May 10, 2017
Kyoto Day Two: Sight seeing
We lay in late today, only surfacing after eight o'clock.
We started off at Nijo Castle, built in 1603 as the Kyoto residence of Tokugawa Ieyasu, the first shogun of the Edo Period (1603-1867). His grandson Iemitsu completed the castle's palace buildings 23 years later and further expanded the castle by adding a five story castle keep. After the Tokugawa Shogunate fell in 1867, Nijo Castle was used as an imperial palace. We spent almost three hours in the castle and the surrounding gardens.
Then it was on to the Kyoto Imperial Palace which amazingly charges no entrance fee. The palace used to be the residence of Japan's Imperial Family until 1868, when the emperor and capital were moved from Kyoto to Tokyo.
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After that a stroll down the Nishiki Market before heading back to the guesthouse as the rain started to fall. It seems we might have quite a bit of rain over the next week so we better get used to it.
Lifers for today were White-cheeked Starling, Oriental Greenfinch, Japanese White-eye and Eastern Great Tit at the castle and Oriental Turtle Dove at the palace.
Today's ride: 14 km (9 miles)
Total: 36 km (22 miles)
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