Kyoto cleanse

I was in Kyoto for work last weekend. Unusually, there was enough time in the schedule for me to get up early and do a little sightseeing. To be honest, I haven't been a big fan of Kyoto for many years: it holds bad associations for me - fights, forced smiles in photos, bitter silences... But I think the bad juju must be gone, because I really enjoyed myself walking through the narrow streets under a clear blue sky .

We Japanese love our towers. This a the candle-like one beside the station.


Most of the shrines and temples are spread out throughout the city, at least a bus-ride away. I only had time to walk to Higashi Honganji near my hotel. But it was colourfully serene.







In the courtyard, I spied the last of Kyoto's cherry blossoms. They have to give way to the fresh green leaves.


I even made it to the renowned original shop of the Inoda Coffee House chain. This is a Kyoto institution. (Irish readers, think Bewleys back when it was a bit classy.) It's all dark corners, mirrored elegance and eccentric, bow-tied wait staff - they don't always let you order what you want, and sometimes tell you it'd be too filling or that you look like you'd be more in the mood for something else! And, of course, they serve great coffee.