Kyoto: picture this!

Mum and I have enjoyed two wonderful days in Kyoto.  We visited at least a dozen different temples and shrines; each with it's own take on the traditions and rituals of Shintoism and Buddhism.  The gardens were stunning and the views, extraordinary.  Japan's ancient capital deserves every acolade it receives.  This was my third trip to Kyoto.  However, I must confess that everything we saw captured my imagination once again. 

I debated long and hard about writing a rich and detailed post about each place we visited.  However, every locations has its own fascinating back story. Each one deserves a blog post of its own.  I've decided that this is simply one task too many. A good guide book would do a far better than I ever could. Instead, I present my pictorial post on all things Kyoto. Enjoy!

UPDATE:
Ok, so I lied a little.  I couldn't help myself.  I've published a post about Fushimi Inari Taisha, an amazing shrine with thousands of tori gates that snake their way up the local hillside.

I've also published a second post about an evening excursion we took to witness the Summer tradition of Cormorant fishing. Enjoy.

And now for a little bit of zen.  Contemplate this lot.

Ryoanji Zen Buddhist temple and its meditation garden were a genuine highlight. It’s often described as the most famous rock garden in the world. Created in 1490, it is a 250-square-metre arrangement of 15 stones in a sea of white pebbles carefully raked each day by monks. From any vantage point, you can only ever see 14 stones at a time. One is always hidden.

 Come closer.  Search deeper.  Let the rocks do the talking.

Time for a stroll.  Which path will you take?

Just another in an endless series of postcard moments.

There's also plenty to see after dark if you know where to look. As for those laterns, they're backlit offerings from optimistic businessmen seeking a better bottom line.

  And a few more magic moments...

Finally, the rest of the pack...

 Did we mention the pagodas? They're everywhere.