Kyoto is a city brimming with temples and shrines. They dot the cityscape, sometimes standing alone in stately grandeur, sometimes in between modern concrete buildings, sandwiched between apartment blocks, around the corner from a busy street teeming with traffic. They are scattered around the outskirts as well, just a short hop out of town. Some have … More Temples and Shrines
Hamamatsu, Japan March 25th, 2016 Fronting a beautiful Japanese garden stands a traditional house with carved stone pedestals bordering the path lined with stepping stones. It is a large house, much larger than I had imagined a traditional house to be. Stepping inside is like stepping through the pages of a history book. Scrolls hang … More At a Japanese Tea Ceremony
Hamamatsu, Japan March 25th 2016 I met her my first day in Kyoto. Reiko and her daughter Naoko were in Kyoto for only a couple of days and I had literally just arrived from the airport in Osaka. We were staying at the same guesthouse. I was in that strange state that usually accompanies jet-lag … More An Invitation
Imagine dusk settling over an old neighbourhood in the backstreets of Kyoto. The black tiled rooftops and tree branches are silhouetted against the deepening indigo sky. The sagging telephone lines with their mess of cables stand out like strands of spaghetti. An old man, bucket and washrag under his arm, makes his way down the … More Where Traditions Live On
Under an azure blue sky Kyoto bursts into a kaleidoscope of color. The brilliant patterns of kimonos, the elaborate dress of the geishas, the dark polished wood of traditional houses with red lanterns at the doorway and buds just about to burst into flowers. A few scattered trees are already in bloom, their boughs waving languidly in the breeze.
ITCHY FEET TRAVELS 