After the fast pace of my first day in Australia, today I wanted to take it easier. Even though I am not usually a beach-going bear, I could not miss one of Australia’s most iconic places, so I caught a cab to Sydney’s famous Bondi Beach.
Bondi Beach
I have to confess to being a little underwhelmed. The beach is nice enough, but I have seen more exotic and/or longer ones in many other parts of the world. There was hardly any breeze, so the famous Bondi surfers were struggling to put on a show for me. Probably the most interesting part of Bondi was the Icebergs artificial sea water pool complex at the very end of the beach.
I was tempted to have a dip but had other plans for the day – to walk the coastal path from Bondi to Coogee. Sooner after leaving Bondi, I was admiring some wonderful scenery, with the reddish brown rocks of the coast contrasting with the deep blue sea and bright blue sky.
Beautiful scenery on the Bondi-Coogee Path
The path links many smaller beaches, less famous than Bondi but sometimes prettier.
Bronte Beach life
I particularly liked Bronte beach, which had a natural protected pool in the sea (the “Bogey Hole”) as well as its own artificial saltwater pool.
The “Bogey Hole” at Bronte Beach
I stopped for a dip – the sea was cool, but the late morning sun was hot, and by dipping in and out of the water I could maintain a comfortable body temperature.
Salt water basin at Bronte Beach
After an hour or so I showered and got dressed again to continue the coastal path. It passed by more beaches and then skirted the Waverley cemetery, where many famous Australians are buried.
The Bondi-Coogee Path skirts Waverley Cemetery
I finally arrived in Coogee in time for a late lunch of Australian mussels. The food, sun and sea air made me a bit sleepy, so I found a shady corner of beach and dozed off. When I woke up it was time to head home again. I spent the evening chilling in the refined ambience of the club I was staying in, the UUSC club – Australian cities have many such clubs, reflecting the cultural influence of Britain.
Dining Room at UUSC
In addition to the usual elegant sitting rooms, dining rooms and bar, the UUSC had a small art collection that I admired with a glass of club wine in my paw.
Some of UUSC’s art collection
It had not been the busiest day’s travelling of my life, but I had enjoyed the slower pace and fresh sea air. I felt that I had recharged my batteries, ready for another day visiting Sydney tomorrow.
Travel is a wonderful thing. From a cold (8°C) London evening I emerged very early in the morning, after 20 hours in a plane, to a sunny, 28°C Sydney in Australia. Immigration turned out to be surprisingly chaotic – I filled in a form on the plane, then queued up to be rejected by the automatic passport control (like 90% of my fellow passengers) and queued again for a passport check by a human. At each stage I was asked if I had a criminal record, which I thought a bit strange – surely you no longer need one to enter Australia? However, baggage collection, customs inspections (strict in Australia) and transport into town went more smoothly and I found my accommodation, the Union University and Schools Club (UUSC), quite easily. The club is located in a old building surrounded by the skyscrapers of Sydney’s CBD (central business district). After a brief nap, I set off to explore. I devoted today to Sydney’s highlights, heading to the harbour at Circular Quay to take the boat across to Milsons Point. The short trip offered some great views of Sydney’s Iconic Opera House.
Sydney’s CBD from the ferryCruising past the Opera House
On arrival, the jetty offered one of the classic views of Sydney:
The Harbour Bridge from Milsons Point
I took the lift up onto the bridge and started walking down the pedestrian path on the far left hand side back towards central Sydney. Nearing the other end, I reached one of the supporting towers or pylons where there was an interesting museum covering the history of the bridge’s construction over 1923 to 1931. On the top was a viewing platform with the best views yet.
Sydney Opera House taken from the Harbour Bridge
On top of the bridge’s steel arch I could see groups of tourists climbing up – the views must be even better right on the top, but the climb is apparently very expensive and not for the faint-hearted. As a small, light teddy bear I would be worried about being blown off.
Harbour Bridge Climbers
After enjoying a cool breeze on top of the pylon, I finished crossing the bridge and took a lift down to the historical Rocks area of Sydney. This is where the first Australian settlers made their homes, and some of the old buildings survive to this day (including Sydney’s oldest pubs). Today the Rocks is a tourist and arts centre, with a market, small shops, cafes and the Museum of Contemporary Art.
Street scene in the RocksAboriginal Art in the MCA, the RocksHarbour Bridge from the MCA Roof Terrace
It was now early afternoon and the unaccustomed heat and 11-hour time difference with London was beginning to affect me – back home, it was 3am, which I simply could not get my head around. I headed back to my club for another snooze and to avoid the afternoon sun. As evening approached I set off again to visit the Botanical Gardens, which were a short walk away. They were packed with exotic plants which in Kew Gardens, near my home in London, would be in glasshouses, but which here thrived in the open.
The Botanic Gardens, SydneyExotic Tree in Sydney Botanic Gardens
I left the gardens briefly to stroll down to Mrs McQuarrie’s Point, a peninsula which gives a magnificent view of the harbour, its busy boat traffic, the bridge and the Opera House.
The view from Mrs McQuarrie’s PointTaken from the Botanic Gardens – a huge cruise liner sails away
Another short stroll through the gardens took me to the Opera House itself, which on a sunny Friday evening had become a magnet for Sydney’s young population to come to enjoy a beer whilst enjoying one of the world’s most famous views.
Friday evening – Party Time at the Opera Bar
The Opera House has a highly-rated restaurant, which was fully booked for that evening, so instead I headed back into the CBD and had an excellent dinner at a place called Morena. It was good to unwind after a first day packed with iconic sights. After dinner, the heat and the jet lag finally caught up with me and once back in the UUCS club I collapsed onto my bed and fell fast asleep.
Today’s post is devoted to Kew Gardens, which is one of the world’s most important botanical gardens, and which holds the record for the biggest collection of plant species held on a single site (16,900). The origins of Kew go back to 1759, when Princess Augusta, mother of King George III, founded a nine-acre botanic garden. Some of the first exotic plants came from samples sent back in 1768 by the great Botanist Joseph Banks from Captain Cook’s voyages of exploration; a few years later Francis Masson, Kew’s first plant collector, added thousands of plants from South Africa. In 1840 Kew Gardens were transferred from the crown to the government, and were opened to the public. Over the years, various hot houses and other buildings were added, including a herbarium which now contains over seven million species of preserved and catalogued plants. Today Kew Gardens is a major centre for scientific research and conservation, a popular tourist attraction, and a UNESCO world heritage site. Luckily for me, it is a twenty minute stroll away from Richmond.
There are different things to see in Kew for every season of the year. I will start with one of the highlights of the year – spring and fruit blossom. There is an amazing cherry blossom display, which can rival any sakura in Japan, but without the crowds.
Spring Cherry Blossom at Kew Gardens
After the spring flowers, summer at Kew is a time to explore the long avenues with the fine views – like this avenue leading up to the Japanese pagoda
Kew Pagoda (courtesy Marian Havenga, Pexels)
….or to check out places like the Japanese garden….
Japanese Garden at Kew
….or the alpine garden……..
Alpine Garden at Kew
Autumn is the best time for the tree top walkway, one of Kew’s more recently introduced features
Kew’s Tree Top Walkway in Autumn
Finally, winter is the time to visit Kew’s hothouses. The largest is the Palm House, built in 1848. I particularly like some of the unusual perspectives you get when you climb the stairs to the gallery at the top of the Palm House.
Striking views in Kew’s Palm House
Probably the most interesting hothouse at Kew is the Princess of Wales Conservatory, which houses cacti, giant water lillies, ferns and orchids in areas that range from arid to wet, and from temperate to tropical.
Giant Lillies at the Princess of Wales Conservatory
Winter is also the time of a Kew at Christmas, where you can walk a fixed path through the gardens at night to see some light displays – some of which are really striking
The Hive, lit up at night for Christmas at KewLight display, Christmas at Kew
Finally winter also sees Kew’s Orchid festival, with specatuclar displays of thousands of orchids.
Today’s post is devoted to the stretch of the river Thames between Richmond and Twickenham. As you leave Richmond along the Thames tow path, there is a fine view across a lush green meadow to Richmond Hill, with the Star and Garter Hotel (covered in my previous post) sitting on top.
The Star and Garter Hotel sitting on top of Richmond HillView of the Thames back towards Richmond Hill
The tow path passes by the pretty little town of Petersham, whose little St Peter’s Church houses the grave of George Vancouver, the 18th century explorer who gave his name to the Canadian west coast city.
Vancouver’s grave in Petersham
A little further along the river, on the Twickenham side, is Marble Hill House, built in the style of an Italian Palladian villa over 1724-1729 for Henrietta Howard, the mistress of King George II. Henrietta was an intelligent and charming woman, and her house became a centre for intellectual and political debate, with prominent visitors such as Jonathan Swift, Horace Walpole and Alexander Pope.
Marble Hill House
Continuing on along the Thames you reach Ham House, a magnificent Tudor mansion, first built in 1610 in the reign of Queen Elisabeth I and later expanded in the 1670s. The house became of the ancestral home of the Dysarts, a noble family periodically close to the royal family. In 1935, the ninth Earl of Dysart gave Ham House to the National Trust, and it remains in their care to this day.
Ham House, seen from the rearCrocuses in Ham House GardenAn interior room at Ham HouseHam House’s Lavender Garden
On the river near Ham House is Hammerton’s Ferry. This was established in 1908 by the local resident Walter Hammerton, after a 1902 Act of Parliament gave the public access to the tow path running past Ham House. However, Hammerton’s right to provide the ferry service was challenged in court by the then Lord Dysart, who owned a competing ferry service further downriver. The case eventually ended up in the House of Lords, and was won by Hammerton, who continued to operate the service until 1947. The ferry takes you over the river to Twickenham, where first you bump into Orleans House, a palladian villa built in 1730 which was later named after its most famous owner – Louis-Philippe, Duke of Orleans, who lived here in exile before returning to France to become king.
Orleans House, Twickenham
The road continues along the river past the popular White Swan pub…
The White Swan pub at Twickenham
… and then arrives at York House, a mansion first built in 1630. Over its nearly four hundred years existence, it has had many noteworthy owners – including Count Philippe of Paris (a descendant of Louis Philippe and pretender to the French throne) and the Indian industrialist Sir Ratan Tata. In 1923 the house was bought by the local council and turned into offices, and to this day it remains the headquarters of the London Borough of Richmond on Thames. The inside is not open to visitors, but its pretty gardens are, with this striking water feature.
York House Gardens in Twickenham
After York House you reach Twickenham riverside, a popular place on summer evenings for drinkers in the local pubs or rowers and paddleboarders out on the River Thames.
View of the Thames and Eel Pie Island from York House Gardens St Mary’s Church, Twickenham Riverside
A small pedestrian bridge leads across the river to Eel Pie Island, one of London’s quirkiest places with an amazing musical history. The island was initially a stop for people making boat trips along the Thames, and from 1743 had a tavern…that may have served eel pies. In 1830, the Eel Pie Island Hotel was built and in 1898 a ballroom was added, serving an elegant clientele until the 1930s. The hotel then went into decline but in the 1950s found a new vocation as a venue for jazz concerts, which in the 1960s turned into rock concerts. An amazing roster of then unknown, but now famous, artists performed there including the Rolling Stones, Yardbirds, Rod Stewart, Jeff Beck, David Bowie, Pink Floyd, Genesis, the Who and Deep Purple. Although the concerts were very successful, the owners did not maintain the venue and it fell into disrepair, causing the local council to revoke its licence. The hotel later burned down, and the land was used to build houses.
Today Eel Pie Island is an eclectic mix of artists’ studios, houses, rowing and yachting clubs, and boat repair workshops – all still accessed by the pedestrians-only bridge.
On the footbridge to Eel Pie Island looking back towards TwickenhamCool Artists Houses on Eel Pie IslandI have always wanted an ice-cream on my roofTwickenham Rowing Club on Eel Pie Island (photo courtesy of Colette Hewitt)
That’s it for this post. My next post will cover another interesting place near Richmond, Kew Gardens.
This post in the series about life around Richmond on Thames is about Richmond Park. This was created by Charles I, who found the existing park next to Richmond Palace (now the Old Deer Park) too small for his fanatical interest in hunting. So he made a much bigger domain, closing it off with a wall (finished in 1637). Ordinary people were still allowed to visit to collect firewood or to travel through the park, entering and leaving via one of six gates. After Charles I’s death Richmond Park was briefly acquired by the state before being returned to the Crown under Charles II. It has remained crown property ever since. Richmond Park was popular with King George II, who built the White Lodge (completed 1730) as a hunting lodge, and his successor George III, whose daughter Princess Amelia caused outrage in 1751 by closing the park to the public – an action that was successfully challenged in court by the local brewer John Lewis.
The White Lodge, Richmond Park
Over the years Richmond Park transitioned from a Royal hunting park to a public amenity and wildlife reserve. The public’s right to visit was enshrined by an Act of Parliament in 1872 (Richmond people seem to be good at getting laws passed that benefit them). In the 20th century, the area previously used to raise deer for royal hunting was converted to become a public golf course. George II’s White Lodge became the Royal Ballet School, one of the leading places to learn ballet in the world. Pembroke Lodge, once a “grace and favour” house (offered to members of the Royal family or people who had served them), became a popular tearoom and venue for wedding receptions.
Laburnum Walk near Pembroke Lodge
Today Richmond Park is a nature reserve, London’s biggest royal park and its second biggest park of any type (after the Lea Valley Park in north London). It retains Charles I’s perimeter and original six gates (with some new ones added later), and parts of it probably look much the same now as they did back in the 17th century. Wild deer still roam free, along with a host of other wildlife.
Wild deer in Richmond ParkStags hiding in the long bracken are a hazard for unwary walkers
In some places in the centre of the park, there is only an expanse of green grass and trees, with not a building in site – were it not for the jets flying into to Heathrow airport, you could imagine yourself to be somewhere deep in England’s countryside and not 10 miles from the centre of London.
Hardly a building in sight
In other parts of the park, there are some great views out to the city of London. One of the most famous is from King Henry’s mound – an ancient Bronze Age burial mound that Henry VIII is supposed to have enjoyed the view from even before the creation of the park. It offers an uninterrupted line of sight to St Paul’s cathedral, 10 miles away, thanks to a carefully maintained gap in the trees and then restrictions placed on the height of central London buildings along the way.
You should be able to make out St Paul’s Cathedral in the gap (honest!)
My personal experience of Richmond Park goes back over twenty years. First I explored the parts near Richmond Gate, discovering nearby places like Pembroke Lodge, with its wonderful views towards the Surrey Hills.
The view from Pembroke Lodge, Richmond Park
Then I started to walk a bit further to discover one of my favourite parts – the Isabella Plantation, a woodland garden created in the 1830s and opened to the public in 1953. It is most famous for its spring colours when hundreds of rhododendron bushes burst into flower.
Rhododendrons in the Isabella PlantationThompson’s Pond, Isabella PlantationThe Still Pond at the Isabella Plantation
Although I have now been exploring Richmond Park for over twenty years, I still occasionally stumble across new places. Recently, I found this dilapidated old bench in a hidden niche, deep inside the park. It was dedicated to a man who died young – now it would appear his parents too have died and allowed his bench to return to nature. In a park established for nearly four hundred years, the sad sight caused me to reflect on how short life is compared to the grandeur of nature.
A decaying bench in Richmond ParkSad and happy memories
Well, that contemplative note wraps up this post. Next we will take a short walk to Twickenham!
Next Post: A short walk to Twickenham and Eel Pie Island via Ham House
The bear is back! – not on the road this time, but at home. It has been a while since my last trip (Japan) and my next trip (New Zealand) is still over a month away, so instead I will do a few posts about my home – Richmond on Thames. Though technically part of Greater London, Richmond retains the feel of a separate country town, and it is often difficult to imagine you are in one of the world’s greatest cities.
The view from Richmond Hill in Summer
Most foreigners probably won’t know Richmond unless they are fans of the Ted Lasso TV series – which is something of a blessing since it doesn’t get central London’s tourist crowds. Londoners know its riverside as a nightlife hub, its park, and that it often comes top in polls of the best or happiest place to live in London (or even the UK). Does it live up to this hype? Let’s see.
A visitor from London will arrive at the train station (first built in 1846). Initial impressions are disappointing – Richmond’s main street, the Quadrant, looks rather scruffy. It suffered badly during Covid and its retailers continue to struggle against Amazon. Surprisingly this unpromising area contains a piece of remarkable rock music history. Directly opposite the station is 1 Kew Road, which is now a modern bar but used to be the Crawdaddy club where a then-unknown group called the Rolling Stones played some of their first gigs. On one memorable evening The Beatles, who were already famous and had been shooting a film nearby, popped in to see their up-and-coming rivals.
Hard to imagine the Rolling Stones once played here….
From the station, people’s first stop is usually Richmond Green, a pleasant expanse of grass where people still play cricket on summer weekends. It is lined with stylish houses and some good pubs. Leading off from the Green are several small passages with many trendy shops – including the Ted Lasso shop.
Richmond Green (courtesy Colette Hewitt Photography)Off Richmond Green (courtesy Colette Hewitt Photography)
Heading towards the river from the Green you find the place where the town of Richmond started. Here there was a royal residence called Sheen Manor where many medieval kings stayed, starting with Richard II in the 14th century. The name Richmond arose when the manor burnt down and over 1497 to 1501 King Henry VII built a palace over its ruins. He named it after his eponymous earldom in Yorkshire (where today there is also a town called Richmond). His son and successor Henry VIII spent less time there, preferring nearby Hampton Court, but a few years later, Richmond Palace became a favourite residence of the great queen Elisabeth, who died there in 1603. The next king to appreciate Richmond was Charles I, but after he lost the English Civil War and was executed, Oliver Cromwell had the palace destroyed and it was never rebuilt. Richmond never regained its royal connections and returned to being a sleepy agricultural village near London. Today all that remains of the palace are fragments incorporated into smart buildings of the 18th and 19th century, when Richmond again become a popular place for rich people to live.
The Gate House and (behind) Trumpeter’s House contain remnants of the Old Palace
Walking past the elegant buildings that have now replaced the old royal palace you reach the river, with its bars, pubs and boat hire places. On summer days the area is a magnet for people from all over London to visit on a day out.
Heading up from the river is one of Richmond’s fanciest roads – Richmond Hill, whose houses mostly date from Georgian times.
Gloucester House, one of the imposing houses on Richmond Hill
Just before the top of the hill are the pretty Terrace Gardens, that stretch down to the river Thames.
In the Terrace Gardens looking up to Richmond Hill, spring…..and looking down to the River Thames, autumn……or winterStatue of Aphrodite, nick-named “Bulbous Betty” in the Terrace Gardens
At the top of the hill there is the Terrace, a path that offers a view over the River Thames, which has been painted by many artists – most famously by Turner. For some reason this view is protected by its own act of parliament. The forests continue as far as the eye can see, and were particularly stunning during the UK’s Covid lockdown, when the pure air made the different shades of green that much brighter. For me the view is endlessly photogenic, and I keep coming back to take more photos at all times of the year…
View from Richmond Hill – summerView from Richmond Hill – AutumnView from Richmond Hill – winterLate Autumn morning mist
As would be expected, the top of the hill has some of Richmond’s most spectacular houses. Downe House dates from 1780 and has been occupied by playwright Richard Brinsley Sheridan…and more recently Mick Jagger and Jerry Hall. Further along the Terrace is The Wick, another magnificent Georgian house with rock-star connections. It was owned by Ronnie Wood of the Rolling Stones, has its own sound studio, and was where the hit single “It’s only Rock and Roll but I like it” was recorded with David Bowie singing backing vocals. It was bought from Wood by another rock star, Pete Townshend of the Who.
Wick House, Richmond on ThamesWick House, looking down the Terrace
Finally, at the very end of the Terrace is the huge Star and Garter House, built in 1921 as a home for disabled war veterans but later sold and converted to luxury apartments. The Star and Garter sits at one of the six gates into Richmond Park, which will be the subject of a future post.
The Star and Garter Hotel, Richmond on Thames
So – is Richmond the happiest place to live in the UK? I don’t have so much experience of the rest of the UK but certainly I think it is the best place in London. It is really pretty, with a village-like atmosphere, but also remains close to central London on the train or tube. It has lots of pubs, restaurants, and even two cinemas and two theatres. The people you meet here seem more relaxed than in other parts of the capital, and smile and say hello to strangers. They are also look slimmer and fitter than most other places – probably because there is a limitless scope for exercise here (running or cycling around Richmond Park, paddle boarding or rowing on the Thames).
Many thanks to my friend Colette Hewitt for some of the photos in this blog – check out her site on this link to see more of her work.
The Shinkansen covered the 476 km between Kyoto and Tokyo in around two hours twenty minutes – an average speed of just over 200km/h.
Japan’s famous Shinkansen train
It is an amazing service, with departures every 5 to 10 minutes during peak periods – a bit like London’s tube, except much faster, plus it actually works and is spotlessly clean. On the way we were treated to one last view of Mount Fuji.
Goodbye, Fuji San!
Getting from Tokyo Station to our hotel in Asakusa would take us another hour (average speed 7 km/h, including lots of scratching our heads trying to find the right line to take), but we were glad of the effort we made to get there. It is famous as being Tokyo’s most traditional area, with low-rise buildings, restaurants and markets. We arrived in the early evening, checked into our hotel and set off to explore. Asakusa was very different to Shinjuku or central Tokyo, and we liked it a lot. The highlight of the area was the Senso-ji temple – built in 645, and probably the city’s most famous single building. It looked magnificent against the night sky, with one of Tokyo’s best-known modern constructions, the Skytree, standing behind it.
Asakusa – Senso-ji Temple and the SkytreeAsakusa – the river and the SkytreeAsakusa – details of Senso-Ji
The next day we explored Asakusa some more so that Aki could go souvenir shopping. The street going from the temple’s outer to inner gates was packed with shops, many selling traditional Japanese costumes. It was very busy, but in a pleasant way. Although the shops are mostly now directed at tourists, a shopping area has existed here for several centuries.
A shopping arcade in Asakusa
In the afternoon we made the trip to Ueno, another interesting suburb of Tokyo. The centre of this district is Ueno Park, which was busy with locals enjoying a Sunday outing or visiting one of the many museums in the area. We enjoyed live music, street food and the Museum of Western Art – maybe a strange choice for western tourists, but it was offering free entry without the long queue for the very popular Tokyo National Museum.
Free concert in Ueno Park
As night fell, we found yet another interesting temple – Bentendo – which sits in large lake covered with lotus plants.
In and around Bentendo TempleBentendo Temple, Ueno
We headed back to Asakusa for our last night in Japan, which we started in a crab restaurant. We drank a bit too much celebrating the end of our trip, and after dinner decided to visit one of the amusement arcades we had seen all over Japan to get rid of some of the loose change we had accumulated over nearly a month. We tried to grab a prize with a claw machine game, knowing full well that it is usually a good way to waste money. Amazingly we managed to liberate this furry friend from his captivity in the arcade and will be taking him back to Europe to present to a newly-arrived great-niece in our family. I hope that one day when she grows up his owner takes him back to Japan and he can relive some of our amazing adventures here.
Liberating a fellow teddy!
Well, that’s all for this trip. We have been in Japan for a month, during which we have experienced the huge city of Tokyo, Nikko, Mount Fuji, the Japanese Alps in autumn, the provincial cities of Kanazawa and Hiroshima, magical Miyajima, little-visited Shikoku with its mountains, and the countless temples of Kyoto. We have stayed in some great places, enjoyed meeting the friendly and helpful Japanese people, and had many memorable meals. But Japan is a big place, and it is impossible to see everything in one trip. We will back – next time probably to explore the island of Kyushu in the far south and to catch Kyoto when the autumn colours peak.
This was to be our last day in Kyoto so of course we visited……..some more temples! First was the Silver Temple or Ginkaku-ji, the last attraction on our “must see” list. This was built by the grandson of the shogun who had built the Golden Temple, which we visited yesterday. Its design matches that of the earlier building, and it too served as its builder’s retirement villa before being converted to a temple. However, Ginkaku-ji has never been silver – the name probably arose as a nickname to distinguish it from the Golden Temple. It was fairly close to our house, so we managed to arrive for its opening at 8.30, to find that we had beaten the crowds……but also that the morning sun was still hidden behind a mountain, and the temple and its garden were in shade. Unusually for Japan, this wooden structure has never burnt down, and what you see is the much restored original, dating from 1482.
The Silver Temple, Kyoto and its garden in the early morning shadeThe Silver Temple from aboveThe gardeners here even sweep away dead leaves…a big job in autumn
We decided to wait until the sun could reveal their full beauty, which took nearly an hour.
The sun begins to reach the Silver TempleThe Silver Temple, Kyoto in all its gloryThese dry sand gardens are popular in Japanese temples
The Silver Temple lies at the start of a popular walk called the Philosopher’s Path, which runs along the side of a small canal lined with cherry trees. In spring it must be spectacular (and horribly crowded) but in autumn it was pleasant and quiet. There are a lot of temples close to the path, some well-known and quite popular and some totally off the main tourist circuit. We tried a couple of each type, enjoying the feeling of freedom of making up our plans as we went and not having to do any more crowded “must see” attractions. Even the slight disappointment of being served our weakest yet cup of latte – warm milk that may once have seen a coffee bean – did not spoil our mood.
The beautiful setting made up for the weakest ever coffee….
A highlight of our stroll was seeing our best yet Kyoto autumn colours at the Eikando Temple.
Eikando Temple – the best autumn colours yet of our Kyoto staySmall shrine at Eikando Temple
We finally ended up at the Chionin Temple, near our house, with its huge entrance gate.
Chionin Temple, Kyoto
It had two gardens. The one we liked better was the Yuzen garden, which is actually modern – dating from 1954. It had probably the most evocative statue we had seen in Japan, a Buddha standing in a small lake. It was a fitting end to our visit to a city that we had finally got to like. At first we had been repelled by Kyoto’s ugly centre and crowds of other tourists. But we had now discovered that the real joy of the place is wandering around the hundreds of less-visited temples – it is a feeling unlike anything else on the planet.
A fitting farewell to Kyoto
We said a goodbye to our statue and all that it represented of the best of Kyoto, picked up our bags at our house and headed to the station to catch our Shinkansen (bullet train) to Tokyo.
Feeling refreshed after a day’s break from visiting stuff, we woke early, and took a taxi to the Golden Temple or Kinkaku-ji, in the northern suburbs. The long ride let us appreciate the city’s geography. Kyoto sits in a valley and nearly all of the tourist attractions lie in the outer suburbs, at the foot of pretty, forested mountains. The centre is a highly developed and rather ugly urban sprawl and crossing through it is quite time consuming. We arrived for the 09.00 opening of the temple to find that there was already a large queue waiting to get in – foreign and Japanese tourists, and groups of schoolchildren. Still, the crowds were worth it, since the Golden Temple really is an unmissable sight – a temple entirely covered in gold leaf (even the gutters are gilded) sitting by a lake in a beautiful garden. We joined the throng to take one of THE essential Kyoto photos, of the temple with its reflection in the water.
The classic view of the Golden TempleA close up view of the Golden Temple
The building was originally a villa for the shogun Ashikaga Yoshimitsu and was first built in 1408. After his death, it was turned into a temple as per the terms of his will. Over the years it has burnt down and been rebuilt many times, most recently in 1950 when it was set alight by a deranged monk. The current building dates from 1955. A well-trodden path led – with a strict one-way system – past the temple, through its garden and to the exit. The visit had taken us about thirty minutes. Since we had come such a long way, we wanted to see as much as we could of this northern part of Kyoto as possible, so we took a taxi to the nearby Ryoan-ji temple. It could not compete with Kinkaku-ji’s beauty, but it was a haven of peace with a beautiful pond and some very strange pine trees, somehow made to grow like giant inverted chandeliers.
In the Ryoan-ji TemplePine Trees made to grow like chandeliers!Lake at Ryoan-ji (with the very last fruit of the season)
Next, we visited yet another temple, Ninna-ji, which was about twenty minutes away by foot. This was another beautiful, peaceful place with almost no visitors.
Building at Ninna-ji Temple
It was now midday, and we wondered what to do next. At the back exit of the complex was a sign advertising a mini-pilgrimage of 88 local temples over 10km – imitating Shikoku’s 88-temple 1200km epic trek. It was an intriguing prospect…..but we had already saturated on religious buildings for the day. We stopped in the Ninna-ji’s café to study the map and decide our next move. It was advertised as a “luxury relaxation space” but the coffee was as weak as dishwater. Still, the break was useful as Aki pointed out that Kyoto castle, a rare attraction in the city centre, could be worth visiting on the way back. I was doubtful – the castles we had visited so far were all very similar, pretty from the outside but empty and boring inside. Kyoto’s castle, being on the plain, was not even likely to have a good view. Still, the only other option seemed to be to visit yet more temples, so we gave it a go – and were very happy we did.
Kyoto Castle from the OutsideThe magnificent entrance gate
Building of the castle started in 1603 to provide the Kyoto residence of Tokugawa Ieyasu, a purpose it served until the fall of the Tokugawa shogunate, when it was briefly used as a residence of the newly reinstated emperor of Japan. The highlight of the visit was the beautiful Ninomaru Palace, located inside the defensive walls. This was a place where the shogun would receive guests or consult with officials, and consisted of a series of sumptuously decorated rooms (sadly no photos were allowed). It was so interesting that we went around twice before strolling around the palace’s garden with its inevitable tearoom. The Ninomaru Palace was one of the highlights of our stay in Kyoto – perhaps because it was not yet another temple.
Garden of Kyoto CastleThe view from the ramparts – with central Kyoto’s urban sprawl in the background
That evening we had planned another non-temple activity – dinner in Velrosier, a restaurant which had just won its second Michelin star. The food throughout our trip in Japan had been consistently excellent and very good value. Having tried lots of different types of cheap or mid-range restaurants – all very good – we wanted to try a top-end place. Japan has a lot of Michelin-rated restaurants and we wanted to see if the hype was justified. Dinner at Velrosier was probably the best meal we had ever had, beating more expensive and higher rated places we had visited in London – a two-hour feast of Chinese-inspired cooking. After similar experiences in Europe, we would usually wonder if a meal – however good – could justify the cost of top-end dining. Here, we wondered how on earth they could make a profit on what they had served us – five cooks prepared fourteen exquisite courses for only ten guests. Japan really is a foodie’s paradise.
Today we made a short excursion our from Kyoto to the city of Nara, capital of Japan from 710 to 794. Today Nara is a medium sized provincial city, but back in the 8th century some of Japan’s most beautiful temples were built there, many of which remain today. Our trip started at Kyoto’s train station, which was almost as crowded as Shinjuku’s. However, in Tokyo everyone seems to know where they are going and how to behave, whilst in Kyoto, many foreigners looked lost. They formed large groups that blocked passageways or looked around dumbly, unaware that behind them a big rucksack was swinging that could knock over smaller Japanese passengers (or teddy bears). We were glad to get on our train and make the 40-minutes trip. The station at Nara was located right next to the city’s park, which is also one of its tourist attractions and which houses many of its old temples. The park is home to hundreds, maybe even thousands, of “sacred” deer. They have grown used to humans and hang around expectantly, waiting for a tourist to feed them some of the rice crackers sold by many small shops.
One of very many deer at Nara. Cute at first, but…..
We didn’t feed the deer – some of them looked so hungry that they could swallow us along with the rice crackers – and headed straight for Todai-ji temple, one of the most famous in Japan and first completed in 752. The temple’s centrepiece is the huge Daibutsuden or Big Buddha Hall, which houses an enormous gilded bronze Buddha statue. This hall has been destroyed by fire and rebuilt several times, most recently in 1709. Today, it is possibly still the world’s biggest wooden building (though the title is disputed) – but before 1709 it was even bigger, the last reconstruction being scaled down to save money.
Nara -the Daibutsuden or Big Buddha Hall and Big Buddha himself
The hall and the majestic Buddha inside are really mind-blowing sights, and we made the circuit of the interior twice, to make sure we fully soaked up the atmosphere.
Other statues in the hall
After that we visited a few other buildings in the huge Todai-ji complex, finishing at their interesting museum – which had some magnificent Buddhist sculptures (photos not allowed) and most importantly a café that served acceptable coffee. Finding a good caffeine fix is a problem in Japan, and most coffee and tea houses sell horribly weak filter coffee, which just isn’t strong enough even for a little teddy. After a reviving drink we walked up a steep hill with good views over the city. The autumn colours were just starting, but sadly it was clear that we would miss the peak by a couple of weeks. The “sacred” deer on top of the hill were particularly aggressive, and one young male even attacked a tourist that had tried to limit him to one rice cracker.
A nice view over Nara and a very naughty male deer
We walked back down the hill and strolled on to the Kasuga Taisha shrine. On the way, we felt a sudden drop in our energy levels and wandered around the place on autopilot. Looking at our photos later on that evening, they looked interesting, but at the time it was simply one temple too many – or one cup of coffee too few.
Inside Kasuga Taisha at Nara
We strolled back to the station, wondering how long to stay in Nara. Our train back was booked for 18.30, but we were running out of energy and things to see in the area of the park. We decided to make one last stop at the Nara National Museum – partly because we thought it would contain more of the wonderful Buddhist sculptures we had seen earlier, and partly because the cafés in museums tended to have better coffee than elsewhere. Sadly, neither hope was fully realised. The museum was housed in two buildings with an underground passage between them. It was very popular, and entry was by timed slots. We joined a large queue of mostly Japanese visitors, to be ushered into a series of rooms displaying scrolls, fragments of cloth and old pots. These seemed to greatly excite everyone else, and there was a two-person deep crowd around each exhibit, making it very hard for us to see anything. We probably set a speed record for visiting the first part of the museum, lured on by the knowledge that there was a café in the passage leading to the second building….but the coffee there was as weak as it had been everywhere else. At least the next part of the museum did contain some magnificent sculptures, though you could only take photos of a small selection of them.
In the Nara National Museum
We left the museum with even less energy than when we entered. On the way back to the station, we visited one more temple – Horyuji. Apparently it has the world’s oldest surviving wooden buildings, dating from 607, but it failed to excite us, and we chose to catch an early train back to Kyoto. We left feeling that we hadn’t done justice to Nara. The temples ranged from the interesting Horyuji to the spectacular Todai-ji, but we didn’t have the energy to appreciate them. There were other highly rated temples near to the city, but we didn’t have time to visit them. We decided it was time to take a break from temple-hopping and spent the next day in Kyoto shopping, watching a dance show by one of the Geisha associations, and cruising the nightlife area of Pontocho, a narrow street lined with restaurants and bars.
Pontocho, Kyoto’s nightlife area
We opted for a shabu-shabu dinner – thin slices of Japanese beef that you take with your chopsticks and swish around in a boiling hot pot of water and vegetables for a few second until they are cooked. The meat melted in the mouth!
In a shabu-shabu restaurant in Kyoto
Still, it is harder to avoid photogenic temples in Kyoto, so despite our resolution not to visit one today, we still found ourselves taking photos of the colourful Yasaka Shrine in the early evening, after the Geisha show. Temples often look at lot better at that time, when the crowds have left and their red and white colours contrast with the night sky. Our enjoyment of this shrine suggested to us that tomorrow we would be ready for some more temple visiting…
The Yasaka ShrineYasaka shrine – really impressive at night!
Trouspinet travels 