Day 14: last day in Kyoto

After breakfast (dining separately by couple) at a cafe that Sarah and Matt discovered, together we took the bus to the Nijo Palace. The Palace was surrounded by beautifully sculpted Japanese gardens, while the interior sections contained reproduced paintings in an unfurnished palace, most of which were public rooms used for receiving honored guests.

After touring the Palace and grounds, we split up with Eric, Sarah and Matt heading to the Genji museum, while Margot, Ben and I went for a fun and tasty ramen lunch at Hot Ramen - see video. Margot and Ben then went back to the ryokan to pack and rest, while I visited the Kyoto crafts’ museum. It is small in size, but has exhibits showing some 70 crafts practiced by artisans in Kyoto, including one fabric artist who was demonstrating her craft.

Dinner was best one of the trip, at a one-star Michelin restaurant - a great finale. We were the only guests at this omakase restaurant where the chef and his assistant served a “kaiseke” dinner, featuring seasonal foods. It was mostly fish and vegetables, and every dish was fabulous - even the small grilled fish we ate in entirety - fish we saw alive towards the beginning of the meal! The chef and assistant shared information about the various dishes using google translate: they seemed to enjoy us as much as enjoyed them!Read more