Dango

It was too early to check-in. Meanwhile I left my luggage at the Ryokan and was setting out for Higashiyama, the eastern part of Kyoto’s city center. The name means literally Eastern Mountain District and soon I found myself climbing up the slope of Kiyomizuzaka, a narrow road lined with shops on both sides. Some of the vendors raise their voices to draw attraction, others invite you to taste their food, sweet or pickled - and the big crowd of people is moving on slowly.

I tried my first DANGO, dumplings , made from rice flour, on a skewer which are dipped in soy sauce and baked on a kind of barbecue.