Imperial Palace and a walk to school

It seems like an age since I`ve posted here, so I do have a number of things to catch up on.

One day before I bought my bike I spent an hour or two walking to school rather than taking the bus. The walk takes one through the Imperial Palace Park and around today`s Kyoto Imperial Palace.
 
The place is massive: it takes a good chunk of the north center of modern Kyoto, and the wide gravel boulevards and massive palace are meant to impress.

This shot is of the inner walls around the inner palace. There is another wall around the whole compound.
 
The inner wall is about 15 feet tall and in typical Japanese fashion surrounded by motion sensors. If you cross the band about 1 foot from the wall, an alarm starts beeping and you are very, very, very, politely asked to step back by the recording. I watched a Japanese guy turn beat red in front of his girlfriend as he did it.

You`ll also find it interesting to see the ornate architecture on this building: these are the tiles that are on the top edge of the wall.
 
Can you imagine the effort in making these by hand?

Much of the walk to Kyodai Kaikan is east to west, so that means you have to cross the Kamo Gawa (Duck River).
 

I cannot say I`ve ever seen a duck on the river, but it does have some picturesque views of the mountains and of Kyoto.












On my way home one night I found this scene at a well known sweets shop in the neighborhood. It`s a classic piece of Japan in my eyes. I call it Icons of an Age.

 

Cars parked in traditional “garages” (houses) like this are certainly not a rarity in Kyoto, but I find this quite amusing. The Meiji looking dwelling and a VW bus seem to represent their eras quite well.

These final few shots are for Steve and Sherry Schwartz.
 

Last time I was in Kyoto they were here for meeting and dined on a Kaiseki meal. We picked them up from Shiran Kaikan near Kyoto University.

 

I knew nothing about the neighborhood at the time, but it turns out it`s on my 5 minute walking route between KCJS in Kyodai Kaikan and the main campus of Kyoto University.

 

I pass by every day and remember how much we enjoyed that meal and trip to Osaka for Bunraku. My host parents still talk about it with me.