Walking to Okunoin in Koya-san

Stay at a temple in Koya-san was truly a treat. It was really quite and relaxing to do such a thing and highly recommend it for anyone traveling near Osaka. This is a walk that travels up to the mausoleum of Kobo Daishi who is the creator of Shingon Buddhism and one of the most revered religious person in the history of Japan. The walk though Japan’s largest gravel yard gets you to the mausoleum and it is a very interesting walk and it made me feel small. the trees are tall and straight, some have cables to keep them up.

Taken with a Voigtlander Bessa R4M on Ektar Film img155 img158

Silver Pavilion in Kyoto

The Silver Pavilion as it is called was at one point supposed to be clad in Silver foil just like the Golden pavilion but never got to it. The Silver Pavilion, Ginkaku-ji, (real name Jisho-ji) was built around 1482 by Ashikaga Yoshimasa as a retirement villa. He modeled it after his grandfathers, Golden Pavilion (Kinkakuji), which is why it looks familiar to it and then once he passed it was converted into a temple. the gardens are great and sprawling even up the Higasiyama hills. Great part of the Philosophers walk as the beginning or end. Grab a bike and go!

Taken with Bessa R4M with 21mm Color Skopar and Canon 50mm f1.4 ltm on Ektar Film

It was not covered in Silver but you can see the foil on display near the end of  the walk by the store…

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The gardens are a pleasure to view as you walk through them with water on two sides. I enjoy looking at the trees and two times I have been there and they were up in them pruning them…

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Looking over at the buildings that are not part of the tour but are pretty setting for the gardens indeed…

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Thanks for looking

Shoren-in Temple in Ektar

I brought some Ektar film with my on my trip and decided to do some shooting. This is  nice temple with a great garden. Not to large but you can enjoy the garden from inside the temple and sit and relax. After you can take walk through the gardens and also around behind the gardens. Green all around from the moss and evergreens and maples.

Taken with Voigtlander Bessa R4M with 21mm Color Skopar lens Kodak Ektar

Ryojin no  Ike pond which portrays the back of a dragon bathing in the pond…

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Shin-den is the largest of the buildings with this front area large and full of rich moss…

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Lovely and we made it to catch some of the azaleas bloom…

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thanks for looking today…

Have a swing

I went to the Eastern Shore for work yesterday but had my girlfriend ride along since she had the day off. The day was perfect even though I was “sorta” working. Grabbed some seafood and ice cream and went to the beach for awhile.

This was taken while working at a house. They had a lovely swing with English ivy all around the tree!

Taken with my Fujica AX-3 with Fujinon 50mm 1.6 on Provia 100F
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103rd Anniversary of Washingtons Cherry Trees

Girlfriend and I headed up to Washington D.C. as early as we could and we still got up there at the tidal basin when the crowds were large. The amount of people were staggering and we had tickets to the street festival “Matsuri” and it was to crowded to enjoy so we left with out trying the food. I did stop by at the Leica store though which was pretty nice. I still can’t get anything like that.

Pictures taken with my Fuji XPro-1 on 18-55mm and 35mm lens.

Here is the Jefferson Memorial.

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The Washington Monument standing over all of Washington D.C. Tallest structure in the District.

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Another angle, the blossoms were great. The weather was perfect and everything was full bloom. Glad it was  Saturday and not the middle of a work week when it would give way to a splendid day.

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One more the the Monument at the tidal Basin.

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Thanks for looking…