A weekend in Tsukuba

Day 1
Route: Tsukuba - Tsukuba mountain & back
Bicycle: 62 km
Train: 75 km
Total Ascent: 820 m
Average speed: 15,5 km/h
Riding Time: 4:00 h
Weather: sunny and quite warm, but the air still quite cold, 16C

A weekend full of sun and spring temperatures awaits, so I decided to spend the entire weekend outside of Tokyo. Again in Tsukuba! I now was in this area for 4 weekends, I think:

1) Very speedy ride around Kasumigaura 

2) First try at Kairakuen in Mito, and then cycling to Tsukuba

3) A second visit to the Plum Garden of Kairakuen  and cycling over the hills back to Tsukuba last WE

4) and now start and end in Tsukuba and in between an exploration of Tsukuba mountain, I.e., todays ride. 

I had booked a hotel close to Kenkyu Gakuen station, because I had discovered a great super sento around here last time, and the price of the hotel was good. The part of this sprawling town isn’t nice, but sightseeing around the hotel was not part of the plan. 

When I arrived I reassemble the bike and then let my small back bag at the hotel before heading to the mountains. Tsukuba mountain stands in the middle of a plain and is connected with a few other mountains around it. I had decided to try an approach over the top of these other mountains. The initial ascent was quite steep, but on a nice road through the forest and with no traffic whatsoever.

With a few breaks I managed to cycle it up and came to a youth camp. My May did show that from there a yellow (so presumably not too small road) would continue, but in reality it became a gravel path. It was kind of possible to cycle it up, but I had to stop a few times because the surface was not good enough and then remounting wasn’t a simple affair, because of the limited amount of traction I could get with my slick road tires. But luckily it wasn’t too long. 

On top of the mountain the road became better but had also more traffic. A lot actually young (and not so young) men in their small sport cars or otherwise very noisy cars. Probably attracted by the many curves and the other car freaks who might admire your car. 

When I came to a tourist village I got some curry rice in the shape of Mount Tsukuba:

In that same village was also the main attraction of the day, a plum garden:

The plums were in full bloom and weather was great. It reminded me a lot of Yoshino (in Nara prefecture) where I went for hanami (sakura) a few years ago:

Sakura flowers are more impress than plum flowers, but it is similar. Plum: 

Cherry:

From there it was a steep downhill back to the fertile plain. Actually I now like riding up mountains (if it isn’t too steep) but riding those same mountains down is still very nerve racking. Breaking all the time and still feeling too fast. 

Day 2
Route: Kasumigaura & RinRinRoad

Route: Tsukuba - Tsukuba mountain & back
Bicycle: 108 km
Train: 75 km
Total Ascent: 123 m
Average speed: 20 km/h
Riding Time: 5:24 h
Weather: overcast and cooler than yesterday, 15 C

On the second day of my weekend in Tsukuba I was torn between cycling up again to the mountain or going for the flat and distance by riding around Kasumigaura.

 I settled for the flat and had planned an ambitious tour of about 145 km or a somewhat shorter version of 118 km. Finally I didn’t do either. I started, but while riding down along the lake I got quite tired. There was wind, but I didn’t think that it was so strong, but somehow I was tired and didn’t want to continue further and further away from the hotel where I had left my bag including the bag for the bike. Maybe if I would have had the bicycle bag I might have continued, although there wouldn’t have been any connection to Tsukuba from there. Instead I decided to turn back and if I had enough power left just cycle a bit farther on the RinRinRoad closer to Tsukuba.

It seems to be the planting season of lotus, the fields got filled with water and these farmers here where for hours immersed in their field tending to the plants which soon will become a water jungle.

It must be nice when they are all flowering. 

The day ended after 100+ km (I finally did a few extra km closer to Tsukuba, including traversing the vast campus in f Tsukuba university) in the same super sento as yesterday and last weekend.

Well, technically the day hasn’t ended yet, writing this while being in the train back home, but already quite close to home. Next station Nogizaka.

A day away with plums in full bloom

Route: Mito - Kairakuen - Tsukuba 
Bicycle: 81 km
Train: 200 km
Total Ascent: 793 m
Average speed: 17 km/h
Riding Time: 4:45 h
Weather: Sun and clouds, a bit colder than yesterday, 10 C

This was the second, and this time successful attempt to see plums in bloom at Kairakuen. I came here 2 weeks ago, but back then there were only very few trees already flowering. The rest were still preparing. But 2 weeks later and with warmer weather, today most of the trees were in full bloom and quite spectacular. 

Frankly I would not be able to distinguish a plum flower from a cherry blossom. 

However although today I saw the garden in all its splendor, I am still not seeing why this is one of the 3 best Japanese gardens  it’s essentially a plum orchard. 

It was again an early start to get to Mito station before 9:00 to have enough time after the touristic visit to get some cycling done. The route I selected for today was a bit more hilly and with quite a steep ascent (and descent) at the end over a mountain connected with Tsukuba mountain. Before that it went through the countryside, partially on the “Fruits road” where there were strawberry fields, grape plantations and obviously plums. 

Up that hill motorcycles were prohibited, but not people who think their car is a motorcycle and make a lot of noise in their small - quite common looking - cars getting up the mountain, taking every corner as it were a formula 1 race. Quite noisy. 

Sooner or later I’ll be trying out Tsukuba mountain itself! But that is probably better achieved from Tsukuba. 

Last time I was too tired to go to an onsen at the end of the ride, but today I made it. Kirari onsen, is your typical super sento. Two pools inside, sauna and 2 pools outside, plus some shallow water to lie in. My preferred rotenburo. I think I spent over half an hour in that. Falling asleep at times. Very relaxing.