Snaps from Ryoanji

This temple, in Kyoto, is famous for its zen garden. The raked pebbles are like ripples on the sea, lapping around the stark weathered rocks as if they were scattered islands. The effect is calming. Nearby this garden is a nook of forest and moss. The ground, covered in a pale green moss, has the texture and sheen of velvet, and brings to mind fairy-tale woodland, spotty toadstools and lurking wolves.