Kyoto

So after spending about an hour and a half jammed together, hungover, in a pair of bus seats clearly designed for the smallest of Japanese people; we mercifully arrived at a train station where we switched to a Shinkansen and were soon rocketing on our way to Kyoto

I think technically we checked into the hotel before I took Emma to show her the light up steps.

It was late afternoon by that stage and we were still a bit blah, so we walked around the area near the train station and went to check out some Shrines.

There was this one, which was undergoing repairs, and therefore covered with a giant shed.

It had a nice fancy "cleansing sink" though

Then there was this one, with its exquisitely worked and brilliantly shut gate.

and filthy moat.

Later that evening we went back to the station where the stairs were a bit more active and had dinner above the train station.

The next day we went and looked at Sakura

We saw weeping cherry blossoms

and walked along the Philosopher's path

a 2km walkway along side a canal

At one end of the walk is a temple.

It's on a hillside, so there is a decent view of Kyoto from there.

At the other end is a park with a Shrine. And a Sanmon gate. Literally a "3 gate" gate. Or as I first read it on the sign, salmon gate.

We walked from that park to another park, to view some more cherry blossoms.

And some statues.

Then we went to an enormous shopping arcade.

To a shop that specializes in chopsticks.

Man chopsticks are expensive.

Then we went up Kyoto tower,

and had drinks in the Sky bar/restaurant thing.

Afterwards we retired for the evening, exhausted. 

All up the straight lines we walked according to google maps totaled 15km.