Our next stop was Heian Shrine, again via taxi. Unfortunately this was not a place you could enter, just view after entering the gate (pic. 1) and crossing the court yard (pic. 2 & 3). There was a tour through the garden for additional cost. Due to the heavy rain we did not go. However, in reading the material I picked up from the tourist information office, it appears that the garden was an important part of the attraction. If I had known that I probably would have toured it despite the rain. I'm sure the gardens in Kyoto are spectacular in good weather but I was also impressed by their beauty in the rain so likely would have enjoyed it. Throughout the day a guide would have been a huge asset. I was left wondering about all the water areas with dippers for what appeared to be washing, among other things.
From there we walked to the Kyoto Handicraft Center. This was kind of a fun stop and would have been a good lunch break. In addition to the excellent selection of crafts it had crafts people demonstrating their trade and space on the top floor for trying your hand at making your own items. We didn't do this but it could have been fun. Surprisingly it was very manageable in size despite being 7 floors. The building was fairly narrow so it was easy to cover all 7 floors.
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