Chionin Light Up

This is popular this time of year: Night-lighting the famous temples to highlight the fall colors (it is still fall here! We just passed the peak color season).

In this case, the pictures aren't as nice as the real thing. But maybe you can see the reflections in the water?

You could have tea served to you in this traditional tea-ceremony house.

There was a rock garden.

This is the main building of Chionin temple. It is huge...

There was a concert happening, under the huge gate at the bottom of these stairs.

At one of the side temples, people were lighting candles.

Our boys talked Daddy into buying a candle from this table.

Here are some little angel pictures for the grandparents:

What did you pray for, Alek?

A few more scenes...

Night viewing. Wish you were here....

Tell me how you really feel.....

Have you ever been out with Alek? At a party, out to dinner, hanging out at a friends' house? Then you've noticed that at some point in the early evening, Alek will come up to me, drape himself over the nearest piece of furniture (or my lap), and say,

"Can we go hooooooooooooooome now?"

After eating a few pounds of crab meat last week, Alek's early evening misery was more poignant than ever:

But I think he was partly kidding...

We love you, Alek!

Kids' Meal

I am about to post a photo of the kids' meal Alek ordered at a family restaurant a few days ago.

Before I show you, I want to you pause so you can form a mental image of the most recent U.S. kids' meal you've seen.

Okay, now you are ready:

What's here? A scoop of rice with seaweed sprinkles. One tempura shrimp. One french fry. One small sausage. One small pile of ketchup. One box of juice. And one small bowl of udon noodles with wakame, fried tofu, and onions.

Mt. Hiei

Recently we visited Mt. Hiei with my friend Y-san. Hieizan is the tallest mountain in Kyoto. See? Taller than Max.

It was just a typical day. You know, beautiful fall leaves....

Some more steps....

Some more temple loveliness....

Some more bells.

Some more incense...

Some more fun trips on the train...

And some more views of Lake Biwa to feed my obsession...

Ho-hum, you say? Well, there were some new things about this trip.

Like this cable car that took us to the top....

(We didn't get to go offroad, but I guess when you do, the conductor uses this:)

And there was a special trickling sound you can hear, if you put your ear right next to this red arrow.

But overall, just a typical Kyoto sightseeing day....

Wish you were here....