Nara-Kyoto-Friday-04.04.25

We were woken up at 6:00 AM and then had breakfast, which was the best so far. There were various Japanese delicacies on the buffet, all lovingly arranged. Miso soup, ginger soup, several small tapas, raw and cooked fish, delicious fruits, raw eggs, Udon noodles, noodles in teriyaki sauce,....

Departure was at 7:45 AM. First, we drove for about 2 hours to a tea plantation, where we took a walk over the green tea fields. We were explained about the cultivation and that the propellers, placed every 20 meters, transport the warmer air from above downwards in April to prevent frost at night. Then it was time for tasting. Unfortunately, it was not a proper tea ceremony, but just pouring from a thermos. Then shopping in the sales area. Overall, this wasn't really my thing and a bit disappointing. We then continued for another hour to Nara, the former capital and imperial residence of Japan.

After lunch, we visited the very beautiful park area featuring the large Buddha statue and a lovely temple. It was quite busy here but the sun was shining, and the cherry trees were in full bloom. Due to the size of the area, it managed to spread out well. We spent about 3 hours here before heading to Kyoto, another former imperial residence and capital. Our guide informed us that emperors often relocated their residence if, for instance, a misfortune occurred. There was a superstition that it might have been linked to the residence.

Upon arriving in Kyoto, we went to the hotel near the train station, a very large block with many guests, which we unfortunately noticed during breakfast.

After checking in, we went to visit the train station. This building impressed me greatly, as it is the largest train station building I have ever seen. It is a massive complex with hundreds of shops, restaurants, cafés,... but also thousands of people. We went up to the observation deck and back down into the basement, which also had a restaurant and a huge food market. After the visit, Anne and I wanted to dine at one of the many restaurants, but we were simply overwhelmed by the choices and had to wait in line everywhere. So, we decided to get fresh sushi box sets from the basement food market and eat in our room, which was also very delicious.