outfit post: vintage floral full skirt

the look: vintage top, vintage floral full skirt, thrifted belt, wedges

Outfit post is back (yay!), while wanderlust posts on Kyoto will be continued soon. May is here, which means summer is here! And also 'Le French May' in Hong Kong. There is a couple of exhibitions to my likings; one exhibition on shoes: 500 years on French passion for shoes and the other one is an exhibition on photos simply called French Kiss; a love letter to Paris (doesn't it sound romantic?) Stayed tune for posts on these exhibitions!

In the mean time, have a great weekend and stay chic!

wanderlust: fushimi inari shrine & nara

On my second day, my first stop was  Fushimi Inari Shirne. I was lucky because the sun came out for few hours (finally!). This is my favourite place of interest in Kyoto so far.

You can get to Fushimi Inari Shrine by JR Nara Line or by Keihan Railway. Since I have purchased 2-day JR-west Rail Pass - Kansai therefore I took the JR Line to get to there.

Map of Fushimi Inari

Entrance of the Shrine

Fox statue

Foxes are associated with Inari therefore you will see many fox related items such as fox-shaped trinkets, toys, amulets, cakes and cookies.

Torii gates

This is the reason why I love this place! Thinking back, I should have bought a torii charm as a souvenir.

It was really great to be able to appreciate the cherry blossom in such good weather. How lovely they are, don't you think?

After spending couple hours in Fushimi Inari (well, here is a little confession; I did not go all the way to the top of Mount Inari due to time constraint), I headed to Nara. Again I traveled to Nara by JR rail or train. Once I reached Nara, the first I looked for is the tourist information center to purchase Nara day pass. 

 

 I purchased one day bus pass (normal) at 500 Yen. The pass comes a with map. 

First stop in Nara was Kohfukuji Temple. Take note that the main hall is presently under construction.

Eastern Golden Hall and Pagoda

Temporary Golden Hall

Central Golden Hall (under construction)

Next, I hopped on a bus heading to Todai-ji Temple.Todai-ji Temple is a must-see for all visitors. The main point of Todai-ji is the Daibutsu-den (Hall of the Great Buddha), which houses a 16-meter-high Buddha statue.

Map of Todai-ji Temple

Entrance of Todai-ji Temple

Along the way to the temple, you will be greeted by many deers roaming freely and looking for generous tourists to feed them with deer biscuits which can you purchase at 150 Yen per stack.

Daibutsu-den / Hall of the Great Buddha

Buddha statue 

Next on my to-see list was Kasuga-taisha Shrine. From Todai-ji Temple, I walked pass Nara-koen Park to enjoy more cherry blossom. 

Entrance of Kasuga-taisha Shrine

Kasuga-taisha Shrine is the most important Shinto shrine in Nara.The path heading to the shrine is a world of mystery filled trees, pathways, lanterns and not forgetting wandering deers. As I arrived quite late and the shrine was about to close, I did not explore the shrine. I walked back and took a bus to JR Nara station.

Kyoto Tower

Back in Kyoto just in time for dinner and a little window shopping at Isetan Kyoto station before heading back to the guesthouse to rest and call it a day. Day three will be an exciting day as it was a full on sight-seeing around Kyoto!

Stayed tune and have a good weekend everyone! 

wanderlust - uji, japan

Last Easter, I went to Kyoto, Japan for a holiday; mainly to see the lovely cherry blossom. Upon my arrival in Kyoto, my first stop was Uji. Uji is located between Kyoto and Nara. The city is famous for its green tea and few UNESCO world heritage sites. 

the statue of murasaki shikubu

uji bridge

byodoin temple - phoenix hall (UNESCO world heritage site)

uji river

stone pagoda

ujicha (soft ice cream green tea flavoured)

The easiest way to get to Uji is by JR Line train from Kyoto station and alight at Uji Station. The journey is about 20 minutes. At the station look out for papers/guides on how to get to Byodoin temple. This guide is written in English. 

Uji is a lovely small city, so laid back and less crowded. Or perhaps, it was the bad weather that made it less crowded? 

Till my next wanderlust post, stay chic and stylish!

outfit post: vintage striped top and vintage blazer

the outfit: vintage top, vintage blazer, belt, pants

As you can see, I am still in the blazer phase. A blazer can easily 'upgrade' or elevate your outfit, from relaxed casual to smart casual. Or dressed up. If I were in Malaysia, I would have matched the clothes with a pair high heels. However, over here, I walk a lot. Perhaps I have yet to perfect and comfortable heels. The Moschino belt is a purchase from Vintage HK, which sadly is no longer in operation. Sometimes, whenever I am in Central, I would visit Vintage HK. Now, one less vintage store for me to visit once in a while.

How is your weekend so far? It is a busy weekend for me as I need to study for an exam taking place on coming Tuesday. Wish me luck!

Till the next post, stay chic!

ready for spring!

The outfit: boyfriend blazer, camisole top, vintage floral print pants, wedges

I am back and ready for Spring! Here is a little confession on the outfit, well, the boyfriend blazer actually. I bought the blazer in Kuala Lumpur (KL) few years back and brought it over with me to Hong Kong (HK). Only today, I wore it for the time. Can you believe that the blazer has been hanging in my wardrobe in KL and HK for more than three years! Luckily, I can still fit it. Now, I need to make sure that every piece in my wardrobe has been wore at least for one time....

Hope you are having a great weekend. Enjoy and stay chic!