Wow!! Kyoto is gorgeous! We arrived late on Monday night to our very traditional ryokan. The room has tatami mat flooring, rice paper sliding doors and a view of the mountains. They even had kimono waiting for us. When we arrived to the front door, we had to takeoff our shoes just a few steps into the lobby. They have a big rack for everyone's shoes to stay. You only wear slippers around the hotel. They also served us a traditional Japanese breakfast. It was very large and very delicious. During the day, we went to the Nijo-Jo Palace. All the leaves are changing color so it is pretty spectacular there. Next, we met a friend's uncle who is an ambassador for a tea museum in Kyoto. He gave us a traditional tea ceremony and then showed us around the museum. We ate lunch at a place called Café Bibliotéc HELLO! It was a small, cozy cafe with books filling all available space. Lastly, we got a little lost and accidentally found outselves at the Silver Pavilion which turned out to be a highlight so far. We arrived just before dusk and climbed up a steep mountain trail- at the top we could see the city for miles. It was stunning. Also, check out the zen garden made of lights!