Arriving in Nagoya

On the way from Kyoto to Tokyo we stopped in at Nagoya. It is the home of Legoland and the Shinkansen museum, conveniently located at the same stop of the metro. Originally we were planning on going to the Shinkansen Museum the day we arrived since we arrived on the Shinkansen and had less time. As it turned out the museum was closed, and so we ended up going to Legoland instead. Between the metro station and the theme park there is a little village of shops set up to temp travellers. Of course that was nothing compared to Legoland itself though. The girls were instantly excited, that is until we enlisted the help of the wicked witch to hold on to them while we bought tickets.

Tōdai-ji Temple visit

Tōdai-ji Temple was also a highlight in Nara for a number of reasons. The main building houses the largest bronze Buddha in the world. Until 1998 the hall was also the largest wooden structure in the world. Going there was quite awe inspiring for all of us. Really liked the large statues and being allowed to light candles. The other highlight was squeezing through the hole of one of the pillars which is said that those who pass through it will be granted enlightenment in their next life. We were just happy to have an opportunity to be there.

Deer of Nara

We headed to Nara on a recommendation from a friend to see the local wild deer and the Tōdai-ji Temple. Despite their tame nature the deer of Nara are wild and tend to wander back into the forest for the night. During the day, they are the darlings of many tourists, and like others we caught the train there to get up and close with them. To say they were comfortable with people is an understatement as they are treated with respect as the representatives of the gods by the locals and media darlings by tourists. We all enjoyed patting them, and we became more popular with the deer once we started feeding them cherry blossoms. They really seemed to enjoy eating the blossoms without getting so aggressive as when they were fed the deer biscuits offered by some tourists.

Last day in Kyoto

We headed out to the markets for a bit of a look around. The Nishiki Markets in Kyoto are quite interesting for the various goods they sell. Plus there are more than a few tasty treats to be had. We wandered through the markets for a while and the girls were very sweet to each other. This trip has actually been a really good chance to for us all to reconnect as there are so many things to see and discuss. Speaking of interesting, we found an interesting ice cream place over which we all got quite excited. We ended up having dessert before our dinner just like someone else we know (ahem Grandma Cece). The dinner place was another fortuitous find down a random staircase and through a little hallway. The result, a magnificent Japanese curry for some and Japanese style spaghetti for others. Great way to wrap up Kyoto.

Last of the kimonos

Being this cute and having to pose with a number of people for photographs is quite exhausting and so after changing back into their street clothes both MV and SV enjoyed a well deserved ice cream. Of course while wearing kimonos they still managed to do heaps including ringing a bell, looking at souvenirs, picking out a fan and posing with dog toys.Overall a very satisfying experience for all.

Kiyomizu-dera Temple

Taking our time we finally made it to the top of the hill where Kiyomizu-dera Temple overlooks Kyoto. There were a few more steps up to the temple but they were well worth the effort for the lovely gardens and the view. Both SV and MV fit the part for walking through the gardens, the only thing missing perhaps was a lovely parasol. After watching a couple of people both SV and MV figured out how to do wash their hands properly, without even getting her sleeves wet.