Here and there and back again

Posted on: 2019-03-15 /
Categories: Uncategorized

As with most parties/gatherings, one tends to be a bit slower in getting started the next day, and as such, we got off to a bit of a later start this morning. We made good on our desire to return to Nishiki market to properly sample their (mostly fried) foods for breakfast. After a nice, brisk walk, punctuated by a couple of pit stops in to some konbini, we made it, and proceeded to procure some treats.

  • Hello Kitty bun
  • Squid, octopus, butter scallop, soy sauce scallop
  • Chopped octopus
  • Uni
  • Bamboo fish cake
  • UNAGI!!
  • Fried burdock
  • Onion noodle cake

Once we loaded up on food, we made our way across town to visit the Fushimi Inari shrine. This was definitely one of the busier attractions we’ve been to on this trip so far (might have something to do with this site being voted the top tourist attraction 3 years running in the country…or so a sign I found said). For anyone that does visit, keep in mind there are a lot of stairs, but there are nice views of the city and it is a very serene place. That being said, once you go up past a third of the way up, the crowds thin out quite a bit.

  • Map of the whole site
  • A less-crowded part of the path
  • You can buy some gates to place
  • Frogs, too!

After a hike up and back down, we worked up an appetite, and as such procured more snacks.

  • Sprint set (Udon, fish cake, egg with inari) at about the halfway point back down
  • Custard Taiyaki
  • Chicken Skin Dumplings (these were BOMB!)
  • Egg puff ice cream

After we stuffed our faces again, we made our way across the city again to the Ginkakuji Temple. I can see why this is my friend’s favorite temple. It is wondrously serene.

Once we wrapped up here, we zipped around again to get dinner, at a restaurant called Mimiu in Kyoto, on a recommendation from a good acquaintance who runs a restaurant I love in San Francisco.

  • Udon with eel and yuba with rice, pickles, and strawberry jelly
  • Udon with duck, leek, rice, pickles, and strawberry jelly

On our way back to our hotel, we stopped by at a lantern festival, which had some geishas-in-training performing a dance.

That wraps up our time here in Kyoto. Sadly this wonderful trip is winding down. Tomorrow we’re off to Nagoya. Stay frosty, and thanks for reading.