This winter it hasn’t snowed yet, maybe tonight it will! I still have great memories from last winter’s snowy days. Here is what was on January 1st!
It started snowing at around 2pm. I know that Kyoto rarely has snow and it doesn’t stay for long. So I took the decision – go to the North – to Kurama dera.
With Keihan train I went to Demachiyanagi station and from there I took Eizan train, Kurama line. It was snowing heavily and it was turning into a storm. But it was beautiful. First scenes:
The approach to the temple was a bit slippery. It was also cold, but it was one of those rare cases I didn’t care. When I came closer to the stairs and the first gate of the temple I saw amazing scenes.
In summer time I had climbed all the way up on foot. But this time I decided to be careful and stay safe, so I took the funicular line. 
And then my adventure in the snowy afternoon started. Red lanterns, buildings, stairs, roofs covered with snow, white path, snow falling from the trees.
The main building of the temple is reached after walking a few hundreds meters and climbing some stairs.
The main building was welcoming the few visitors with a bonfire. It was quiet and I had the feeling the time had stopped.
The snow kept falling and it started getting darker. I decided to go down because walking was getting more difficult and I didn’t want to risk getting lost.
Arriving at Demachiyanagi I saw so much snow there too! The bicycles were covered with more than 15 cm of snow, the roads were all white. And the quietness…
On my way home I couldn’t resist visiting Shirakawa area near Shijo. It was fantastic!
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