Heading on to Kyoto today, we are set for the Olympics again of finding the right train and making a transfer in record time. The train station is definitely a challenge, unless you’re a sprinter, you have to change trains QUICKLY …9 minutes first train day and 12 minutes today to make the switch. Your ticket is required frequently to change platforms to catch your next train. Don’t lose your ticket. It is REQUIRED TO GO IN AND OUT! If you lose your ticket …you’re up shxx creek. I had to desperately search for mine to get out of the station in Takayama as a huge line was forming behind me and the desk guy was cursing me and NOT letting me out! Last minute search in a place I never put important items, it showed up. I WILL say you feel very safe on the trains… Yet there are no security checks, no metal detectors , and no visible police at the stations. It’s very quiet…no one talking on their phones so loud everyone else can hear like in the states. This is a very safe country! Kyoto was the capital of Japan for over 1000 years and remains the most important as far as culture. It is home to over 1700 Buddhist temples and 300 Shinto shrines. It’s not unusual to see women on the streets wearing kimonos. It is definitely has the best cherry blossom blooms we’ve seen so far on the trip. Japan’s Sakura, or cherry blossom, season generally spans late March to early April and holds cultural significance. It signifies their year end and beginning of a new year… much like our New Year season. It’s like giving up the old and bringing in the new when kids go off to college or major changes happen. Their philosophy is ….nothing ever stays the same …. And the cherry blossoms symbolize this saying since they only last one week IN FULL BLOOM and then flow down like snow…and change begins. We visited the Niko-Jo Castle, another World Heritage Site. Built 400 years ago to serve as the Kyoto residence of the Shogun and a place for the emperor to stay if he visited Kyoto….basically never used. The samurai’s favorite tree is the pine tree so most of the rooms have them painted on the walls. The pine tree is evergreen and means everlasting. There are also tigers on most walls, which are not common to this area, but represent the power of the Shogun. This castle symbolizes the beginning and ending of the Shogun reign….1600s until 1867 (when Japan opened up for trade again). At that time, the Shogun stepped down and gave his power back to the emperor. Otherwise the country would be split in two by forcing the people to choose between the emperor and the Shogun.… and this would allow another country like France to take over Japan. The definite negative to this visit was having to take your shoes off to walk through the palace… proving people not only have holy socks, but they also have really stinky feet! The gardens of the Niko-Jo Castle were amazing with a cherry blossoms in full bloom. It felt like you were floating through a sea of white and pink snow. Next stop was the Golden Temple. I was exhausted from the morning walk, that happens with us old folks sometimes….so I opted to remain in the car when we arrived at the temple. Connie (much younger by 9 years) hopped out of the car like the energizer bunny and made the trek to admire this golden temple. You can’t go inside, but she said the reflection in the water below it was awesome. The negative was the extremely large crowd. I waited patiently in the car and gave my aching body the much deserved rest after the marathon we’ve been running for the past week. I’ve included a couple of her photos below. Fun facts…

• When they sit on floor, they put fans in front to declare their personal space and borders
• This year is the year of horses in Japan… next is year of the sheep… every year that follows is the year of another animal for 12 years and then it starts over… their 60th birthday is big deal because they’ve completed the 12 Year Circle 5 times… this tradition was influenced by the Chinese.

A great ending to our day was to order a real hamburger … which actually had ham along with the beef patty. Uncle Fletcher would have turned over in his grave😜. Quite a twist in taste, but they also had mustard and ketchup, along with skinny fabulously seasoned fries. A glass (or 2) of Pinot Noir topped off a delicious meal. Headed to the countryside tomorrow to visit an 86 year old farmer, who actually makes his own Viper Wine.