友達！

Some of my best Japanese friends, and their kids!

今回も京都に帰って素晴しかった！本当にみんな友達心から有り難い！ 

また早めに会えるように楽しみに待っていますね。

My Japanese friends' hospitality has been, once more, beyond incredible. They are all so kind, welcoming and loving that I adore to be there and can't stop saying Thank You!

Osaka

A day in always more modern Osaka for the Grand Front Osaka opening to meet some friends...

Kyoto's temples

Some of my favourite spots in Kyoto...

Heian Jingu, Tofuku Ji

Toji, Kinkakuji, Ginkakuji

Kiyomizudera

Kurama Dera

Kyoto

The city I love...

Sakura & Momiji

Tottoro, white peacock at 妙説庵, turtles at Fushimi Inari, Tofukuji

Kyoto JR Station, Kyoto tower

Hairdresser..., Tatami maker

Kamogawa, Lake Biwa (Omimaiko, Shiga)

A Japanese Meal

Let's start the day with a traditional Japanese breakfast which includes fish, rice, miso shiro and maybe natto (the only thing I CANT eat of Japanese delicacies!):

For lunch you can have a bento:

...or a lunch set:

For dinner a fantastic Japanese traditional food restaurant (Sekkei, Kyoto):

...or a temakizushi party with friends:

The day can now end with some sweets before the ofuro:

Japanese Food

While traveling in - my beloved - Japan for over fifteen days, we never had the same meal once! The variety of Japanese food is incredible, and not so well known (Italians eat pizza everyday and Japanese eat sushi...). Restaurants mainly cook one speciality, so you firstly need to decide what you want to eat and then you choose the restaurant. Many ways of cooking vegetables, meat, fish and tofu and many times you cook directly on the table, which is a great way to have a dinner party with friends.

Things have changed quite a lot after Fukushima's tragedy and particular attention must be payed towards food...

Udon, donburi, tonkatsu, kare rice

Hiroyuki's nabe

Ramen, cooking nabe at home

Taeko's nabe

Fushimi Inari

Fushimi Inari Taisha is definitely one of my favourite temples in Kyoto. I climbed the mountain, walking under thousands of tori, many times but the atmosphere is always so magic, mystical as the first time and it's always a surprise...