Hot in the City....

The day started with a much needed acupuncture session downtown with Tanaka sensei. Feeling a little groggy post our treatment we dragged ourselves onto the subway and headed home.

 Only we didn't go home. For some reason we felt compelled to stay out... It was very early July and really only in the early stages of a Kyoto summer (certainly compared with the rest of July and August) and I can only guess that we were somewhat mesmerised by the sudden arrival of the heat...or perhaps it was a surge of energy from the touch of Tanaka san's magical needles!  

It was all downhill from there as far as the temperature and humidity was concerned but that particular week in summer still held some intrigue to an uninitiated foreigner. We certainly enjoyed observing the locals attempting to cool off in the Kamogawa (Kamo River that flows through the heart of Kyoto city) and took their lead....  in the months that followed it was  too hot to even walk to the river let alone sit out in the sun. Let me share with you a little look at early summer in Kyoto... 

Love the contrast...

 Over the Demachiyanagi bridge we found this flower/plant store - wonderful bright summer colours and seasonal vegetables

 Nextdoor you could scoop your own goldfish  - a favourite at summer festivals

We stumbled across this very cool looking cafe "Demachi Lamp" - it was fairly new as far as I could tell - must get back there and try it... (if you are looking it's across the road from the demachiyanagi shotengai /old fashioned shopping arcade)

 If you haven't been to the shotengai it is good to know you can still pick up a bargain both (on fresh produce) in the arcade and surrounding streets plus there are some restaurants and cafes worth checking out.

 Oh...time to stop for lunch - the fab little find below can be found after exiting the western end of the shotengai and heading diagonally right across the road. You can't miss it really. They had great lunch deals - several choices for 850 yen. Good healthy, tasty grub.

Now directly across the road is a fab little cafe selling quality desserts and pastries. 

 Making our way towards home we walked back along the river, admiring the view of the Daimoji Kanji carved into the mountain, envying those with picnic blankets and craving a dip in the cool water.  Hawks soared, smaller birds rain-danced and darted in and out of the river. Teenagers lazed in the sun, kids hopped across giant tortoise shaped stepping stones followed by their mothers teetering in heels.

  

                   

We sat for some time, our feet cooling in the river, while we watched the showoff above and listened to the kids giggling. Magnificent!

What did I make for dinner? Nothing. It was too hot to cook... take-away yakitori and salad did the trick!