Tuesday, December 26, 1989
Daitokuji
Today we visited Daitokuji, a compound of 24 temples with many stone gardens. We have the place almost to ourselves.
The Golden Pavilion
In the afternoon, we visited Kinkakuji, the Golden Pavilion, and auspiciously the sun came out. The Golden Pavilion is one of those places, like the Grand Canyon, whose beauty cannot be entirely captured in a photograph. (Although so many try that there is a guide who points you to the spot on which to stand to frame the best shot). We took the prerequisite tourist snapshot. Then I snapped a photo of the pavilion from the back, away from the crowds, which I think captures more the spirit of the place.
Shopping
Having exhausted our spirit for sightseeing, we spent the rest of our holiday shopping. We shopped at the Porta shopping arcade in Kyoto eki. I fell in love and bought a tea set that reminds me of lichen growing on a stone. It is black and gray. Murakami-sensei wrinkled up her nose at it and said it was not a proper teapot because it had no lid.
Posted by M Sinclair Stevens
December 26, 1989
Share Your Thoughts
Here is Murakami-sensei searching for tranquility in "The Garden of the Blissful Mountain" in the Zuiho-in monastery.