Shukkei-en plum blossoms!

Last weekend we finally had some lovely weather after what has felt like weeks of cloud and rain, so I decided to take another trip to Shukkei-en Garden, Hiroshima.

A few days before, one of my Japanese colleagues told me the plum blossoms were out there already so I was eager to get some snap shots of the beautiful colours.

They didn't disappoint! 

Here are some of my photographs from my trip...

Even just the walk to the garden is beautiful as you cross one of Hiroshima's several rivers.

The plum blossoms were out in white and varying tones of pink, attracting many visitors to the garden. 

I really liked the contrast of the bright flowers against a clear blue sky!

Hurray for macro setting!

Shukkei-en garden also has it's own little bamboo grove which made for some nice shots.

'The ol' bamboo, the ol' bamboo!'

And you know it's a good day when you come across a sun bathing cat! I swear there were more people taking photos of this little guy than the actual blossoms!

A little privacy please?

The koi carp were being fed and having their usual frenzy!

Even though it isn't a huge place, Shukkei- en garden is so close to where I live and it always makes for a nice, peaceful day out.

Kinkakuji/ The Golden Pavilion

During our stay in Kyoto we visited Kinkakuji also known as The Golden Pavilion.

Kinkakuji is a temple in North Kyoto which gets it's famous golden sheen from the gold leaf coating it's two top floors.

To reach the pavilion you can catch a 25 minute bus from Kyoto city centre. We caught a bus from a within the Gion district. The Golden Pavilion is set in a beautiful garden outside the bustle of the main city, giving it a charming, peaceful atmosphere.

After the main attraction of the Golden Pavilion near to the entrance, you can also see other sights such as the priests former living quarters...

A feathered friend if you're lucky...

Lucky statues where people toss coins...

And the Sekkatei Teahouse where we stopped for a cup of green tea and a small cake, which was delicious!

mmmm gold leaf... yum!

please excuse the terrible state of my nail polish!!

Our visit to The Golden Pavilion didn't take much more than an hour, but I would highly recommend going if you happen to one day find yourself in Kyoto! If nothing else the views of the pavilion and it's surroundings are breathtaking! And at just 400 yen entry it's easy on the wallet too.

Nara!

Sorry it has been a little while since my last post!

Anyway, a couple of weeks ago my mum came to visit which was lovely and we went exploring Kyoto and Tokyo! To start off here are some photos from our trip to Nara.

First we were greeted by some amusing signs warning you about the deer's violent behaviour!

Nara is located just under an hour from Kyoto, easy to get to by a direct local train. On the day we went it was a little cloudy, which was ideal because it meant it was fairly quiet. Our main focus was Nara Park, which includes various historic attractions such as Kofukuji Temple and Todaiji Temple.

The Eastern Golden Hall of Kofukuji Temple

5 story pagoda of Kofukuji Temple

And of course we saw the wild deer that roam the park.

Lots of deer.

Lots and lots of deer...

This guy was my favourite!

If you go to Nara you can buy packets of feed for the deer, but be careful when you do. Once the deer realise you have food on you they won't leave you alone!