Rainy day in Kyoto

Some days we don't get out much, though we still try to do interesting things (even looking out the window at the bikes, people, and rooftops can be pretty fascinating). Today was a typical rainy day around here. Poor S had to go back to work after his Golden Week holiday, so J and were on our own this afternoon. We're closing in on the end of the semester, so on the days when Steve has classes, I do a lot of work while J is sleeping (naptime and after bedtime). It's not always as easy to work, though, while he's awake, so often we go for walks or take the train or bus someplace interesting (the Botanical Garden, the Imperial Palace Park, downtown...) between naps. Today, we just did a little looking around the neighborhood.

We are fortunate in the location of our apartment (our "mansion"). It's on two main bus lines (most of Kyoto is convenient to a bus line) and just a few minutes walk from a train line that takes us downtown one direction and to great hiking in the mountains the other direction. We're walking distance from a major shrine, and a short bike or bus ride from Kyoto University and S's office. We also have a nice view from our window.

Today, we took advantage of our proximity to shopping. We're two blocks from two major department stores, both of which have supermarkets. One is advertised as an American-style shopping mall (it isn't, thank goodness) because it has lots of other businesses on its premises, including a German bakery, a dessert crepe place, a 100-yen store, a Starbucks, a food court, and several restaurants. It also has two floors of fancy department-store type shops and the Kyoto Holiday Inn on the upper floors. Just around the corner from there is another less fancy department store that also has a food court and grocery store. We visit one or the other most days to buy groceries or baked goods. We wondered whether we'd see a lot of Westerners around our apartment since we're close to the Holiday Inn. It's not the case; the hotel seems to cater mostly to Japanase tour bus groups. There's very little English spoken in our neighborhood, which suits us fine because we have to practice our Japanese.

Today, J and I had iced coffee and a snack at one of the coffee shops (well, I did--he munched on some rice crackers and skipped the coffee). Then we strolled around the shops and did some grocery shopping. Some things I found out: the bookstore does not have an English language section (we have to get closer to downtown for that, though the convenience store next door has the Japan Times, an English newspaper), the grocery store does have pancake mix (though this means we'll have to hit our limited Vermont maple syrup supply that we actually brought for gifts), baby gear is very expensive, and the German bakery's stock is better earlier in the day. So, we learned a lot today. Oh, and J learned to play catch with a ball (well, he learned to sort of roll it back to me), which is great fun for both of us.

Here's what Mt. Hiei looks like from our apartment on a rainy day.