Up early as we had a busy day ahead of us, first stop was the Arashiyama Bamboo Grove, somewhere Rob was particularly excited to visit since one of his favourite films is Hero. So, it's pretty cool, but once again, the crowds and selfie sticks really interfered with the experience of standing amongst these magnificent swaying beauties and pictures don't even do it justice anyway! We agreed that we were glad we didn't have to pay, paying to walk through a forest with that many people would not have been fun. LP came through on its recommendation for Okochi Sanso, probably one of Kyoto's best gardens. Found at the end of the bamboo grove trail, the thousand yen entry fee puts a lot of people off, making it a bit of a gem. A peaceful retreat away from the tourist crowds, it is an exquisite and lavish estate of a famous Japanese silent film actor. My new favourite thing is moss. These gardens played the moss game very well, the way it creeps and envelops every surface is mesmerising. We did however come across someone working on maintaining it, it didn't look easy - they had tweezers in their hands! The weather being perfect certainly helped things but I think even in poor light this garden would shine. Every corner is so perfectly thought out, the trunk of each tree is twisted at just the right angle to make it a thing of beauty, the pruned little umbrella trees casting photo-worthy shadows, the bamboos gently swaying, covering everything in a gorgeous dappled light. Even the paths were lined with strips of fresh green bamboo as opposed to your standard little fence. Sheer perfection. Ryoan-ji temple is 'famous' for its rock garden which was a real disappointment. We were later to learn there are far better (and cheaper) examples elsewhere so give this one a miss and read on to find out which! Kinkaku-ji or 'Golden Pavilion' was certainly our temple highlight despite the hoards of maddening and pushy tourists this place attracts. It is a spectacular pavilion covered in brilliant gold leaf. We arrived at around 4pm which was just perfect as the sun was low and was hitting all the right spots, creating awesome reflections in the pond that surrounds it. Sadly a crazy monk burnt it down in 1950 so it isn't actually as old as it looks. On our wandering back home, we stumbled across Waraununo, the coolest cafe in Kyoto. It is a converted onsen and it's original features had been beautifully preserved, separate sides for men and women and amazing azure tiles. It had the makings of a Monocle double page spread for sure. Not only that, but the coffee and cake were to die for.
AND, as if the day hadn't been good enough, I picked up a dream vintage kimono (yes I will wear it Rob) at a bargain price. My only regret now is that I didn't buy a load more! We had dinner at Kyoto Yachimun, the cutest little teppanyaki spot. First time for teppanyaki but I already know it'll be hard to beat. Sitting at the counter in these places is key, you get to see all the action and it's so interesting to see how they prep everything on a single hot plate. It is a little out of the way but trust us, your tastebuds will thank you! Comments are closed.
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AuthorsRob & Charlie's travelling adventures on their long journey back to London after living in Hong Kong. Four continents, twelve countries, lots of experiences. Archives
July 2017
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Robert Ware & Charlotte Nunn |