Japan

Brief breakfast in Nagasaki..

Posted on by helenhmk

Back in Nagasaki before the train to Shimabara and in need of breakfast we discovered this delightful bakery… thankfully they were open.

It’s called Bread A Esspresso and it is open Friday- Monday from 6:30-10:30am. The bread is delicious and you can taste the flavour. We shared a blueberry bun, walnut and chocolate. They were small – which was perfect. Additionally we each had a cappuccino. If you dislike chocolate on top come here as they don’t add it. We really enjoyed both the bread and coffee.

The place was really busy – people coming constantly. the menu is simple – and what is on display is on the menu.

In Japan if you eat in you pay a higher tax rate… and we were willing to do this. There was bench space for eating – and we were really pleased to not be drinking and eating from take-away cups.

It’s a true delight and we highly recommend if you are in Nagasaki.

Lunch…

Posted on by helenhmk

After a cold ride you need a hot lunch. What could be better than ordering a lunch set – and getting this fabulous meal.

Yes I ate it all, dinner not needed… and it was delicious and super tasty. The fish was a delight… oh I love Japanese food.

Fukue Island, Goto – last ride…

Posted on by helenhmk

Today our brief time on Fukue Island ends, as we catch the ferry back to Nagasaki. In the last three days we cycled approximately 109km. Here is the map of the three routes:

The last ride today occurred in very wintry conditions. Imagine if you can (in Australia this might be hard with current temperatures) 9 degrees in the wind. On the up side there was not as much climbing as it was only 297meters.

The scenery was very different, as we cycled through some very small villages, farms and along the sea wall. it was lovely to have a nice flat surface for awhile instead of continuously going up or down.

We were cycling around Mt Onidake which was a volcano having last erupted 18,000+ years ago and created the Abunze Lava Coast which can also be walked.

Surprisingly the patisserie location was amazing – not surprisingly really given they use Echire butter. But it was also a welcome stop out of the cold. We had a brief stop at the Geo-Centre which contains information about the formation of the islands and a look out point.

The route back was up and down between farms and small roads, alongside the airport (it was not flat as suggested) back through the top of town and zipped down to a lunch place Kym had found before it closed at 2pm.

Certainly a great little ride (26km+ or 30km depending on who’s Strava account you want to believe) and fabulous water views.

It’s amazing what you can see in an hour…

Posted on by helenhmk

We were aware of the relativity new Shinkansen from Nagasaki which – eventually will connect to Hakata… but for the time being goes as far as Tadeo-Onsen. we decided to take a ride in the morning before visiting fruit bus stops in the afternoon.

All Shinkansen stations have a similar look and feel – this does aid the traveler, as it makes them easy to navigate.

We had bought reserved tickets the previous night online and so after cycling to the station (bagging our bikes) we collected them from the machine at the station.

I love catching these trains as much as I love cycling… so with the Brompton it’s a perfect match. There was also enough leg room too. The journey was only 25 minutes- so it did not take long at all. We got to the station unpacked the bikes and set off.

Our first stop was a library – no surprises there.. but the library itself is one of those architecturally amazing libraries. It looks stunning.

The library itself has two buildings, one for adults and a separate one for children. The adult one features a bookshop (Tsutaya) and a cafe (Starbucks). Items in the bookshop also include products from the area (which Japan specialises in) and other books and magazines. There is a fairly comprehensive selection of books and products. The library itself is set over a couple of floors and the shelving is similar to Tsutaya book shop if you have visited. Wayfinding is simple and clear. RFID units and catalogue is built into the furniture- and if you are purchasing from the shop it’s all self done from the machine.

There are only two spots where you are allowed to take photos… which is completely understandable. I did spot a couple on the ground floor taking photos in between the shelves – hoping no one would see them.

Around the library were a considerable number of people studying and using the tables. They didn’t have much in the of soft furniture. The shelves were pretty full and they only had a few display areas. They also had a specific spot for local history collection and food could not be consumed in the area.

In the carpark they have a hot potato vending machine…. Perfect for cold days. If you are wondering what the opening hours are – it’s 9am to 9pm every day.

It’s really a fabulous library. Visiting these amazing public spaces in Japan it does make me wish for better investment for the community in our facilities in South Australia.

After the library we cycled less than 200meters to the Takeo Shrine – which also features The Great Camphor Tree of Takeo – which happens to be 3000+ years old, and still alive.

From here we cycled back ti the station to catch the train to visit fruit bus stops. while the route was pretty short – it was a really easy cycle.

Bus stops…

Posted on by helenhmk

On my list this trip was visiting the fruit bus stops in Nagasaki prefecture.

To get there we caught a local train from Isahaya. It was very much a local train. There were two carriages and the driver was also the person who took the fares – so when you got off you had to ensure you were in the front carriage to give him the fare – 380 yen (3.80 approx).

Unsurprisingly we were the only ones that got off at Nagasato. As you can see by the photo of the station – there is not much around. From here we got on our bikes to find the first bus stop which was about 2 minutes down the road – which was a watermelon.

The bus stops are made from concrete in the shape of fruit. Originally they were made for a travel expo in 1990… and then moved to their current locations. They are well maintained both inside and out. They certainly are a feature of the area – as there are a few tourists who seek them out.

The downside of these bus-stops is they are on the main road – which is one lane in each direction. Cycling on the road is a little unpleasant- so it’s really best to use the footpath given the large number of trucks and other vehicles. For this reason we used the footpath.

While we were enjoying it given the road conditions we decided to go back to Nagasaki early from Konagai station.

The best way to see these bus-stops is probably by car – but I’m still pleased we took the time and visited.

You can read more about visiting them here