Five days, 600 km, and an old friend for company. I knew little about the places ahead, but I trusted that if we kept pedaling, we would find something worth...
Shinano ride (Day 5): Two hours too many
The world is so wide, yet two empty hours leave me feeling hemmed in. What had I been searching for, pedaling so far each day?
Shinano ride (Day 4): A model host & two baths
Watching someone work surrounded by the things he loves makes me happy, too. It seems beautiful scenery and good food were not the only things I had been looking for...
Shinano ride (Day 3): Goodbye, river. Hello, salmon.
Is the salmon I see in the supermarket really the same as the salmon I encounter in this town? Behind an everyday food lie lives I had known nothing about....
Shinano ride (Day 2): Snow, shelter & sake
Perhaps a traveler told to come back someday has something to give in return. A few words exchanged in an unfamiliar town can change the meaning of a place I...
Shinano ride (Day 1): Cool under pressure
My friend was not the only one looking unruffled. What makes me anxious, and what do I find beautiful in the way others act? The things I notice on a...
Shinano ride (Preparation): A head start
I have not even climbed onto my bike, yet I have already spent days traveling. From the contours of a map to the textiles of snow country, every discovery leads...