Walk Through Higashiyama-ku, Kyoto 2016

Fushimi Inari-taisha Shrine and Kiyomizu-dera Temple were the main sites on our agenda for the day, but the Kodai-ji Zen Temple (高台寺) was nearby in Higashiyama-ku. It is a temple of the Rinzai school of Zen Buddhism and the largest subtemple of the Kennin-ji branch.

Zen garden! I just want to run out there with a rake! 

You can see the Ryōzen Kannon sticking out of the trees.

Kevin walking around the garden

Me in front of a scenic pond and Kodai-ji Zen Temple

Gardens

From certain points of the Kodai-ji Zen Temple you can see the Ryōzen Kannon (霊山観音) War Memorial commemorating those who died in the Pacific War located in Eastern Kyoto. The statue of the Bodhisattva Kannon was made out steel and concrete by Hirosuke Ishikawa in 1955. The statue is 80 ft high.  The site also has a memorial hall in honor of the unknown soldier killed in World War II.

Side view of the Ryōzen Kannon from the Kodai-ji Zen Temple

Ryōzen Kannon and War Memorial building

Ryōzen Kannon  close-up

Through the gate

From there we headed back through Maruyama Park, which was gorgeous. The park has a weeping cherry tree, musical entertainment, and what appeared to be a heron trained to pose for pictures.

Maruyama Park

Trained heron

Music captured in a video I haven't uploaded yet

Park and Weeping Cherry Tree

To get to Gion, we passed through the Yasaka Shrine. Seriously, you can't get from point A to Point B in Kyoto without accidentally walking through a beautiful shrine or temple.

Yasaka Shrine

In Gion we walked around some more, did some shopping, and finally headed to the train station for our hotel reservation in Osaka that evening.

River in Gion

Streets in Gion

Gion

Ueno Park,Tokyo 2016

So, I'm still on Monday morning. We walked over to Ueno Park in the Taito Special Ward of Tokyo. There are a lot of things to do in Ueno Park. There are several museums, a zoo, many temples and shrines, and the park itself is beautiful. We planned on going to the National Museum there on Tuesday (because it's not open on Monday) but it worked out that we explored the park Monday because it ended up raining on Tuesday.

Andrew leading us to Ueno Park

Fountains at Ueno Park

There are was a great Buddhas in this area created by a feudal lord but in 1647 an earthquake destroyed the statue. A second great Buddha was built but in 1923, another earthquake destroyed the statue. Only the face of the second Buddha remains at the Kan-eiji Temple.

Ueno Daibutsu (Great Buddha and Pagoda)

Ueno Daibutsu (Great Buddha and Pagoda)

Inari is a deity with shrines and Buddhist temples throughout most of Japan. The entrance to an Inari shrine is usually marked by one or more red torii and some statues of foxes (kitsune), which are often adorned with red bibs (yodarekake) by worshippers out of respect. The main shrine is the Fushimi Inari-taisha in Fushimi-ku, Kyoto (we went there later in the trip).

Hanazono Inari Shrine

Torii tunnel leading to Hanazono Inari Jinja (Hanazono Inari Shrine)

Hanazono Inari Shrine

Kevin and Andrew posing with a fox at the Hanazono Inari Shrine worship hall

The Hanazono Inari Shrine worship hall

The Ana Inari Shrine (Hole Inari) built for a displaced fox

Kevin is a bit tall for this shrine

We wandered around for a while more, seeing more things we couldn't identify at the time, but I googled when we got home.

View down to Shinobazu Pond at Ueno Park

Kiyomizu Kannondo

We went for lunch at the nearby Tsukiji Sushi-gen Honten. Andrew doesn't really like sushi so he made our green tea and then we went to a different neighborhood for one of his favorite meals (next post).

Andrew making our green tea at Tsukiji Sushi-gen Honten

Quick lunch at Tsukiji Sushi-gen Honten

I ate this: salmon, Ikura (salmon eggs) and a mystery fish on rice.

Michele Bachelorette Brunch 2016

We had so much fun during our weekend in Richmond celebrating Michele's bachelorette fun, that I had to separate it into multiple posts. I started counting all the fun things we did, and Friday through Saturday was #1-29: http://theclous.blogspot.com/2016/03/micheles-bachelorette-festivities-2016.html.

On Sunday, I got to sleep in again (very exciting for me, you guys). (#30) When I woke up I saw my wrist and thought- OH MY WHAT IS THAT? It was the bachelorette temporary tattoo from the night before. (#31) Haha. Ash, Angela, and I walked over to Captain Buzzy's Beanery so as not to wake Michele. (#32) Then we walked over to Libby Hill Park to check out the view and drink our coffees, or in Ash's case a dirty dirty chai. She'll never sleep again. (#33) When we came back Michele was up and ready so had group hug time. (#34) It was on the agenda even before we got there because she and Karen were recently passengers in a car accident and got concussions.

Going clockwise from bride: Michele, Tara, Kate, Susan, Angela, Ash, me, 

Hannah, Anne, Kristen, Karen, and Emily

For the highlight of Michele's bachelorette weekend we did the The Jefferson Hotel's Sunday Champagne Brunch. It's a Richmond tradition. (#35) It's an understatement to say I loved it. It's probably responsible for 2 of the 4 pounds I gained while I was in Richmond for 48 hours. Michele had wore a super cute outfit, which Hannah made even cuter with a little veil and boa.  (#36)

Emily, Michele, and Tara

Emily is Michele's sister-in-law and she told us the family tradition of telling fun little stories about the person who is having a big day. It was a great idea and helped us all get to know each other better. It's clear that Michele has super amazing friends (with exceptionally nice hair) and that they all love her like crazy. (#37)

Can we talk about the food for a second? The Sunday Brunch had buffet tables downstairs with breakfast, lunch, and dessert foods. There were: eggs benedict, sausage, bacon, Three Cheese Grits (you had me at grits- #38), Potatoes, french toast, an omelet station, and a waffle station. They also had smoked salmon, shrimp, oysters on the half shell and a bunch of meat dishes including some Indian food flavored pork thing. Obviously I only tried some of these things. Dessert was another story. I had all the desserts- well at least a few bites: chocolate truffle torte, chocolate cake, cheese cakes, tarts , toasted almond torte, pecan bourbon torte, creme brulee, and some mini cupcakes including red devil and peanut butter cupcakes. (#39)

Buffet tables and guest seating on lower level

Music by the Randall Pharr Trio (#40)

In addition to the food, there was bottomless champagne and orange juice which many of us used to create our own mimosas. (#41) Also, Ash I took a billion failed panoramic shots of the table-- this might be directly related to #41. (#42) 

8/12 people

7/12

10/12 and a very distorted Ash, panorama fail.

When brunch was over, Michele had little party gifts for those of us who couldn't come back for the rescheduled shower. (#43) We walked though the beautiful lobby of the hotel where they also do afternoon tea, and then we took some more pictures outside the hotel, because that's how we roll. (#44)

Susan, Kate, Hannah, Michele in the lobby

 

Michele and Kate outside the hotel

We got spoiled on beautiful Richmond on this trip. In addition to going to Libby Hill Park in the morning, Michele, Hannah, Ash, and I went for a walk through Jefferson Park in the afternoon. (#45) Obviously we took more pictures- made impossible and hilarious by high wind conditions. (#46)

Libby Hill Park in the morning

Me, Michele and Ash at Jefferson Park

We went to say goodbye to Arthur, Emily, and Avery before they left to go home. Did I mention how adorable and cute Avery is? (#47) Finally Michele dropped us off at the airport - we had more group hugs- and Michele went off to get her pending manicure from the day before. (#48) Despite the fact that Ash and I got to the airport ridiculously early, we went to charge my phone at another gate and almost missed our flight. But we didn't yay! (#49)

It was a great trip! We had so much fun!! But the BEST PART was that no one got a concussion!!! (#50)

Family Day- February 2016

We had a super fun family day on Saturday because it was unseasonably warm. First, I went with James to his indoor winter soccer class. Miranda and Kevin hit the playground outside the building. When soccer was over, James and Kevin hit the playground, while Miranda and I did laps in the park.

James in the playground treehouse at Heritage Park

Miranda and I doing laps.

She took over. Typical.

We went home for lunch, and Kevin and Miranda took naps. By the time everyone woke up it was late afternoon but we didn't want to waste the weather so we went to the beach. There's a really nice playground at the beach so the kids got to go to two playgrounds in one day.

Cedar Beach, my beach

James to unknown boy: "Then we have to kick all the sharks."

Miranda running to the swings

My job

Cubans on swings

Having a lot of fun

Kevin and me with Miranda photo bomb