The pink and the white

When we first arrived in Kyoto, I was worried that we had come too soon.

The cherry trees were showing scant sign of flowering

and the weather was cold. 

I could have taken comfort from the words of Yoshida Kenkõ,

a  12th century Buddhist monk who asked,

Are we to look at cherry blossoms only in full bloom,

the moon only when it is cloudless?

Branches about to blossom or a garden strewn with faded flowers

are worthier of our admiration.

Unfortunately I do not possess the philosophical outlook

of a 12th century Buddhist monk

and 6000 miles is a long way to travel to see bare twigs.

The view from our ryokan window in Arashiyama.

That's a Sagano Scenic Railway train.

 It used to stop to have a look at us, 

while we had a look at them across the Hozugawa river.

In the event, we saw the sakura in all its transiently beautiful stages

from first opening - 

The Philosopher's Path, a walk along a canal lined

by hundreds of cherry trees.

Nijo castle garden.

Kodaiji  Zen Temple and raked gravel rock garden. 

- to hanaikada, the word used to describe

cherry blossom petals floating on the water's surface like a raft.

Shinjuku Park, Tokyo.