🇯🇵 🍇 Day 34 🍇 🇯🇵

58 miles / 3,215 ft / 4:55

The D Spoke has been completed.

D Spoke: 387 miles
C Spoke: 255 miles
B Spoke: 216 miles
A Spoke: 285 miles

We got up early at the Okaya Central Hotel (岡谷セントラルホテル – Okaya Sentoraru Hoteru), now fully understanding that breakfast in Japan is best right when it starts. The spread is warmer, fresher, and often better at 6:30 AM sharp. We made it down by 6:35, mixing both Japanese and Western dishes for our 朝ごはん (asagohan – breakfast) — miso soup, rice, and fish sticks alongside fied eggs, fried potato wedges, and toast — before loading up the bikes and heading out.

Our goal was to make it to Yuki’s house in Yamanashi (山梨) early enough to prepare a pasta dinner and appetizers for Masa, Yuki, and their youngest son Masanori and his family.

The morning began with a scenic ride along Lake Suwa (諏訪湖 – Suwako), a calm and peaceful ride that helped us avoid the morning commute traffic. The trail paralleled the lake shore with views of espresso cup shaped paddle boats and steam rising from the famous hot spring vents that give Suwa its character. Local legend says that in the coldest winters, the lake freezes so solid that long ridges form across the ice. These are called 御神渡り (omiwatari – the god’s crossing) and are said to mark the path of a deity walking across the frozen lake. Though the weather was much too warm for that today, it added a touch of magic to the scenery.

From there, we climbed gradually into the foothills of the mountains. They were lined with dark green trees and the golden rice fields a perfect day for Tsukimi except for the clouds. Tsukimi, or "moon-viewing," and is an annual event celebrating the autumn harvest. The festival, which takes place in September or October, is based on a tradition that dates back to the Heian period (794 - 1185 AD.). The event is often celebrated by eating odango (rice dumplings with sweet bean paste) while viewing the bright Harvest moon.

A gentle crosswind kept us cool, and every turn offered a new angle looking back over the lake and the city below, a good reminder of how far we’d already come.

At the top of the climb, we turned right toward Yatsugatake (八ヶ岳 – Eight Peaks) and the prefectural border of Yamanashi. The weather couldn’t have been better: cloudy skies (keeping it cooler), no rain, and the joy of a tailwind that practically carried us down the road. We stopped at a visitor center along the way, where a small French bakery tempted us with the smell of fresh bread. We picked up two loaves for our dinner and shared a chocolate éclair with a couple of cold vending machine coffees. It was one of those simple moments that makes traveling by bike so special.

From there, the ride into Yamanashi was pure bliss, with smooth roads, gradual downhills, and hardly any traffic. By 2:15 PM we rolled up to Yuki’s house, excited and happy. After a few stories and quick showers we took a short ride to the grocery store that I used to frequent more than twenty-five years ago. The name had changed, but the layout and feeling were the same. The McDonald’s that once stood inside was now a cheerful crêpe shop, a very Japanese twist on Western comfort food.

The rest of the afternoon was spent cooking, a mix of our signature French-American-Italian pasta dinner, reimagined with a few Japanese touches. Maybe someday you’ll get to try our special pasta sauce, and if you’re really lucky, we might even tell you the secret ingredient.

Dinner was full of laughter, stories, and that feeling of being truly at home in a place that once was home. We watched a bit of the TV show 「Youは何しに日本へ？」(Yū wa nani shi ni Nihon e? – Why Did You Come to Japan?), imagining how the episode featuring us might turn out. Just when we thought the night couldn’t get better, Yuki surprised me with a birthday cake for her and I. Her birthday is on the 15th of October and it was fun to celebrate together. Happy Birthday, Yuki! What a special ending to the D Spoke of our journey.

Next up, a couple of rest days before we set off on our final “Spoke.” The pedals keeps turning, and so do we.Read more