We made two excursions by train to places of interest just outside Kyoto.

Arashiyama, a pretty town in the hills is easily explored within walking distance from the train station. There are temples hidden in the forests behind the town and one major point of interest is its famous Bamboo Forest just beyond the Tenryu-Ji Temple.

On another day we went to Nara, the first permanent capital of Japan and containing eight UNESCO World Heritage sites. The large park is home to about 1200 deer which roam freely and were considered messengers of the gods in Buddhist times. They are bold and, because many visitors feed them, can be a nuisance. One stole my walking map from the pocket of my coat causing much amusement among a group of children on a school excursion.