Day Seven: Friday, July 3, 2009: Kyoto

Day Seven: Friday, July 3, 2009
Kyoto

I woke up about 5 and I went actually went for a great run down along the river at about 6:40. Surprised to find garbage from last nights revelry and homeless people living under the bridges. Today was a 7, 8, 9 day so it wasn't too bad. Kevin came in and I posted these greetings for his family.

Notes to home from Kevin Chan
Kevin sends his love.




Kickin' It in Kyoto.
Morning
First stop the Golden Pavilion.

One of Kyoto's best-known attractions - Kinkakuji was constructed in the 1390s as a retirement villa for Shogun Ashikaga Yoshimitsu and features a three-story pavilion covered in gold leaf with a roof topped by a bronze phoenix. Apparently, the retired shogun lived in shameless luxury while the rest of the nation suffered from famine, earthquakes, and plague. If you come here on a clear day, the Golden Pavilion shimmers against a blue sky, its reflection captured in the waters of a calm pond. However, this pavilion is not the original; in 1950, a disturbed student monk burned Kinkakuji to the ground (the story is told by author Mishima Yukio in his famous novel, The Temple of the Golden Pavilion). The temple was rebuilt in 1955 and in 1987 was recovered in gold leaf, five times thicker than the original coating: You almost need sunglasses. Be sure to explore the surrounding park with its moss-covered grounds and teahouses.

Mitzi, ace photographer.











Some one has to do the weeding.



Very old tree.






Monkey loves beautiful gardens.




We decided to stop and have green tea together.







Mitzi shows us the proper steps to drink the tea.


Begin by eating the small sweet with the gold foil on it.


Only then can you lift your cup to drink. Alastair did not follow these directions and Jose and I became worried.








More stairs


Find a toilet and then it's shopping time.


Our van


Mark shares his wasabi peanuts.Very good.

Kyoto Hishijin
Mitzi somehow found out that there was a kimono fashion show at the Kyoto Hishijin Textile Center at 10:30 so we had to go.











Nijo Castle

Our next stop was the Nijo Castle.


From Frommer's Guide. The Tokugawa shogun's Kyoto home stands in stark contrast to most of Japan's other remaining castles, which were constructed purely for defense. Built by the first Tokugawa shogun, Ieyasu, in 1603, Nijo Castle is considered the quintessence of Momoyama architecture, built almost entirely of Japanese cypress and boasting delicate transom woodcarvings and paintings by the Kano School on sliding doors. Unfortunately, no photos are allowed.

At Nijo Castle to the Imperial Palace you can explore its interior on your own. The main building, Ninomaru Palace, has 33 rooms, some 800 tatami mats, and an understated elegance, especially compared with castles being built in Europe at the same time. All the sliding doors on the outside walls of the castle can be removed in summer, permitting breezes to sweep through the building. Typical for Japan at the time, rooms were unfurnished, and the mattresses were stored in closets.

One of the castle's most intriguing features is its so-called nightingale floors. To protect the shogun from real or imagined enemies, the castle was protected by a moat and stone walls. How deep the shogun's paranoia ran, however, is apparent by the installation of these special floorboards, which creaked when trod upon in the castle corridors. The nightingale floors were supplemented by hidden alcoves for bodyguards. Furthermore, only female attendants were allowed in the shogun's private living quarters.

Outside the castle is an extensive garden, designed by the renowned gardener Kobori Enshu, that's famous in its own right. The original grounds of the castle, however, were without trees -- supposedly because the falling of leaves in autumn reminded the shogun and his tough samurai of life's transitory nature, making them terribly sad. Ironically, it was from Nijo Castle that Emperor Meiji issued his 1868 decree abolishing the shogunate form of government

This system is what makes the "nightengale floor" sing.










Shopping at the gift store. Kevin found his snow globes.


Notice the two kids on the bike.

Lunch-Kyoto soba noodles
Mitzi then took us up to a hilly part of Kyoto for lunch at another soba noodle place. There were some amazing little shops. For this group there was never enough time to shop.

Green tea frosty.


Mark loving it.




I told you they were cute shopping streets. :)








Kyoto Soba Noodles are thinner than he ones we had in Tokyo.

After lunch

These were not real geishas. Just tourists.














Is that a breeze?






Not real.


This was a real one.




Next stop green tea ice cream.

Kyoto Handicraft Mall
Because we love to shop Mitzi knew exactly where to take us.

Baby slobber wear


Deb made a bold purchase. An original print of birches. The green color is stunning

Evening
More Shopping
Dinner at a Kyoto Vegetable Restaurant




Jose meets and old friend.


Figure out what this is and you win a prize.


Kevin and I bought fresh green tea called Sencha-a medium grade.









Walking to the restaurant in the rain.


Spotted this cool sign along the way.

Dinner Eight Course Meal of Kyoto Vegetables

Sign on the door of the restaurant




Mark would later steal all the chopstick rests. No he actually got permission.


Kevin and his button.


Course one: Assortment of vegetables. One was a pumpkin potato like salad.




Course Two


Course three


Course four


Course five.










Course six




The button


How do you flush the toilet?


Course seven: Rice in juice.


Final Course Eight: Ice cream.






Walking back to the hotel






Late night antics