Weekly Topics/Archive
August 2012
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An old co-worker, T.K-san, came to see me at the end of last week using
summer vacation
and stayed for two nights.
He lives near Kofu City, Yamanashi Prefecture and is an active cyclist.
I heard he often used to ride his bike on a sunny day around the South
Alps.
He knew I began cycling.
One day, he proposed to enjoy cycling with me and so we decided to do that
each other.
This time, it was carried out as planned.
With a folded bike-bag over his shoulder, he took the JR Tokai Central Line from JR Kofu
station to JR Nagoya station, transferred to the Shinkansen and got off at JR Kyoto station,
then transferred again to JR Biwako Line and got off Kusatsu station.
According to him, the Shinkansen trains were crowded with people returning
to their
hometowns due to the Obon season.
He couldn't just get on any Shinkansen train Nozomi with such a bag but managed to get on
a Shinkansen train Hikari, he said.
It might have been for the first time in 10 years.
We talked each other about our latest news, the news of our common friends
and things in our
career, while drinking till late at night.
Because of it, we went cycling around 10:40 a.m. on the following day.
The temperature is already above 35 degrees Celsius.
Today's cycling course is as below.
We cycle to the shore of Lake Biwa from home and then along the dedicated
road for pedestrians
and cyclists, so called Sazanami Kaido, up to Chomeiji in Ohmihachiman
City as a turn-around
point.
And then we head back to home.
The estimated trip distance is about 60 Km.
We decided to cycle such a rather moderate distance this time.
It's because we got tired from drinking and also I heard he would come back home by bike to
his home in Kofu by way of Nagoya and Komagane for three days and two nights.
It is extremly hot because there are no wind but strong sunlight around
the shore, though light blue of not only the surface of the lake but also
Mt.Hiei and Hira mountains gives a little bit of cool impression.
Sure enough, we got sweaty.
So we took a short break to replace fluid lost through sweat at a stand
in Karasuma Peninsula on which an electric-generating windmill stands.
Here is my regular stop when cycling.
I remembered that there is a place where lotuses clump along the shore of the lake near
a windmill and stopped off to see their flower.
They were just at their best.
Please click the picture to see a full-size version
We crossed Yasu River to head north.
On the way, we took a second break at the Miamiland camping site.
We got sugar with ice cream and took a breather.
Is it because they are on summer vacation?
Young people and families enjoyed camping.
Since it was just time for lunch, peculiar smell of BBQ rise from the site.
When we pedaled further north from here and crossed Hino River, we can see a mountain
jutting into the lake.
It's Mt.Chomeiji which has Chomeiji temple on the mountainside.
There is Mizuguki-yaki Togei-no-sato as today's turn-around point at the
foot of the mountain.
Whenever I go cycling to the north of Omihachiman, it's a good stop-off
point for me.
It might be because of summer vacation season.
Pottery class was also busy.
We had a lunch at this restaurant.
First we clinked beer glasses and drank the toast, and then had cold udon
(wheat noodle).
Anyway, I felt myself another man!
We left here for home around 2:10 p.m.
Please click the picture to see a full-size version
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| Departing photots at Mizuguki-yaki Togei-no-sato in Ohmihachiman City |
The heat is at its peak.
On the shore we can see bathing and windsurfing lesson.
Please click the picture to see a full-size version
He might be used to cycle along the up and down hill zones.
He seems to feel that the cycling course along the shore of Lake Biwa is
monotonous.
Also he cycles very fast and I can't just catch up with him.
So, we decided where to meet again in advance and to keep cycling at our
own pace.
Even though it was very hot, we met many cyclist pedaling along the shore
like us and said hello
each other.
It was around 4:30 p.m. when we got to my home.
Measurements of my cycle computer were as below.
Trip Distance ； 62.7 Km
Elapsed Time ； 3 hours 15 minutes
Average Speed ； 19.3 Km / hour
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After taking a shower, we drank a toast with cold beer.
We had a good dinner at izakaya “Hana”nearby, while having a chat over
various topics.
[Note] folded bike-bag ； 輪行バツグ、 JR Tokai Central Line；JR 東海中央線
people returning to their home towns ；帰省する人たち、 Obon season ； お盆時期
manage to do 〜；なんとか〜することができる、 in one's career ；現役時代
dedicated road for pedestrians and cyclists ； 歩行者自転車専用道路、 rather moderate
； 控えめの
give a cool impression ；涼感を与えてくれる、 sure enough ； 案の定， get sweaty ； 汗びっしょりになる
replace fluid lost through sweat ； 汗で失った水分を補給する
electric-generating ；発電用の， regular stop ；定番の立寄り先
lotus ； ハス(植)， clump ； 群生する, windmill ； 風車, stop off ；立ち寄る、 camping site ； キャンプ場
take a breather ； 一息つく、 be on summer vacation ；夏季休暇中である
peculiar smell rises from 〜 ； 独特の臭いが〜から漂う/立ちのぼる
jut into 〜； 〜に突き出る/張り出す, on the mountainside ； 山腹に
Mizuguki-yaki Togei-no-sato ； 水茎焼 陶芸の里, stop-off point； 立寄り場所
to the north of 〜；〜以北に, pottery class ； 陶芸教室
clink glasses and drink the toast ； グラスをチリンと鳴らして乾杯する
udon (wheat noodle) ； うどん, departing photo ； 出発前の記念写真
up and down hill zone ； 起伏のある丘陵地, monotonous ； 単調な，変化のない
catch up with 〜； 〜について行く, 追いつく
have a chat over various topics ； 四方山話をする
Japanese Diary / No.469−2012.08.16 / 「真夏の湖岸を走る」
I enjoyed yachting in Gokasyo Bay for three days and two nights, based
at
VOC Shima Yacht Harbor which is located in Minami-Ise Town, Mie Prefecture.
Here at the VCO YH, H.H-san has enjoyed his life at midsummer sea.
He is an owner of a yacht, “Le Parnasse”, registered at Spa Marina Atami.
His yacht was brought round to VCO YH from Atami at the end of July.
Le Parnasse mooring at the pontoon of VOC Shima Yacht Harbor |
This time, I visited him to receive a share of his enjoyable life.
One of the crew members of Aioi, tamma-san, also joined me in doing that from Kannami in
Shizuoka Prefecture.
On the first day, we cooled down in a pool attached to the yacht harbor,
and listened to H.H-san's
talk about his life in Shima, while drinking wine on his yacht.
According to him, his friends came and see him by turns to enjoy yachting
with him.
He looked like pretty busy.
We stayed at a yacht moored at the harbor.
Through the kind offices of the president of the harbor who is a friend of tamma-san, we were able
to stay at his yacht.
The sea might have been smooth.
I slept like a log until morning without feeling the yacht's rock by waves.
On the following day, we enjoyed sailing on his yacht in Gokasyo Bay all day long.
This is the first time I get on his yacht,“Le Parnasse”.
It is very fine from morning as you can see.
The sun is shining brightly.
We left the harbor shortly after 10 a.m.
All day long we enjoyed yachting in Gokasyo Bay and swimming for the first
time in years, mooring
at a pontoon off the shore of small island in the Bay.
At the cockpit of Le Parnasse |
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Please click the picture to see a full-size version
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| The ocean views of Gokasyo Bay |
We had a dinner party on board Le Parnasse in the evening.
It was lively because an owner of another yacht nearby joined us in a drink.
The owners prepared some foods for us using ingredients which we purchased
at a supermacket
in the morning.
They are pretty good at cooking.
Maybe it's because they are used to cook for themselves on their yacht.
A main dish was octopus sashimi.
According to H.H-san, he bought an octpus trap basket at a fishing tackle
store, put slices of raw
fish like blowfish and sillago fished at the pontoon in it and sank it
in the sea near his yacht.
A day later a big octopus was caught in the trap basket, he said.
He might be self-sufficient in fish and shellfish for sashimi.
I remember little about what we talked while drinking.
At any rate, we drank little too much.
After that, I came back the yacht and went into a deep sleep.
[Note] for − days and 〜 nights ； 〜泊−日で、 bring a ship round to 〜 ；〜に回航する
receive a share of 〜； 〜のお裾分けに預かる, cool down ；涼をとる
attached to 〜；〜に併設されている、 listen to someone's talk about 〜； (人の)〜についての話に耳を傾ける
by turns ；入れ替わり立ち替わり, moor ；係留す、 through the kind offices of 〜；〜の好意により
rock ；(船などの)揺れ、 sleep like a log ； ぐっすり眠る, get on a ship；船に乗る
shortly after 〜；〜時過ぎに,〜の直後に, pontoon ；ポンツ−ン，浮桟橋
for the first time in years ；久しぶりに lively ； 賑やかな、 join us in a drink ； 我々と一緒に一杯やる
ingredient ；食材、 cook for oneself ；自炊する, octpus trap basket；タコかご
fishing tackle store ； 釣り具店、 blowfish ； フグ(魚), sillago ； キス(魚)
be caught in the trap； わなに掛る, self-sufficient ； 自給自足できる
fish and shellfish ； 魚介類, go into a deep sleep ； ぐっすり眠りこむ
Japanese Diary / No.468−2012.08.13 / 「VOC志摩ヨットハ−バ−」
 TOPペ−ジへ戻る
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