outdoors...

We've been getting outside and trying to enjoy the last few nice days of spring. We are anticipating a rainy June, followed by more of that world-famous Kyoto humidity.

The hiking trails in Kyoto are all business. Switchbacks are for weanies. Here we are on a hike we took a couple of weeks ago, near Kurama.

We got off the train at the station before Kurama and hiked over the mountain. On the way to the trailhead we saw this amazing ryokan/restaurant with seating right on the river.

We saw some big sacred trees.

And some more steps (this is the end of our hike, nearer to Kurama).

There was a statue here and people left some unusual donations for it....
We figured nobody would miss a few eggs--they don't keep, after all. And we like omelettes.

We heard frogs in this pond. LOUD frogs. But we couldn't see a single one. So here we are wondering if it was all fake! ? Where's the mike?
This is where the Kurama Fire festival started, and the end of the hike for today. But the best part was that we walked through town and soaked in the Kurama Onsen outdoor bath! Great way to end a long hike.

Then this past Saturday, we did a hike from Kami-Katsura, through some bamboo and other forests.

I'm really glad I carried my purse the whole way.
Such a great view....
...until you back up.
Lo and behold, we ended up in Arashiyama again! We seem to be drawn to this place.

We can't help gravitating to the award-winning gelato store, where the boys had kinako gelato and strawberry chocolate cookie.