Golden Fall Leaves: Kinkakuji

Christmas is slowly coming and while I have a few pictures of some Christmas lights, that will be for a later post :)

Here is the first of several posts of my twelve-hour day in Kyoto :) My first stop was at Kinkakuji before I walked down the road to Ryoanji and then Ninnaji before meeting up with a couple of friends in downtown Kyoto. From there, we caught train up into the mountains of Kurama and Kifune for the light-ups before making our way back into Kobe.

To be honest, I hadn't ridden the bus in Kyoto until today so I was a little nervous since I was by myself, but it turned out just fine :) The bus stop was only a two minute walk to Kinkakuji and from there, my day started ^^

Already a line of people before the gates even opened. This was around 8:35 and the opening time was at 9:00. 

And this was the line only ten minutes later! Thank goodness I got there when I did.

Because there were hordes of people, including several high schools that were on their school trips. That meant a couple hundred students all rushing to take pictures as well!

Up-close...I couldn't believe that I was actually there!

I've only seen pictures of Kinkakuji so to see it in real-life was absolutely amazing :)

Orange on the left and red on the right with the colors blending seamlessly together in the middle ^^

Just one of a couple hundred students...

If you pay 500 yen, you can sit down for awhile and will also get a cup of hot, thick matcha along with a sweet :)

My wagashi even had golden flakes on it! And the design of Kinkakuji and a crane :)

When matcha is whisked right, it has a very thick and rich flavor and texture to it. It may not be a large cup, but it really hits the spot on a crisp fall morning :)

Had to pick up some munchies as omiyage :)

Thank you so much for reading and I hope you all have a wonderful week! 

Peaceful Stroll: The Philosopher's Path

I hope you've all been keeping warm as we head into December! That means Christmas is sooooo close and I don't know about all of you, but I'm in full Christmas mode with my holiday music blasting every day and decorations everywhere in my apartment :) But back to today's post ^^ This is the last post in my northeastern Kyoto adventure :D

 After walking through Eikando, I decided it was time to head over to Tetsugaku no Michi, or the Philosopher's Path. This two-kilometer stone path is lined with hundreds of sakura trees, making it a must-see destination during spring. It gets its name because of Nishida Kitaro, a well-known Kyoto University professor, who used to stroll along the path for meditation. A few minutes away from Eikando, the Philosopher's Path connects with Ginkakuji which lies further north. Small temples can be found just a short walk away from the path (there will be signs) and various cafes and shops make for a nice break ^^ although I thought they were a bit pricey.

If you see this sign, you're about to walk through the Philosopher's Path :)

Sometimes just grabbing a bento and enjoying the views can be very relaxing :)

Drawing done by a local 

He just sat on the edge of a small bridge and painted and sketched his heart away :)

Two very nice ladies were selling some of their hand-made crafts and I couldn't resist buying a couple of these! Knowing that I was supporting a local business made me very happy (and the fact that they were so nice and eager to talk with me only made it better ^^)

This European-style omiyage store just shouted out to me so I had to take a picture.

Bought a small container of warabi mochi from this local temple stand! And the old man was so nice and friendly :)

Thank you so much for reading and I hope you have a wonderful weekend! :)

Autumn Bursts: Eikando Temple

Another post from exploring the northeastern area of Kyoto! :) After I visited Nanzenji, I walked over to Eikando. This temple is only about a five-minute walk from Nanzenji so I highly recommend that you visit it if time allows. The fee to enter is usually 600 yen, but because Eikando becomes extremely popular during the fall (and you'll see why!), it increases to 1,000 yen. Initially, I thought it was a very high fee, but after walking through the grounds and the different buildings, I had no complaints or regrets :) It was bursting with autumn colors and everywhere you looked was very picturesque.

Entrance to the temple ^^

The bridge turned out to be a VERY popular place to take photos...

Getting those pictures

It always makes me happy to see a father spending time with his children ^^ Probably because Japanese fathers are known to come home very late.

If you walk up the stairs to Tahoto Pagoda, you'll be able to see the rest of the temple grounds and the city of Kyoto :)

Walking down the stairs from Tahoto Pagoda

Visitors can walk through the various buildings (as well as under them!)

Hojo Pond :) Believe it or not, there were about fifty other people behind and around me when I shot this! 

Thought the blue sky was just too gorgeous to not be included in the picture :)

Taking a small break with a cup of matcha and some sweets

Thank you so much for reading and I hope you have a wonderful week! :)