So, I'm finally starting to get settled back down after getting a new computer and completely rearranging the physical and electrical layout of my home office and home network (the latter with Apple's AirPort Extreme, the best consumer router I have ever seen, by orders of magnitude). I've still got a ways to go, but at least I'm up with Lightroom and processing photos again.

A week ago we went on a short overnight trip... here are some photos on the way there...

I'll leave it for the next post to reveal our final destination, though I've left subtle clues [...]

Kyoto is starting to see splashes of color all around, quite earlier than I expected (which says something either about an early season, or my failing memory). These pictures were from yesterday, which was a mix of sun and clouds.

The previous day saw some rain in the morning, and when Anthony came home and opened his umbrella to air it out, this acorn fell out. He had apparently picked it up somewhere along the way home and deposited it in his folded umbrella for transport.

Yesterday he brought home a pumpkin seed that he procured somewhere, so we're off [...]

With his kind permission, I'm showing a few of his photos from that set. I've retained his original French captions.

The Jidai Matsuri (lit. Festival of Eras) celebrates Kyoto's more-than-1200-year history, with a long parade of groups in many different periods' period costumes. One great feature (for me) is that it runs right by my house, but a lamentable feature is that it runs right by my house.... in the city... with traffic lights and cars and utility wires and buildings and such. For the most part, photography is just not worth it. (The also-famous Aoi Matsuri runs right by [...]

So after getting dressed up and then taking care of final preparations, we headed into the Heian Shrine for Anthony's shichi-go-san long-and-healthy-life blessing event.

Most people go in the small entrances on either side, but we thought to take a group photo in the exaggeratedly large main entrance (just out of frame to the left in the shot above), but it turns out that the only shot I got was the one that opens this post, with Anthony standing there looking out at the vast (and shockingly empty) courtyard.

It's the same courtyard where an annual festival has people throwing [...]

So, finally getting back to Anthony's shichi-go-san event (explained in the "getting prepared" post), after finally getting all dressed up in a traditional hakama for the first time, Anthony got his formal sandals and we headed out toward the Heian Shrine's main entrance...

Continued here...