A bit of rest this Sunday afternoon, for the first time since I got here. I just need to get some stuff from Yodobashi and from Nitori, the Japanese Ikea. Both stores are near the Kyoto Station. The weather is rather nice, this must be a good time to go there following the Kamo, the river which crosses the city from north to south. I leave on foot towards the east, through Pontocho until I meet with the river.
One of the few streets with trees in the city, near Pontocho
It must also be the only one bordered by a canalWhen getting on the bridge, I hesitate… Gion and its traditional houses is just across the river. I give in to the temptation, and I explore the narrow streets which are less crowded (or not at all). There are quite a few things to see here and there, and corners to go around. I keep going to the east, but I need to go south at some point, which will let me pass by the Yasaka pagoda. I climb a street getting up a hill and at the edge of a forest in order to get a glimpse of the city. But the buildings and the trees hide the view.
The Kamo
Going ahead or turning right ?
When getting back down, I stumble on streets crowded with tourists. I don’t hang around. I quickly go past the Yasaka pagoda, and I go to the west and the river. A matcha ice-cream and a temple later, I see the Kamo again. I walk on its banks towards the south, then I turn to the west to get to the station.
The Yasaka pagodaThis improvised stroll calls for more… A few temples were under construction and closed, and I would like to return around the pagoda at quieter times.