this weekend in pictures

And for those who can't be arsed to read my thoughts on Japanese and Finnish nutrition, here are some pictures of what I've been up to this week! Got a free ticket for an ikebana exhibition; and for those who are not familiar with the concept, ikebana's the Japanese art of flower arrangement - and they surely know how to arrange their flowers!

This weekend we also did a day trip to an onsen nearby. At least I thought it was nearby, just a half-an-hour train journey away - usually the onsen resorts are a bit farther away from the city, up in the mountains, since that's where the hot springs always are. I think the one we went to, Kurama Onsen, is the nearest one to Kyoto. There's another one in Arashiyama that I know, but I'm pretty sure it would take about an hour to get there. The train from Kyoto took us straight to Kurama Station, and the resort itself was only a short walk away from the station.

Found it!

Photography was obviously not allowed inside the place, since people get naked in there. Although when we arrived the place was empty for a moment, so had I been just slightly faster, I might've been able to get a quick shot of the bathing place, which was like something out of a dream. But just try to imagine a rainy day like this, and then an outdoor hot water pool with a breathtaking view to the steep mountains.

Standing in the doorway of the onsen.

Happiness is onsen, good food, and friends!