A chilly day in Kyoto

 

We awoke to a cold day in Kyoto this morning, with a forecast top of only 5 degrees celcius!

We ‘layered’ up and packed extra clothes, then headed out to explore the town of Kyoto.

Our first stop was the Nishiki food market, which was packed with eager shoppers looking for a bargain.

I must admit that I didn’t recognise a lot of what I saw, but it sure looked interesting!

We then caught a train to the Southern Higashiyama area, which was filled with impressive temples, shrines and gardens.

We pretty much started at the south of the area, and headed north, covering about 6 kilometers on foot.

Along the way we came across quaint laneways filled with shops and restaurant, and were sure to sample some of the local delicacies.

As the morning progressed, the sun started to disappear behind low lying clouds and the temperature dropped dramatically. I was so glad I had packed some extra layers, and was thankful for my beanie and gloves.

The walking had made me hungry, so we decided to stop for a big bowl of steaming hot soba noodles.

Delicious!

These warmed me up (for a while at least), and we continued our walk through the district.

Our final stop for the day was the Kyoto Imperial Palace, which after the sights we have seen over the last two days, was a little unimpressive.

I was completely frozen by this stage, so we decided to head for the subway to warm up and to catch a train back to the hotel.

The rest of the evening included a trip out for some sushi, some iced coffee (Japan-style) and an early night! We have to be up early tomorrow to catch a 6am train to the ski fields.

I hope that you are all having a fantastic new years eve – and are welcoming in the new year in style. Have a glass of champagne for me!!

Happy baking :)