Shimogamo Shrine

Today was a day of contrasts.  We were able to see the contrast between the Nijo Castle and the Imperial Palace as well as the contrast between the very "new" Heian Shrine and one of the oldest shrines in Kyoto--Shimogamo Shrine. 

We got here around sunset.  It was kind of drizzily, but it wasn't bad...yet.

 The Shimogamo Shrine dates back to the 6th century and was originally built to protect the city of Kyoto.  The cool thing about this shrine is that it is located within a patch of forest that for some unexplainable reason has never burned.  The entire city of Kyoto has burned down countless times, and yet, this forest has somehow remained untouched.  There are trees that are up to 600 years old in this forest.  It is called the Forest of Truth.  According to legend, lies will come to light in this forest.  There is a large gravel path that we rode our bikes on through the forest as we approached the shrine.

We had no idea why this large wooden bird was here....research on the internet has not brought forth any answers.

Because of the time of day and the clouds threatening rain, we pretty much had this shrine to ourselves.  There was a large Haiden and several smaller shrines.

To the right of the Haiden was this perfect little stream.  The bridge was blocked off so one could not enter, but this whole sight was picture perfect.

Some of the kids noticed these little baskets floating in the stream near the bridge.  We had no idea what they were, and again, I can't find any information on the internet.  They are cute, though.

This place was beautiful and serene and we enjoyed walking around for a time, but after the sun went down it began to lightly rain.  We were a long way from our rental, so it was time to get on the bikes and head for shelter.

Again, we followed the river path through Kyoto to get home as quickly as possible.  The kids didn't seem to mind the fact that we were out biking when it was dark and lightly raining.  It was kind of relaxing.  Even romantic.  The lights reflecting off of the river was really pretty.  It made for a fun memory for us all.  We enjoyed it.

The view of Kyoto Tower lit up in the rain was really stunning.  Unfortunately, the camera just couldn't capture it accurately.

The kids thought it was great fun riding bikes along the river in the rain at night....until it started to rain harder.  But, by that time, we were about 7-8 blocks from home.

We ended our day back where we started--at Toji Temple.  The large pagoda is lit up at night, and it made for a stunning view in the rain.

We made it to the rental and got dried off.  Warmed up with some hot ramen, fresh veggies, and chocolate chip rolls before settling under the covers to enjoy a well deserved rest from the activities of the day.