I know, the last posts were a little long in the making. I guess I exaggerated it a little with the Torii Pass – the route which won the first vote. Because after passing the pass :) my right foot caused me some problems and swelling. I thought I’d have to abort the trip. Luckily Matsumoto is nearby Manza – where last year, I used to work – and I could stay at my friends for a month to convalesce again.
I simply didn’t want to post a note about a possible cancellation of the tour. It wouldn’t have been necessary after all.
Now I can go on with the posts from early August of the historic Nakasendo from Nagoya to Matsumoto that are over due:
Ceramics Museum in Tajimi
My route takes me from Nagoya to Tajimi, known for ceramic fine arts. There is one of the best – if not maybe the best – ceramics schools in the whole of Japan and even a ceramics museum. As luck would have it my host is a ceramics artist. I would like to take photos of her works, however they are packed for an exhibition at the museum and we will take them there the next day. However I have the fortune of accompanying her to the museum the next day and can present you photos of the building. A very appealing piece of architecture I think. Designed by Arata Isozaki.
For the next two days I can’t find a host for the first time on my trip through Japan. It’s hardly surprising as it is a very rural site of Japan. Still I’m lucky to find a very cheap but very new Youth hostel in Nakatsugawa and as cheap Onsen hotel nearby Kiso. The landscape is very hilly, however until Kiso I’m cycling in a valley alongside the Kiso river which is why the incline is very moderate. And finally it’s getting colder – at least a bit. From 36°C in Nagoya to 32°C in Nakatsugawa and ‘only” about 30°C in Kiso.
On the way to Kiso
This is where my first vote between a road fork happens and the Torii pass is the winner. But before reaching the pass I will meet these nice young folks in my lunch break.
Well I know the end of the video was a bit abrupt. I am so exhausted that I am not in mood to do the good bye moderation. However I make it to Matsumoto the same day (yes, before midnight).
Special thanks to: Alex Laing, New Zealand (text revision), Seika Takahashi, Japan; Toru Momose, Japan; the whole Manza team, Hubertus Neidhart from Webspace Provider Network for excellent web page hosting services; Lilith Pendzich
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