Kyoto, part three

Our final day in Kyoto was excursion day. Participants had the chance to partake of one of three optional adventures, or spend the day on their own. One trip was to visit I.M. Pei's Miho Museum, which received rave reviews, and for some, was the very reason they were on this trip. One group went to the bamboo grove of Tenryu-ji and then the moss temple of Saiho-ji. One group went on a cuisine and crafts tour of Kyoto. I was on this third tour.

We set out after breakfast and lecture. Today, the Yale Professor informed the group about Buddhist temples. So much to learn!

Our first stop of the day was the Nishiki Market. I love almost nothing more when traveling to a new place than to visit a market, even a supermarket if I must. I love seeing what's the same and what's different. The colors, sounds, and smells engulf me. I wander, explore, try things. I am happy.

 Outside, ginkgo nuts. Who knew?

And white radish. Now I knew that vegetable in my breakfast bento boxes..... 

Inside, colorful skylights led the way across streets.

 The Japanese packaging was exquisite, always. I seldom knew what was inside the packages, but they always looked beautiful.

 And that was the theme of the market. For every item I could identify, there had to be at least six that I couldn't. Really, no idea broader than 'fish' or 'something pickled.' It was fabulous!

 Beautifully prepped fish, just waiting for someone.

 Pickled things. Yes, you could taste, but there really wasn't time. This was the first time this excursion had been done, and while a big hit, I think it will be revised for next time. While it was so helpful to have the guide, if you couldn't stay right next to her, you didn't know which item she was discussing. And people did want to sample and stroll. And buy. Next time. (Although I went back that night!)

 ??? Vegetables though.

 Do you need plastic food to showcase your menu? Here's your shop.

 Lots of egg. Not the shop for me.

 More ???

 And more ???

Ah, bonito flakes!

Then it was off to lunch, and cooking class! First, we learned how to make dashi, the kelp broth. Then we made the rolled egg omelets, which was quite fun. Then we mixed the seaweed salad. And finally we made our own rolls.

 Not restaurant quality, but not bad for a first-timer. And surprisingly tasty too! Although I couldn't finish. 

Then we visited a textile factory which was beautiful. Such incredible workmanship! But it was also extremely high end. I kept wondering though, if these were the people who wove the theater curtain at the museum?

Then finally, our calligraphy lesson. We learned a bit about the differences in Japanese writing, from the kanji, which are the characters imported from Chinese, to the hiragana characters which are used to phonetically spell Japanese words, to the katakana characters which are used to phonetically spell foreign words, to roman letters. We learned how to use an ink stone, ink stick, and water to make ink. We then used prepared ink for our practice. They showed us step-by-step how to make the character for harmony.  

Good thing they gave us lots of paper to practice! Surprise, this was not one of my hidden talents.

 In fact, the woman who was helping my table, Kimi, found my calligraphy rather amusing. She kept saying, "Powerful!" One of the ladies in the class swears she used the same brush, but hers was so small and delicate.... As you can see, not a great match for our example, above. 

I was asked if I was a very high energy person, because that's what my calligraphy shows. The red symbol in the top right corner means lucky and happy. The bottom left is my name. I'm not sure this one will make it on my art wall, but it was fun.

There was a shop at the market that I really wanted to visit, so I ran out again after returning to the hotel. On my way, I bumped into Kimi on the street! That was lovely. And while my errand was successful, I missed the walking tour of the Gion district, unfortunately. Oh well, can't do everything. And our time in Kyoto was at an end. Next day, to the ship.