Kyoto - Streetfood, Imperial Palace and the Philosophy of Cherry Blossoms

On Sunday, we got to know Kyoto from a different perspective. First, we visited Nishiki Market, a covered market in downtown Kyoto, where allegedly locals do their shopping. However, it was crowded - especially with tourists. It's a perfect place for foodies and photographers. We could have spent hours here - there is so much to discover and taste (for example, grilled sparrows).

After enjoying some delicious food, we headed to the Imperial Palace Kyoto. The old imperial palace is located in a spacious public park. Although it's no longer the official residence of the emperor (that's in Tokyo), official processions are still held here occasionally - a touch of imperial history, so to speak. Unfortunately, the buildings can only be viewed from the outside. The gardens, however, are beautiful and meticulously designed - definitely worth a photo.

Next, we went to the Path of Philosophy (Tetsugaku-no-Michi). This path stretches about 2 km from Ginkakuji (the Silver Pavilion) to Wakaoji Shrine, along a small paved canal. This path is worth seeing because it's lined with hundreds of cherry trees. By the way, the name of the path comes from a former professor at the University of Kyoto. He used to walk along the canal, deeply immersed in his meditation.

Since the cherry blossom season is captivating all of Japan, this place was also very crowded and everyone was taking out their phones or cameras for the perfect selfie or photo. Although we have seen many cherry trees in full bloom, this place was something special.