Tuesday 31 March 2015

J Day +12 Shikoku island…

Team Bro completed the cycle ride, with a total distance covered of 82.2 km, and luckily for them the team support vehicle crewed by yours truly was waiting at Imabari station to pick them up. Well done, Tim and Tom!
The U2 Bike Hotel, restaurant and shop is unlike any other we’ve seen in Japan. It had a very European feel to it. The goods were stylish and the pastries and bread were freshly baked.
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I wish I’d thought of using conical flasks as fancy storage jars…
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…especially at this price (£9)!
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Team Bro…
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A few photographs taken en route…
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An almond croissant later, picked up at the U2 Bike hotel in Onomichi, and they were ready for the journey through the mountains to the city of Matsuyama. we found our hotel easily only to be a bit nonplussed to be told to drive our car into a little box. From here it would be parked automatically in the basement, and if we were lucky would appear again at check out. I can report that the system works!!
Matsuyama is the largest city on Shikoku. At the heart of the city stands Matsuyamajo, a beautiful, original castle. The castle's hilltop vantage point offers a view of the city and a glimpse of the Seto Inland Sea.
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We would have liked to spend more time there but the schedule demanded that we hit the road after a post breakfast walk and drive across Sikoku, on our way towards Kobe.

8 comments:

  1. Bikes, blossom and turtles...all looks fabulous. What a trip this is turning out to be. Wonderful Jx

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  2. I can certainly recommend Japan as a destination. With Tom as a translator we've been able to do some things off the usual tourist route, but on our own we've managed with a few words of greeting, bows and pointing!

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  3. Having your own personal translator in such a beautiful country is a wonderful thing. It makes your trip extra extra special. One of the frustrating aspects to such a wonderful trip so far away is that time just keeps pressing on!

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    1. How right you are! We drop Tom off at Kobe to catch the bullet train back to Kagoshima. We drive about 350 miles to Mount Fuji...

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  4. Having your own personal translator in such a beautiful country is a wonderful thing. It makes your trip extra extra special. One of the frustrating aspects to such a wonderful trip so far away is that time just keeps pressing on!

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  5. What a wonderful holiday you are having and you're seeing so much. A fantastic experience x

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  6. Catching up - most impressed with the cycle ride! You certainly are seeing a lot of Japan - I suppose if you're going all that way you may as well see as much as possible!

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