Kyoto River, Kyoto, Japan

We mostly visited the river as Luke had found out that there was turtle shaped stepping stones there, which were advertised as 'lots of fun for children' (and, as luke put it, ' for my wife as well').

As we walked there we were surprised to find the end of a marathon close by, with cheering crowds and some exhausted runners! We made our way down to the stones and found people of all ages enjoying the whimsical area, so I wasn't the only adult to find it cute (kawaii!).

We carried on walking along the river and got to see some wildlife too. There were golden eagles, which we have now lost count how many we have seen, and also encountered a large river rat. We've never seen one before, and thought it was a beaver at first! Unfortunately an invasive species within Japan, they seemed like super small capybara but the long tail gave it away.Read more