🎌 Day 28 🎌

52 miles / 2,540 ft. / 4:33

A short day brought us back toward the mountains and 琵琶湖 (Biwa-ko – Lake Biwa) in 滋賀県 (Shiga-ken – Shiga Prefecture). We started with a buffet breakfast at City Hotel Sabae. It was quite the spread, almost overwhelming, with too much to list. Different from an American breakfast, we found fried pork cutlets, chicken nuggets, rice, 味噌汁 (miso shiru – miso soup), 納豆 (natto – fermented soybeans), raw eggs, salad, pickles, and grilled fish. But there were also familiar comforts like scrambled eggs, yogurt, ham, coffee, and orange juice. From the 8th floor, we had a view of the city waking below, and with blue skies lined in puffy white clouds, we were eager to ride.

Our morning pedaling was peaceful along the 日野川 (Hino-gawa – Hino River), framed by mountain ridges on both sides. Rolling through 福井県 (Fukui-ken – Fukui Prefecture), we made our way toward the climb of the day, 栃ノ木峠 (Tochinoki-tōge – Tochinoki Pass), the gateway into Shiga. At mile 40 we passed through a short tunnel, and suddenly, there she was—Lake Biwa stretched wide before us, glittering under the sky. We coasted down a short, steep descent toward the water. It grew too sheep to safely ride, so we dismounted, left the bikes and walked down to the lake to sit, snack and enjoy the view. Mountains wrapped the horizon, and 沖島 (Okishima – Oki Island) stood proudly in the middle. I looked around for 富士山 (Fujisan – Mt. Fuji), but it seems she does not show herself from here.

Lake Biwa is Japan’s largest freshwater lake, and there is a cycling route that loops all the way around it. We briefly entertained the idea of trying it since our riding day was short, but quickly realized the scale—it is 200 kilometers (124 miles) around. A bit ambitious for a whim! Instead, we followed flat roads through rectangular rice fields east of the lake. The golden rice was heavy with harvest, and the air carried the gentle scent of freshly cut stalks, mixed with the soft smoky smell of piles of rice husks smoldering at the corners of fields. It was not unpleasant, but almost comforting, like autumn itself resting in the air.

Today was the opposite of rushed. We slowed down, stopping for scenic photos, silly photos, and plenty of moments to breathe in the crisp air. The mountains around the lake felt like quiet guardians offering us their embrace. Even at this relaxed pace, we reached our destination village, Kohoku-chō Koima), well ahead of schedule. At 3 p.m. we were two hours early for check-in, but our host kindly replied that our room was already ready.

Before settling in, we stopped at a grocery store to pick up simple supplies for dinner and breakfast. The guesthouse was tucked inside a small, charming village with surprising beauty. We found neatly tended gardens, many old stone monuments, and a lovely little shrine glowing softly at dusk. After checking in, we wandered the streets at sunset, enjoying the quiet life of the village.

Back at the guesthouse, the evening unfolded in its familiar rhythm: uploading photos, sharing stories from the day, looking ahead to tomorrow, and simply relaxing. Lisa did spot one small hiccup on our walk back—my rear tire was flat. Tomorrow’s problem for me. Tonight, it was enough to rest well after another gentle day on the road.Read more