The Last Post

Our last day in Japan-we walk around Kyoto for some last minute shopping and visit Daimaru department store for supplies for lunch-this is a huge wonderland of delectable goodies, the choice is endless.We make a tearful farewell at our Ryokan and loaded up with 3 massive suitcases and an even larger bag of lunch goodies we make our way to Kyoto station to catch our shinkansen to Tokyo. At Tokyo station we get lost but a very helpful Tokyoitian lady takes us to our airport train which we get on with 2 minutes to spare-I reach out the door to hand her a couple of thank you koalas and nearly lose my arm and am forced to throw them onto the platform-there is a take no prisoner attitude on Japaneses railways.
No problems checking in and fortified by 2 mugs of wine and a tumbler of whisky I lurch onto our plane and gladly take a glass of champagne to wash down my 2 sleeping tablets. There is then a call for a doctor which I answer of course; the rest of this story becomes a little hazy and I have to rely on 2nd hand account related to me by my CW, but apparently the hostess was surprised when I couldn't remember why I called her and  I had a lot of trouble finding my mouth with the dinner. Anyway the next thing I know we are coming in to Sydney. I feel that maybe I would not have been the best help for a medical emergency.
Thoroughly enjoyed our first breakfast in Australia.

Bamboo shoot stall

Ryokan garden

Ryokan garden

Lunch bento box

Now that is what I call a breakfast!

Food as Art and we play spot the Geisha

Some early shopping for pottery and a new kitchen knife from Aritsugu who has come out of retirement as Imperial sword maker- amazing array of specialist knives-eel knife, fish cleaning, sashimi, meat, vegetable, noodle etc-I settle for double honed utility. We take the train to the famous 3 Michelin starred Kitcho restaurant-they are very apologetic for me turning up a day early-I magnaminously forgive them. We are ushered into our private dining room and are served a series of delicacies by our own kimono clad waitress-much bowing and genuflecting-sometimes it felt like eating the Mona Lisa; 2 bottles of wine later we stagger back to the train and make our way to Gion for a special geisha concert combined with tea ceremony-get blank look when I ask for milk, 2 sugars and an iced vo-vo.
After the show we hook up with an elderly gent who is an expert on geishas and as we hang around the stage door as he identifies each one by name and their "characteristics".
We finish off the evening with a hearty bowl of udon

Personalising knife

Kitcho

Pickled cherry blosson tea

The Sea-note the crashing waves

Throw another fish on the barbie,love!

You will eat the whole fish

Is this the best beef I have eaten

See yar later

Must have peace sign

Local ladies

Our new best friend

Udon and tempura

noodles.

Almost, but no cigar!

We take train to Arashiyama and wander through the bamboo forest and then through the Tenryu-Ji temple prior to eating at the Kitcho restaurant, reputed to be the best in Kyoto-this restaurant is elusive but with the help of a the local constabulary we are guided to the locked front gate and are informed that it is closed, despite our confirmed reservation! We talk to a local rickshaw driver who kindly phones the restaurant who tells us the booking is for tomorrow-how we laughed-NOT. Back to town, lunch of Kurobata Schnitzel, shoppng, massage for CW and then the usual 17 course dinner, prior to which we are lucky enough to spy on a group of local salarymen being entertained by a geisha.

Arashiyama Bamboo Forest

Arashiyama Bamboo Forest

Bamboo Shoot

Arashiyama Bamboo Forest

Tenryu-Ji temple

Tenryu-Ji temple

Tenryu-Ji temple

Tenryu-Ji temple

Tenryu-Ji temple

Tenryu-Ji temple

Japanese Scnitzel

Geisha

Geisha

Geisha