Liberty, Arashiyama, and Moss

On our bike outing today, we stopped at Trenteetun (Trente et un) and fell in love with some Liberty fabrics.

I liked the little coin purse kit for 1500 yen  ($15). They had a large selection of Liberty and yarn.

Along with exquisite hand quilted items and small projects.  I admired a purse made up and they gave me the pattern sheet.

A nice start for our bike ride up to Arashiyama.

When Janine of CraftyTokyoMama posted these amusing little guys, I was smitten.

Very few tourists, 300 yen.
Long way up hills where the snow mixes with rain.

Shops line both sides of narrow streets. Cars go through fast. Walkers and bikes somehow co-exist.

I'm the wobbly American on a one-speed (we call that no speed) bike.

We stopped at one shop where they immediately gave us brown rice tea served in bamboo cups while we looked around.

Fabulous dolls at one stop. You could take photos of these as well. Doll in first photo is from 1800's. Doll on right is newer.

Third photo is outside a shop. Not sure why you would want long eyebrows - cute as we rode by.

Next stop was Otago Temple with the sad guys.
It's a cemetery. The stones in the first photo are for those who have no one to remember them.

We found a dry place to eat our lunches while it rained a bit.
Which made the Moss Garden stunning when the sun came out.

Gio-ji Temple 500 yen?

Too early for the trees to leaf out. We were treated to the sun sparkling on the moss.

The fourth photo is a concrete temple kitty rock that visitors leave coins on.

These were hanging in a garden that turned out to be a doll shop.

{for Teresa & Connie}

And finally, the famous Bamboo Walk.

This low down - lots of tourists.
Taxis zoom up here too.