6/28/2015 Kinmata

We were the only guests so we had a whole wing of 6 rooms to ourselves.  When Jef made the reservation, the owner had asked what the kids would eat.  Their special menu consisted of things that were familiar but much better and just slightly more exotic.  The 3 adults on the other hand would eat anything.

Our meal began 

This was the kids' first course - egg, tuna sashimi, juice 

Our first - we didn't eat the lotus leaf

This looked like black cod glazed with Mizo.  Both kids loved it.  They also liked the little fishies on the plate.

We had a soup

Everyone had tempura 

We had little fish that swam in the river we rode down.

This was covered with bonito flakes that danced

For dessert the kids had ice cream 

We had a custard 

During dinner futons were put in our sleeping rooms.  I forgot to take pictures. They looked 3 times thicker than the last place.

6/28/2015 Ryokan Kinmata

IWe are treating ourselves to one night in a traditional inn in Kyoto.  The ryokans in Kyoto are very special.  Kinmata has been in existence for several hundred years.  The current owner is known for his cuisine.

In front with the owner.  

His wife.  During dinner she explained each dish.

A mirror 

This room was converted into a sleeping room for Calder.

The bath was a cedar tub in a cedar room.  Everyone took a bath and put on a yukata (cotton kimono type bathrobe.

Branwen and Jef went first.  At first they said that they didn't have yukatas for the kids, but suddenly they appeared.  (Turned out they were the owner's children's.  His children are now grown and have babies.)

I went next 

Last were the boys 

6/28/2015 Kyoto

Another busy fun filled day in Kyoto. We are moving out of our cheap digs into something much more posh this evening, so we took the bags to Kai's grandparents for safekeeping while we were out and about.

We took an open air excursion train to a boat.  We ran up just as it was ready to leave.  We had to buy tickets- they yelled at us to hurry and held the train.

Then we took a boat ride down stream to Monkey Mountain.

This is the river- Branwen is a little miffed that we aren't white water rafting.

The boat - we had the most entertaining crew

A boat selling snacks pulled up.

Alec bought some fishy thing.  The green band around his wrist is to keep away mosquitoes.  I'm the only one that hasn't been really bitten.  The kids are jealous.

  I skipped the mountain part when I realized that it was a 20 minute hike straight up before you saw a monkey.  The kids really enjoyed it and I really enjoyed sitting in the shade knitting.

A short train ride back to Kai's finished our visit with this friend.  

6/26/2015 oops, I forgot something

We also went to the Manga Museum.  This is about the anime cartoons - books and film that are really popular right now.

They had a really interesting exhibit about artists who had done memoirs of Hiroshima.

There are thousands of books on the shelves and you can read them all.

Branwen had her picture done.  Notice behind her - those are all people reading the museum books on the lawn.

6/27/2015 more Kyoto

Calder's classmate Kai is here with his parents.  They are staying with his mom's family.  We met them at the temple that was closest to our house.

The boys taking in the view.

After wandering around a little, we aimed towards a shrine on the way to lunch.  A good snack was lightly pickled cucumbers.

This was not a real geisha - she had rented the costume 

At the shrine we went through the good luck circle the required 3 times.

3 little maids posed for me.

Lunch was at a soba restaurant on the top floor of a department store.  (This is a good place to find a variety of places.  They are the Japanese version of a food court - except you all have to have the same thing.)

The boys updating Kai's journal.

After lunch we went to a museum that had traditional Japanese crafts.

The kids all did stencils.

For dinner we went to another type of pancake restaurant that Kai's mom knew.  

Another taxi home to try to rest our weary bones on the thin futons.

6/26/2015 Kyoto

We are staying in two places in Kyoto.  The first is a little house.  We have the whole place to ourselves.  It is very cheap, so not so conveniently located, but cute and an adventure.

The street

Our front garden 

This is the downstairs living room and dining room.  Just beyond it is a small couch and table.  Calder and I slept downstairs to be close to the bathroom.

The toilet is the usual spray your butt Toto.  They are everywhere - train stations, homes, stores.

The upstairs futons ready for use.  These are only one mattress thick, so not very comfortable.  I swore that I could feel the floor joists.  Behind the curtains you can step up through the window to get to a small balcony where you can hang up clothes.

This is the kitchen.  Beyond it is the washing machine and the shower.

Jef found a good restaurant that serves food of Kyoto.  We had the "cheater" tatami room with the well for your feet.

This is eggplant with miso

Spring rolls with tofu as the wrapper

Two kinds of fish 

These aren't bugs - it is seaweed and something.

We had taken the bus to get to the restaurant but took a cab home.  Didn't want to climb up the hill in the dark.

6/26/2015 Nagano and Kyoto

We went to the famous temple in Nagano 

Saw a monk

The gardens 

Ate cold dipping soba for lunch 

Walked back to the train station and went on to Kyoto.