2019 Fall Colors
On the second day I headed up the Saba Kaido, the old road that ran from Obama on the coast down through the mountains to Kyoto. I started in Ohara and first visited Sanzen-in Temple, and for me, this was my first visit.
The temple is known for it's extensive gardens and grounds, and as the sun peeked over the mountains they were truly delightful and at 8:30 in the morning not yet crowded.
Next I made a visit to Hosen-in, one of the smaller temples nearby. This had a garden to be enjoyed while sitting inside drinking tea, but also an unusual, smaller one that was walked through. This one I found more intriguing. There was more to see in Ohara but I had a long way to go so headed north....
After climbing steadily for several hours, by early afternoon I had crossed the pass and started heading downhill into Shiga. On this side of the pass the autumn colors seemed a little more further along than in Kyoto....
By late afternoon I reached Myou-in Temple in Katsurgawa, one of the Kinki Fudo Myo Pilgrimage temples and my reason for this walk.
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Wow!! You picked the perfect time to visit. The weather looks fantastic and these photos are knocking me out!
ReplyDeleteAgreed! These latest photos are wonderful. I need to look at a map to follow your route.
ReplyDeletestraight north out of Ohara
DeleteAlso heard about the mackerel road quite some time ago but never really thought about going myself
ReplyDeleteMaybe a mistake
depends what you enjoy..... I liked it..... at the northern end near Obama are some superb temple gardens in the autumn.... the road itself has a lot of tiny, traditional villages
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