^{Kyoto is one of my favourite cities in Japan. Not simply because of its beauty and great treasures – but because of the people I’ve met there on various visits, the wonderful experiences we’ve enjoyed, and the friends we have made.}

^{Luckily, I have visited it now five times, so I’ve already seen many of her more famous sites, now being swamped with tourists – some sadly failing to mind their manners in Kyoto, causing a lot of headaches and leading to new restrictions for visitors.}

^{On my first visit, more than 20 years ago, I stayed in a cheap ryokan where the family dog often tended the front reception! Not just lounging about, but sitting upright with his front paws on the front desk, seemingly ready to greet and serve customers. I knew Kyoto was going to be something special!}

^{Two places in Kyoto that I hadn’t seen until my visit last November (2023) was the Silver Pavilion Temple – Ginkakuji -and the far end of the Philosopher’s Walk that passes near its front gate in Kyoto’s Higashiyama area.}

^{Fortunately, I listed the Silver Pavilion and the Philosopher’s Walk as the first places to check out for this visit. Because the following day, MJ came down with a mild case of Covid, with me following soon after. Much of this Kyoto visit was spent isolating in our hotel room!}

^{We have long ago learnt that, in busy places, get going early ahead of the crowd. It’s worth getting up at the crack of dawn. Firstly, because we don’t enjoy crowded places, and secondly, I like to photograph places without shots being ruined by people bumping me or stepping in front of my camera.}

^{For the Silver Pavilion and the Philosopher’s Walk, we decided to skip the busy buses, and instead caught a taxi early in the morning from our hotel near Kyoto Station. It cost about $20 Australian and we were delivered to a laneway lined with shops and leading up to the Silver Pavilion. A good move, and highly recommended. I love Japanese taxis – always spotlessly clean and so often with their seats covered in pristine white lace! The taxi drivers often wear white gloves too!}

^{The Silver Pavilion is not silver. It originated back in the 1400’s, when the Shogun built his retirement villa, modelling it after his granddad’s retirement villa, Kyoto’s famous Kinkakuji Golden Temple. When the Shogun died, his villa was converted into a Zen temple.}

^{Initially, the Shogun planned to cover the villa with silver foil, but was delayed because of a war raging at the time, and he never ended up following through with the plan. Retirement frustrations! Don’t we all know them! Perhaps he was satisfied with the moon light that at times reflected on the building’s dark exterior, back then covered in black lacquer, giving it a silvery appearance.}

^{The Shogun loved the arts and gardens, and the exquisite pavilion grounds he developed became a centre for tea ceremonies, theatre, poetry, tea ceremonies and garden design. It’s a compliment to his taste that people today still adore his garden dream.}

^{Beautiful moss gardens, and an amazing dry sand garden.}

^{I am glad I don’t have the job of raking the sand garden! No blow vac either to clear leaves in the moss garden! I spotted a gardener doing it by hand with a small broom!}

^{There are stone steps along the route around the gardens, and my crook knee managed them. For me, it was worth the effort to follow the circular route to view the pavilion from various angles, enjoy a bird’s eye view of Kyoto and explore the extent of the gardens. I think the Shogun must have had a very enjoyable retirement here.}

^{The Silver pavilion was a lot smaller than I expected – plain, but cosy and elegant in its simplicity. The public aren’t allowed inside, but it is enough to view it from the outside. There are other buildings in the grounds. Remarkably, the pavilion is only one of two at the site that have survived fires and earthquakes over the centuries. I liked it more than the more famous Golden Pavilion.}

^{After our visit to the Silver Pavilion, we lingered in the laneway leading down from its front gate to check out a few shops, and sample what I can best describe as a cream puff filled with custard! It was called a Ginkaku. Delicious.}

^{A runner sprinted by us as we ate, wearing traditional Japanese straw sandals. A reminder of the past. If you didn’t have a horse in ancient times, or be wealthy enough to be carried – you ran to cover long distances – and these sandals were the footwear of choice. They are still hand made today in Kyoto, should you be keen to try a pair.}

^{We moved onto the 2 kilometre Philosopher’s Walk – named after a favorite stroll of the philosopher Nishida Kitaro (1870-1945). This was a peaceful walk, with little shops, cafes and off shoots to various other temples and attractions!} 

^{The Philosopher’s walk was very restful. Not too many people, probably thanks to our early start. At one of the shops en route, I bought a little Christmas bauble, hand made by the owner who kindly invited me into her workroom!}

^{Koi fish can be seen in the stream running alongside the Philosopher’s path. I also spotted a bright yellow spider hanging from a web by the steam. He looked dangerously beautiful!}

As we started at the end of the Philosopher’s walk, we will need to return one day to see the beginning.

^{So that was it for Kyoto 2023! The rest of our time we voluntarily isolated with Covid – there were no longer any mandated isolation or reporting rules. We had come to Japan prepared with quality masks and covid test kits, thermometer, pulse meter, and paracetamol – and as we usually do for a longer stay, we had already stocked our hotel fridge with food and drink (and sake!) on our first day. Luckily, we had a nice hotel room, a window that opened to a view of the city, and friends in Kyoto on standby to assist us if needed.}

^{We also had comprehensive travel insurance, and could have reported to our insurer for assistance if we became sick. Fortunately, it was a very mild case for both of us. Probably because we were well vaccinated. MJ had a mild headache which prompted him to covid test. By the next day, he felt quite well. I also felt well, but tested as he had tested positive. We were able to change plans and extend our stay in Kyoto to recover – though no more sightseeing!}

^{We are returning later this year to complete the Kyoto plans we had for 2023 – hopefully no covid this time!}