dry sand art layout garden inside the compound of Ginkakuji.

 The temple is surrounded by lush greens. Simply stunning.

 Most of the buildings & the temple are not open to the public. We walked a circular route around the ground to appreciate the beautiful gardens.

 Autumn leaves always present a romantic setting to me.

A touch of red amidst the greens.

 The temple is also known for its moss growth garden....

 ....where they grow best in cold and moist environment.

Star moss?

Overhead view of the temple.

 Family of ducks spotted as we walked along the path.

 They were enjoying the swim along the canal, as we enjoyed our stroll.

 An artist impression of The Philosopher's Path.

Some of his work on display and for sale.

Unknown shrine next to the canal. I just love the red leaves above it.

A fellow cat lover feeding her cares, which are huge and healthy. Kudos to the kind lady in red.

 Shops, cafes and restaurants can be found along the path.

 Perfect resting point for everyone.

 You would not be surprised to know that many people here like cats.

 Curiosity kills the cat?

And here is one receiving us into his shop.

 We returned to Kiyomizudera Temple as we enjoyed it the last time we were there.

 Our travel companions have never been there, so it was appropriate to bring them.

 Found a street store selling piping hot chestnuts.

 We just have to eat it. The nuts were sweet tasting.

We had dinner in a restaurant at Shijo-dori. Our long but wonderful dinner was simply delicious. We met a new friend who acted as our interpreter.

It was worth every yen (5000/pax) as we thoroughly enjoyed ourselves tonight.

And another travel trip awaiting....