GW2025 D8 along the coast of Shodoshima

Route: Ikeda to Fukuda along the coast 
Bicycle: 65 km
Ferry: 41 km
Total ascent: 759 m
Average speed: 14.5 km/h
Riding time: 4:30 h
Weather: cloudy and humid, quite windy, 24C but felt warmer

On my last day (for this trip... but definitely a place to return) on Shodoshima, I went west along the coast, taking in more art and nice views of the landscape as I was riding. 

The main road itself isnt really full of traffic as it is a relatively small, albeit not tiny island. However half way up the hills is often a farm road with no traffic at all and great views out onto the sea over the slopes. Here with the olive groves Shodoshima is famous for. 

So famous that one of the art works is an enormous Elvis - olive in a grove. 

The entrance to the port (not Fukuda, a different port) even had this Greek entrance gate. Complete with a Greek inscription. 

In that same port was also a designer toilet ...

... imitating a small shrine just behind it. 

The best art of the day was in this old town house transformed now into a permanent exhibition of a famous photographer. This isn't really part of the triennial, but the owner did jump on the art ship. And for me it was probably one of the best art works I saw in this triennial together with the bamboo dome I had seen a few days earlier also on Shodoshima. 

This artist painted an object, here an entire room and then takes a picture of it from a very specific angle. So the interesting part was to see how this piece of art WOULD transform if not looked at from exactly the right vantage point. 

Even better was a gold circle painted in an other room... you can check it out in the film on my strava profile. 

Other art was ... well... decorative at best. 

From there less art, more landscape. On very quiet roads along the coast.

I made it in good time to Fukuda port, enough to have a quick look at the art exhibition in the local (abandoned) school. And enough time to pack up my bike. Because due to high waves (per the ticket seller 7 m!) the bicycle wasn't allowed in the car ferry section... but was allowed as a bag in the passenger section if properly packaged. Luckily I had enough time and my rinko bag. 

I strongly doubt that there was any wave higher even 3 m... and for sure no wave higher than 7 m... but rules are rules. And yes, it WAS windy. 

In Himeji port I put the bike together again and had found a super sento not too far from the port, and headed straight there. It was a totally typical supersento in an ugly industrial area. But what made this onsen special (and not in a good sense) was the smell from the surrounding industries. There must have been some chemical plant, and essentially everything smelled very chemical. When riding later to my hotel which was maybe about 5 km from there, I noticed that the entire city at least closer to the port, seemed to smell of that very same chemical exhaust. So the super sento isn't to blame for it... but it did reduce the enjoyment of the relaxation.