We had to get up at 5am, because the public holiday made seats scarce on the later trains, so we had a bit of spare time when we got to Kyoto. We spent it unwisely at a museum which has little English, just added 'museum heels' to my blistered heel, which I started on Mount Misen yesterday.
Lunch was better though, we went to a restaurant in a market area and had sushi, very pleasing.
Next day we went on a guided tour which has been arranged for us, quite similar to the one we had in Tokyo. We saw the Shoguns castle, Nijo,
which has a 'nightingale' (whistling) floor, to discourage assassins,
the spectacular Golden Pavilion,
and the Kyoto Imperial Palace.
Apparently, none of these structures are as old as they seem, because they often burn down, being made of timber and paper. However they are normally rebuilt in the same area. The palace is quite grand, but the interesting thing for me was that you have to line up for a count when you go in, and whilst inside the police harangue the tour guides quite loudly to keep their charges in order.
For lunch we found a local restaurant with an English menu but no pictures, so were concerned a little with what would be delivered, but it was good. I had Satsuma-age, a kind of fish cake, with kyabetsu, a lemony cabbage salad, with some fried potato. Hannelore had Yakatori, (chicken on a skewer ), and Yaki-onigiri, (fried rice cake, delicious).
In the afternoon we bought a bus ticket, and went out to another Temple, the Kiomizu,
which has a great view back over Kyoto. We took the bus right around town as a sort of home spun tourist bus.
Next day we went to Nara, a city with more shrines and temples about 45 minutes from Kyoto. It's claim to fame (apart from the large number of shrines), is that one of them, the Todaiji,
houses the Great Buddha.
Hang on, we saw him in Kamakara didn't we? But this GB is even bigger. Nara has deer too, but the same sort as in Miyajima, so again nothing new. We had a really good meal though, udon noodles in miso soup with tofu at a cute café there, and the
Kasuga Taisha shrine
features lots of stone and bronze lanterns.
I know we sound like terrible foodies, but the rest of the day we spent in Kyoto looking for dinner. We have been trying to find a restaurant with kamo (duck) soba, but after spending lots of k's in the process failed, and ended up back at the station having another type of noodle soup, ramen, with Chinese noodles, quite forgettable.
Lunch was better though, we went to a restaurant in a market area and had sushi, very pleasing.
Next day we went on a guided tour which has been arranged for us, quite similar to the one we had in Tokyo. We saw the Shoguns castle, Nijo,
which has a 'nightingale' (whistling) floor, to discourage assassins,
the spectacular Golden Pavilion,
and the Kyoto Imperial Palace.
Apparently, none of these structures are as old as they seem, because they often burn down, being made of timber and paper. However they are normally rebuilt in the same area. The palace is quite grand, but the interesting thing for me was that you have to line up for a count when you go in, and whilst inside the police harangue the tour guides quite loudly to keep their charges in order.
For lunch we found a local restaurant with an English menu but no pictures, so were concerned a little with what would be delivered, but it was good. I had Satsuma-age, a kind of fish cake, with kyabetsu, a lemony cabbage salad, with some fried potato. Hannelore had Yakatori, (chicken on a skewer ), and Yaki-onigiri, (fried rice cake, delicious).
In the afternoon we bought a bus ticket, and went out to another Temple, the Kiomizu,
which has a great view back over Kyoto. We took the bus right around town as a sort of home spun tourist bus.
Next day we went to Nara, a city with more shrines and temples about 45 minutes from Kyoto. It's claim to fame (apart from the large number of shrines), is that one of them, the Todaiji,
houses the Great Buddha.
Hang on, we saw him in Kamakara didn't we? But this GB is even bigger. Nara has deer too, but the same sort as in Miyajima, so again nothing new. We had a really good meal though, udon noodles in miso soup with tofu at a cute café there, and the
Kasuga Taisha shrine
features lots of stone and bronze lanterns.
I know we sound like terrible foodies, but the rest of the day we spent in Kyoto looking for dinner. We have been trying to find a restaurant with kamo (duck) soba, but after spending lots of k's in the process failed, and ended up back at the station having another type of noodle soup, ramen, with Chinese noodles, quite forgettable.
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