Ruby

One of the best things about working here in Bali is the wide wide selection of all kind of natural materials! This was such an amazing shop for stone sinks and tiles. Any size and any colour. From here we did buy two sinks for the rooms. Can't wait to see them installed!

Hop on your bicycle

In Kyoto on of the best thing is just to roll around with bicycles and see what you can find. This time it took me, Marine and Nina to North-East Kyoto. First we discovered the Kyoto University of Art and Design (which I always tought to be some kind of a museum). It was an interesting mixture of old red tile buildings inside, under, next to and on top of new concrete buildings. The buildings climbs up the mountainside. The view from classrooms and different corridors were really nice. It must be quite nice to study there!
    

View from Kyoto University of Art and Design

Cool new part of KUAD, interesting buildings with long long stairs.

Inside the cafeteria was not that nice. The lamps are cool, but colours not.

After that we hit the mountain. We discovered a small shop called "Salmiakki" selling Finnish design products and yes, I paid 2€ for a "pätkis", a chocolate bar that usually costs around 25 cents. I still haven't eaten it, so maybe I'm savign it for a special event. After that we tried to visit few tea houses and old traditional Japanese building, but since we didn't want to pay for it we ended up to the Tanukisani Fudo-in.

Totally different world. Tanukis at Tanukisani Fudo-in. Now the Miyazakis films feels so much more realistic

Tanukisani Fudo-in, but first 250 steps before that. No wonder they say this temple is good for your health.

After all the bicycling we were hungry and tired. So then it was food and sleep.

But the few last days have been so sunny and well, for me it feels like super hot summer, but actually it is just spring slowly getting warmer. It is nice to see people switching to a summer mood and one of the best ways to spend these hot days is just to hang around the Kamogawa river.

Shiho at Kamogawa riveside.

Music in river.

Ink shop

While visiting Nara we quickly visited a nice small ink shop. (Nara is famour area for its deers running around freely but about that I'll make a post later) This ink shop has been in the same family for four generations and they had some pretty exclusive stuff :)

The golden ink contains real gold as you can see from the price tags (168,000 yen is about 1680€). It must be exciting feeling to paint with gold :) But more about Nara and Tokio later on...

Jewel stone shop

wood shop

Before going to the shell shop I went to this place full of wood. There were these beautiful, over 3 meters long wooden (mahogany, wenge, teak ect...) boards that will make great tables. We are thinking of buying one to the Gayatri house. Instead of birch or pine wood which we use a lot in Finland, these does feel more ethnic and has that luxury feeling when you touch it.

Shell shop

Chocolate!

Luxurious chocolates. For long time I have been looking for chocolate you can melt into milk and have a bit different hot chocolates, and now I have finally found some! There are some different flavours and they also look very nice. Brilliant cheer up for these stressful days!

Cool graphic design on the labels