Tha last day

Yesterday was hard to beat and I didn't try. It was a day to finish off my bucket list and make sure I didn't return to family and friends empty handed.  I wanted to see the Royan-Ji meditation rock garden, and I did, along with lots of school children which meant there wasn't a lot of meditating going on. It is a small garden 25 x 35 meters so Leonard was right when he said photographers needed to be there at the opening to get a real feel for it. There was a beautiful garden around it with an unusually pruned forest of cedars, which was quiet and meditative and made the trip worth while.  I also found some good gifts.

The Image

The reality

This part of the garden really was peaceful

I walked through some neighbourhoods in order to get to the Golden Temple but as I approached I could tell that it would be a zoo and opted to hop the bus and head back into town.  After a late lunch and a rest along the river with the heron and the old men I was ready to shop and start packing up. I soon realized that gifts were not going to fit in my carryon so back I went to the market for another bag. By then it was time to get ready for dinner.

Liza had made reservations to meet with Kathy and Al at a 2 star Michelin rated restaurant.  The Mavo is small, elegantly simple, and tucked in on a little side street in the Gion district. It was an amazing meal, 8 courses, each just a few mouth fulls and beautifully presented. I felt badly that we were their only guests. They worked so hard to serve just our table and made it such an unforgettable dining experience.

I really lucked out on having such a good group to travel with on the tour. These last days semi on my own have been a nice mix of doing my own exploring, having companionship for things we were interested in and company to debrief with at the end of the day. A great way to finish off.