2015-04-11, Kyoto's Sakura

2015-04-11, Kyoto's Sakura

I'd been looking forward to going to Kyoto to see the late blooming sakura for weeks, since the last time I was in Kyoto and found out that the Heian Shrine garden was filled with late blooming shidarezakura (weeping cherries).  But of course I had to fill in the rest of the day with sightseeing.  So I stopped at the Kyoto Station's tourist information and the woman there told me about a few more places that still had blooming cherries.  After choosing a few places I decided it would be best to take the subway instead of the bus.  More walking but fewer packed buses...  I bought a day pass and off I went.

On the way to the subway...

I got off at the Kitaoji station and walked towards the Kamo River heading for the Kamigamo Shrine.   But first I had to stop at a little shop to admire some very pretty sweets and buy some really yummy senbei. They were light  and since I was just starting out on a long day of walking that was important!

Looking across the bridge at the river I noticed some policemen on horses which I've never seen in Japan.

And of course, a couple of mascots and people taking pictures with them.  After crossing the bridge and starting north on the path next to the river that would take me to the shrine, I realized that there was a festival going on.  

The Kamo River - Kamogawa

The sign says 'Let's leave a beautiful (clean) river to our children)

There were lots of booths with food and other items along the riverbank while slightly above, on the muddy path (it's been raining soooo much) I was walking on, were shidarezakura in full bloom!  So many delicious smelling things but it was still early so I just bought some fried chicken to take with me for a little picnic later.  

But towards the end of festival area there were kimono (not kimonos but I don't know what men's kimono like wear is called) clad men playing shakuhachi - bamboo flutes, and seats for enjoying the show.  So I sat there and ate my fried chicken while receiving information on why they are called shakuhachi from the man next to me (it's amazing how pleased people are to share information about their culture once they know you are interested).  Anyway, the name came from old measurements (sometimes it's too much information for me to remember anything).  I love the sound they make, deep and reminiscent of being in a bamboo grove.

On I went, still walking under shidarezakura and glad I hadn't worn my new shoes since it was so muddy.  

I found the shrine and there was one very big weeping cherry still in bloom.  The shrine itself was quite nice.

Leaving the shrine I decided to take a different route and go to a different subway station.  With no river to guide me this time I wandered small windy lanes and eventually had to ask someone for help. 

 I picked a young man who was walking a shitzu and he started to tell me, then decided to walk me a few blocks to make it easier.  It turns out that this station - Kitayama - is right next to the Kyoto Botanical Gardens.  I haven't been there but didn't have time that day.  I will definitely go on one of my next trips though.  I rode the subway to a stop near the Imperial Palace, got off and walked through the grounds, which is a park, admired some different cherry trees, stopped for a short break since I had already done a lot of walking by then.

I found a canal to walk along leading to the Heian Shrine.
  

It was quite crowded, it always is, but in the garden it was absolutely packed.  I couldn't move unless everyone else did at the beginning and it was extremely hard to see the trees because there were hoards of people standing in front of them to take pictures.  On top of that, there were giant spotlights everywhere since they do a 'light-up' in the evening so it was not really a pleasant or natural scene...  I was very disappointed with it actually, although I'm sure it's a very nice garden at other times.  There were a couple of little off the main track paths which I took and happily hardly anyone else did (which is the norm here) and I did have a few clear views at various scenes.  I was really glad I'd seen the trees along the river though, it was much nicer there.

By this time I was totally exhausted but had to find the subway stop.  I had figured out on my way into Kyoto that I could get off at a stop before the main, huge and always so crowded station but on the way in I had wanted to go to the information desk so I went to the main station.  One reason I had decided on the subway though was because it connected to Yamanashi station where I could transfer to the JR Biwako line that would take me home. In Yamanashi I had to go outside to transfer to the JR line and I was quite hungry by that time so I stopped in a 'fast food' udon place.  It was also getting a little chilly so the hot noodles in broth really hit the spot. 
 It was one of those places where you choose what you want before 

you go in and then buy a ticket which you present to the cook.

 Minutes later your delicious meal is ready!

Arrived at Hikone station in the dark, got my bike and rode home, filled the tub, soaked my sore muscles, and figured out that I'd walked 8 or 9 miles that day!

It rained all day Sunday so I cooked and rested.

I am posting this on the 21st after, as you may have guessed, I finally have a real computer and internet in the same place!  Instead of having to go in and out of files and upload one picture at a time on my tablet, for better or worse (for you) I can now upload all my pictures at once.  I will try to be judiscious about what I choose, but since this blog is actually a diary for me, I know I will be adding way to many pictures...  If you get bored, just walk away!