Yes, our train was called Thunderbird #30! not a bullet train but once again a very nice train, and the ride to Kyoto only took us two hours, and once again On TIME !!

SO we had three nights and two days to explore the Kyoto .( I wish we had been able to stay longer, there is so much to see in and around Kyoto) Our hotel was very well placed for the main street, which housed all the top stores including the most beautiful department store and the very interesting market/arcade area, which ran parallel to the main street.

After arriving, we quickly moved onto our first restaurant. Another Kaiseki ( fine dining) set in an old renovated typical Japanese house in the Gion area of Kyoto. We were seated along a bar, which although it does not make for easy conversation, amongst 8 people, it did give us a first class view of the young chefs and their artistry. And I say artistry, because once again, the food we were served was indeed a work of art, and it a joy to see them using steel ended long chop sticks to delicately arrange food items on the plates. I was also interested to see that there was obviously a uniform for them to wear and that was a shirt and tie!!

So I again, will detail our menu, and let you see for yourselves, see if you can guess correctly what they are!

1. Bean, Prawn, Lobster and sea Urchin with pea soup and shrimp tofu
2. Bamboo Shoot, with Duck white miso sauce and aubergine
3. Wasabi, Scallop, Tuna, Squid and Lime,
4. White fish wrapped around sticky rice
5. Abalone, Lotus root Bamboo Shoot and herbs.

1. Cabbage Soup with Scallops, potato salad, Sea bream Roe,Seaweed,Ocotpus,rape seed flowers, Susi of trout, Salsify crisp , white fish with a cherry blossom leaf.
2. Beef and Pumkin
3. fern with spring vegetables, Whole baby squid and a tomato sauce
4. Pickles, miso hot tea, trout rice and scallop rice.
5. Dessert a jelly ( try eating that with chop sticks) Cherry, orange  and orangepeel.
   

   

   

   

   

   

   So tomorrow is another day and our intrepid friend has all sorts lined up fo us including a tea ceremony, geisha dancing, zen gardens and bamboo forests, and Yes another dinner.