aliceinwonderdanmark

Nara is only 1hour by train from Kyoto and as 1st capital of Japan the city hosts plenty of temples and shrines. The most impressing and magnificient is the golden Budha in Todaiji temple. This temple is simply breathtaking eventhough I think it looks like a big Buffalo Grill. Who knows? May be in the year 710 Japanese ate steaks and French fries; may be they invented the concept (ok ok, I stop with this blasphemy ) Seriously, it is the most beautiful temple I've seen in Japan and in my all life until now.

 Let me explain about this pillar: it symbolizes rebirth. Those who can pass through the hole get positive influence and restart their life positively. I think it's a bit discriminatory because the hole is not very big. If you're suffering of obesity you won't have any chance to make it. But well, it's a very old tradition so at that time human morphology was probably different than nowadays.

Before to visit Todaiji I've been through Nara deers park. There're deers everywhere. It's amazing with the road just beside.
In the park I saw 2 temples: Kofukuji temple (temple of the Fujiwara family) and Kasuga Taisha (dedicated to the deity who protects the city). I liked a lot Kofukuji temple.

I visited the museum as well but I have to say that it wasn't the best I've seen.

Nara has been a "great" gastronomic experience. I was lucky to meet to tourists in the train: a guy from Lausanne and a girl from Oslo. Yuhu!! I can practice my Danish in Nara! She got a good travel guide that recommands strongly one traditional restaurant.
The restaurant looks almost like a dream: tatamis, garden. That's gorgeous. Unfortunatelly the food is closer to a nightmare than a fairy tale: rice with raw egg. I don't like it. I even think that's disgusting but I need to say that it was the only desappointment I've had about Japanese food. The only one because I liked all the other food I tasted.