When we were first planning this trip, Japan was always on the back burner but never quite made the initial itinerary. Over the last few months we have bounced back and forth with the idea of coming here simply because we knew we would have absolutely no money by this point (which is true) and that our bank accounts (and credit cards) just couldn’t handle it. But like many aspects of this trip, we have been riding a strong “carpe diem” mentally… so here we are, and we’re sure glad we came here! Our first few days were spent in Kyoto, which may be our new favorite place.

Seriously, it could get any cuter:Our red eye flight from Hanoi had some pretty awful turbulence and made for a sleepless night. So the first thing we did upon checking into our room was to take a “quick nap” from noon to…. 6:00pm (whoops). We finally pulled ourselves out of bed and got dinner which turned out to be the best ramen ever. For those who aren’t familiar with legit Japanese ramen, no, it’s not the same as those $0.80 cent noodle packs at the grocery store. Actual ramen is much more substantial and delicious.

Noodle soup heaven: You place your order using this machine:They also give you little buckets to put your bag/purse in because having it touch the ground is just too uncivilized apparently:This was also our first encounter with Japanese food culture and it was both interesting and amazing. You walk into the ramen shop and are directed to a digital screen where you select the food items you want, insert your money, and get a ticket. The wait staff then takes your ticket and brings it to the kitchen, and that’s how you order. Certainly not anything we have experienced in the states! Plus, the food exceeded expeditions. Afterwards, in typical T&T fashion, we decided to just start walking and see where we ended up. We walked for about an hour into the center of Kyoto along this insanely beautiful biking/walking path right along a river. It felt like a dream to be walking around in 70 degree weather (with a breeze!) after spending over a month in triple digit temperatures.The next day (which just so happened to be our 2 year wedding anniversary!!!) we started off with coffee at a cute little cafe near our hotel. So cute in fact, that they include a little information with your coffee to tell you about the specific roast you are drinking (it was so hipster…we clearly loved it).

It was crucial that we know our beans were grown at an altitude of 1,600 meters:The coffee shop deck vibes were on point:Then we headed to the Yasaka Temple, which was pretty touristy and crowded so we decided to take a random little walking path through the woods instead. Suddenly we felt like we had teleported to autumn in New England. It may have been the combination of the (absolutely perfect!) temperature, the sound of birds, and the smell of dried leaves, but we were in heaven.

Walking on the path: Taylor getting way too excited about a pile of dried leaves because “they smell just like fall back home”:The actual temple wasn’t necessarily the most breathtaking thing we have seen, but the cemetery behind it had quite the view:The temple was surrounded by tons of super cute neighborhoods as well:And some really short bridges:After the temple, we headed to a convenience store for a snack. Now, in the states, I would never think of getting actual food at a convenience store but the ones in Japan are next level. They have an entire aisle/section of amazing baguette style sandwiches and baked goods, plus a ton of other pre-made snacks, sushi, and full blown meals. So for lunch, we had ham and cheese baguette…and a small bottle of whiskey (we may be married and close to 30 but there’s no better way to cling to your youth quite like doing some day drinking). It may have been drizzling for a good part of the afternoon but that didn’t dull our spirits.

He wasn’t posing, he just always looks this good: Slow dancing along the river to our wedding song:For lunch we tried a uniquely Japanese experience: the sushi conveyer belt! Probably one of the most bizarre dining experiences we have been to. You sit down at a counter, and when a plate comes by that looks appealing, you take it off the belt and eat it. Most plates had two pieces and all of them have signs indicating what they were (we avoided the uh… raw horse meat) but all of it was delicious! Plus, there’s a hot water tap at each seat (along with tea bags) so you can make/have tea as you please.

A newfound love for the sushi conveyer belt:The best shrimp tempura:Oh and we got 14 plates:The hot water/personal tea spout at each seat:Since we have no self control, we left the sushi spot and immediately walked next door to the most elaborate dessert restaurant either of us have ever been to. There was a menu (about the size of a small chapter book) with dozens of dessert options. After a long, hard look at the menu we opted for the mochi ice cream sundae, which did not disappoint. One thing we found interesting about Japan is that restaurants display fake versions of their food in the windows to show what kind of dishes they have, see below for reference.

Way way WAY too many options:Very happy with our decision:Oh and here’s a massive sundae that costs $50,000 Japanese yen aka $500 US dollars:Then we headed back to our room for a few hours to relax and shower before venturing back out for actual dinner (since it was only 4pm). Unfortunately, the minute we got off the subway on our way to dinner, we were greeted with a torrential downpour. This made “walking around to find a place to eat” a bit of a challenge especially since we didn’t have an umbrella or raincoats with us. We eventually found a little restaurant to duck into and the food was amazing…yet again. It wasn’t your typical wedding anniversary dinner, but it’s one we won’t forget.

The delightfully overflowing glasses of sake we were served that Taylor almost slugged in one sip by accident thinking it was water:The next day we lucked yet again with some more top notch weather. It was low-mid 70s, sunny, with a light breeze; basically the most ideal New England day. So we paid $7 to rent bicycles and rode around the city for six hours stopping along the way at whatever looked interesting.

Feeling free as a bird:Glamour shot time:Inside the bamboo grove:We also ended up at yet another insanely picturesque cemetery:It was great to be able to cover so much ground, especially in a place that is so biker friendly. We stopped at a bamboo grove, a Japanese garden, through a huge wooded park, and of course made a pit stop at the convenience store to get a double deep fried corn dog for Tristan. It felt surreal to be outside all day and not be sweating through our entire outfit.

Corn dog Corriveau:Taking the pot-holed road less travelled:We ended the night with a few beers down by the river, enjoying the sunset. It was a fantastic few days of wandering, eating, and truly enjoying what this little city has to offer. We will be back for you again one day, Kyoto.Next up, Tokyo!

Xoxo -T&T