Bicycle: 43 km
Average Speed: 12 km/h
Total Ascent: 369 m
Riding Time: 3:34 h
Weather: sunny but fresh and again very windy (headwind), 19 C
Today was mainly dedicated to sightseeing: Matsumoto castle.
Nearly 30 years ago I was here the previous time. Traveling after my 4 month practical training at Riken in Wakoshi I had a few weeks free and visited a hiking friend if my father who lives somewhere close to Matsumoto. On the first day we went to an event on what I think was lake Suwa (where I was yesterday) where small lanterns were floating on the lake. On the next day I was on my own in Matsumoto and visited the castle.
What I remember must about my visit to Matsumoto was my departure. I went to the train station to get my ticket and back then it was a much smaller train station than now. So the guy at the ticket office saw me walking towards his window from far away and with each step I took towards him he grew more and more preoccupied. So much that once I reached his window he had already crossed both his arms (typical gesture in Japanese to say something is prohibited / not possible…) and managed to say 2 words: “No English”. But I had my sentence in Japanese already prepared what I wanted. The terror on his face I still remember.
Japan and Matsumoto has come a long way since then. But I also don’t remember so many tourists. Today in the castle it was essentially one long queue through the entire castle because the stairs are narrow and steep. Some incredibly steep.
Around the castle there was a soba festival with very long queues but I got a 10 Yen piece (for 500 Yen)
I think I departed from the castle around 13:00 and started my relatively short ride if the day. But with the late start and yet again a very strong headwind it took the entire day.
Well I also stopped along the way to take a lot of pictures of mountains with snow:
Still fascinated by all these mountains. Why did I never realize just how many mountains there are in Japan? I always knew it, because it’s one of the reasons why most of the population is concentrated in a small , coastal part of Japan, but still, until now I haven’t realized what this actually means. And I think that unless I start hiking , and activity I don’t like at all, I won’t really realize. There are so many areas of Japan where one could walk for days on end without getting into touch with civilization. Does that exist in the Alps?
I also stopped at a lake famous for its wild swans that come here from Siberia for the winter, but weren’t here now.
The last tourist spot of the day was thus Wasabi farm. And I have to admit , I did NOT eat any wasabi. Just don’t really like it. Had an apple pie and warm apple juice instead.
From there I continued along the river on what is practically a bicycle road and then up through a Forrest filled with weekend houses to my temple logging for tonight. A Korean Buddhist temple with Korean food.
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