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Europe 2023

July – September 2023
  • R and R Travels
  • Robin Braithwaite
A long awaited trip to Europe via Japan.
We'll visit;
Japan, France, Sardinia, Corsica, Spain and England Read more
  • R and R Travels
  • Robin Braithwaite

List of countries

  • England England
  • Spain Spain
  • Italy Italy
  • France France
  • Japan Japan
  • Australia Australia
Categories
Car, City trip, Couple, Vacation
  • 34.1kkilometers traveled
Means of transport
  • Flight11.1kkilometers
  • Walking-kilometers
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  • 219footprints
  • 61days
  • 2.2kphotos
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  • Europe 2023

    Dinner in Pontocho (先斗町, Pontocho)

    July 22, 2023 in Japan ⋅ 🌙 30 °C

    Pontocho (先斗町, Pontochō is one of Kyoto's most atmospheric dining areas. It is a narrow alley running from Shijo-dori to Sanjo-dori, one block west of Kamogawa River.

    Pontocho is a super narrow street that's barely wide enough for two people to walk side by side, tucked right by the Kamo River. During the day, it's pretty chill, but come nightfall the place lights up like a Christmas tree. You've got old-school wooden buildings with lanterns and geisha scurrying about – it's like stepping into an old samurai movie, but with better food.

    This strip is jam-packed with restaurants. You've got everything from dirt-cheap yakitori joints to fancy places where you need to sell a kidney to afford dinner.

    In summer, hit up one of the spots with river terrace seating. Nothing beats slurping down some noodles while watching the world go by.
    Fair warning though, it can get pretty touristy.

    We ate at Kazuma.    Read more

  • Europe 2023

    Kyoto

    July 22, 2023 in Japan ⋅ 🌙 28 °C

    Gion Matsuri Festival

    Gion Matsuri dates back to 869 and originated as an attempt by the people of Kyoto to appease the gods during an epidemic. Today, it is still held for the entire month of July and is one of Yasaka Shrine’s most important festivals. Following tradition, a local boy is chosen every year as a messenger of the gods, and from July 13 to July 17—the start of the first main parade—he must sit on one of the floats and not touch the ground.

    Despite its namesake, the festival’s main events do not take place in Gion district, but instead are held on the opposite side of the Kamo River along Karasuma and Shijo Street right outside our hotel.

    On each of the three nights before the main parades, Kyoto closes its downtown area to traffic and the streets become enlivened with food stalls and drink venders selling festival staples such as yakitori, taiyaki, takoyaki, and okonomiyaki. During these yoiyama nights, visitors can also observe festival floats up close, which are stationed along the streets, as well as admire artifacts displayed by families in front of their traditional machiya houses. Festival goers often dress in yukata to get into the festive spirit! Yoiyama evenings typically last from 6pm to 11pm.    Read more

  • Europe 2023
    Nishiki Tenmangu ShrineNishiki Tenmangu ShrineNishiki Tenmangu ShrineNishiki Tenmangu Shrine

    Kyoto

    July 22, 2023 in Japan ⋅ 🌙 28 °C

    Nishiki Market, Pontocho Park, Dinner

    Nishiki Market is Kyoto's go-to food spot. This covered street's lined with stalls selling local eats and ingredients. You'll find everything from pickles to fresh fish, plus some weird stuff like octopus skewers. It's busy, noisy, and packed with both locals and tourists. The smells are intense and the sights are pretty wild. Good place to grab a snack or just check out what's on offer. It's tight and crowded though, so don't expect to rush through. Come with an empty stomach if you want to try the samples.

    Also a good idea to have some cash.    Read more

  • Europe 2023

    Shinmachi Dori, Kyoto

    July 23, 2023 in Japan ⋅ ☀️ 28 °C

    Shinmachi Dori (新町通) is a historic north-south street in Kyoto, that dates back to the city’s traditional grid layout from its time as the imperial capital. While not as widely known today as more famous streets like Shijo or Kawaramachi, Shinmachi played an important role in Kyoto's commercial and entertainment life, especially during the Edo period (1603-1867).

    The name Shinmachi means "new town" in Japanese, and the street was once one of Kyoto’s pleasure quarters, though smaller and less renowned than the more famous Shimabara district, which was the city’s primary licensed pleasure area. Shinmachi Dori was home to tea houses, entertainment venues, and merchant shops that catered to locals and visitors alike.

    Today, the street still retains elements of its historical charm, with some traditional machiya (townhouses) and shops, though many modern buildings have been constructed along the street, reflecting Kyoto's mix of preservation and urban development. Although Shinmachi Dori is no longer a pleasure district, it remains a vibrant commercial area, albeit in a much-transformed capacity from its historical role. Its intersections with other important thoroughfares in Kyoto keep it connected to the city’s broader cultural and commercial life.    Read more

  • Europe 2023
    1

    Fushimi Inari Shrine, Kyoto (伏見稲荷大社)

    July 23, 2023 in Japan ⋅ ☀️ 30 °C

    Fushimi Inari-taisha (伏見稲荷大社) is the head shrine of the kami Inari, located in Fushimi-ku, Kyoto. The shrine sits at the base of a mountain also named Inari which is 233 metres (764 ft) above sea level, and includes trails up the mountain to many smaller shrines which span 4 kilometres (2.5 mi) and take approximately 2 hours to walk up.

    Inari was originally and remains primarily the kami of rice and agriculture, but merchants also worship Inari as the patron of business. Each of Fushimi Inari-taisha's roughly 10,000 torii was donated by a Japanese business, and approximately 800 of these are set up in rows that give the impression of entering a tunnel.

    The earliest structures were built in 711 on the Inariyama hill in southwestern Kyoto, but the shrine was re-located in 816 on the request of the monk Kūkai. The main shrine structure was built in 1499. At the bottom of the hill are the main gate (楼門, rōmon, "tower gate") and the main shrine (御本殿, go-honden). Behind them, in the middle of the mountain, the inner shrine (奥宮, okumiya) is reachable by a path lined with thousands of torii. To the top of the mountain are tens of thousands of mounds (塚, tsuka) for private worship.

    The highlight of the shrine is the rows of torii gates, known as Senbon Torii. The custom to donate a torii began spreading from the Edo period (1603–1868) to have a wish come true or in gratitude for a wish that came true, with successive gates being added up to the present day by donors out of gratitude. Along the main path there are around 800 torii gates.

    More photos and video in Part 2 following.    Read more

  • Europe 2023

    The Philosopher's Walk (哲学の道, Tetsugaku-

    July 23, 2023 in Japan ⋅ ☀️ 32 °C

    A pedestrian path that follows a canal in Kyoto, between Ginkaku-ji and Nanzen-ji. First opened in 1890 and extended again in 1912. The route is so-named because two 20th-century Japanese philosophers and Kyoto University professors are thought to have exercised there.  Read more

  • Europe 2023
    21

    Arashiyama Bamboo Grove, Sagano

    July 24, 2023 in Japan ⋅ ☀️ 27 °C

    A truly mesmerising experience with tall stands of bamboo. There are many temples and shrines to visit. If travelling in the summer I suggest you go early as it was 33 degrees by 11am. And yes, that's cicadas you can hear in the video.Read more

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