The Early Morning

I agree with Thomas Merton about early morning time. He says, "It is necessary for me to see the first point of light that begins to be dawn. It is necessary to be present alone at the resurrection of the Day in solemn silence at which the sun appears, for at this moment all the affairs of cities, of governments, of war departments, are seen to be the bickering of mice. I receive from the Eastern woods, the tall oaks, the one word DAY. It is never the same. It is always in a totally new language."
Can you tell I'm a morning person? I try to get up somewhere between 5:15 and 5:45. It's a lot easier now that we're back on EST. I heard Darcie's light click on this morning about 6:15; forty-five delicious minutes of lying in bed to read before she has to get up at 7:00. I guess she's a morning person too.

More Twin Love

We just can't stay away from these babies. They continue to gain weight and are doing very well.
And yes, I took the self-portrait, which wasn't easy.
Here's my baby with a grandbaby.

Osaka - The videogames city in Japan - With BZH World Tours and globe trotter David Picard

Panorama of the modern city of Osaka

Back in Japan with David Picard.
After visiting Tokyo, this time we are going to explore Osaka with David and he will tell us how are going his preparations for his world tour by bike he is going to start next year.
Located at the mouth of the Yodo River on Osaka Bay, Osaka is Japan's third largest city by population after Tokyo and Yokohama.
Historically the commercial center of Japan, Osaka is one of the command centers for the Japanese economy andused to be referred to as the "nation's kitchen" because it was the centre of trading for rice, creating the first modern futures exchange market in the world.
Let's meet David and ask him to show us around!




Hi David! Thanks to be back with us!

So last month you told us about Tokyo and your eight months travel in Japan and you told us also about your project to travel around the world in 2014 with your bike only for 67760 Km! What an amazing challenge! (click here to read our July interview)
Today I am going to make you one question about your World Tour and one question about Osaka. OK?
So, last month you told us about your amazing itinerary around the world, your equipment and many other interesting things. We explored your website, it is very interesting! Can you tell us more about www.bzhworldstours.com?
BZH are the initials of the region of France where I live: Brittany (editor's note: The local word for the Brittany is "breizh" (pronounced "bray-tze"), often shortened to "bzh").
It is a very beautiful region of France, with many festivals where you are never bored living in.


And now let's speak about Osaka. What impressed you more of Osaka?


Osaka is a city not too different from Tokyo, although it is a bit smaller.

I really like to explore the narrow streets where, behind little doors, are disguised great video games shops with a huge selections of game. For me that I like video games that was heaven!
Do you have sponsors for your world tour travel? Are you still looking for sponsorships?
Unfortunately I haven't yet enough sponsors.
Many shops offered me a discount of the 10% of their prices to buy my equipment, which was good of them. I calculated a budget of around 15.000 Euros for my adventure, so I count a lot on donors and to the people who will be able to help me on my way.
Maybe the city of Vannes will give me some help, but I still looking for sponsorships at the moment...

One of the beautiful gardens where to rest and enjoy some quiet

There is something in particular you will advise to do / see in Osaka?
Osaka has great restaurants and wonderful video games shops.
If you love videogames Osaka is your place! You can find all the videogames you like there, known and unknown, it is great!
But you should also take some time to explore the mountains around and enjoy the nature and what the nature has to tell you, even just seating on a bench and admiring the panorama.
Which languages do you speak David? How you are planning to communicate with people of so many different countries and languages during your world tour?
I know it is funny and you may think I am mad but I only speak French and few words in English!
I just use the language of all the languages: body signs! ...and it is a funny way to communicate! But I may take some English lessons too...

Aerial view of the city

Japan is notoriously quite an expensive country to travel to. Where you stayed in Osaka? How is accommodation there?
Well, I didn't find Japan too expensive. I slept on a tent and sometimes I even got a quite comfortable room, this way I had enough money to buy food and other things I needed.
And finally, how you are managing accommodation during your 2014 world tour? Where you planned to sleep during your travel around the world ?
I will sleep in a tent again, some people will also give me hospitality in their houses along my way.I will avoid comfortable hotels and sometimes sleep in hostels too...


Thanks again David, good luck for your preparations and we look forward to see you again next month!
(This interview was made by email the 22nd July )

Want to read more about Japan and David Picard's WT? Read our post about Tokio

Visit another wonderful country in Asia: go to our page Visit Thailand

Misty morning

One of the great things about my two-wheeled mode of travel is the chance to see things that others miss. Often these can happen totally unexpectedly, such as this morning's mist that rolled in out of nowhere. It was on the latter part of the pre-work 40km ride that I do every so often (not the Hinze Dam one). It had been surprisingly cool at times, I even recorded 11 degrees C at one stage, but it really got interesting on the suburban part of the ride that's normally so boring, when a stream of low-lying cloud decided to move across the coast, on a day that was otherwise clear.



I'm not sure this picture does the thing justice, after all, suburbia did obscure the views for quite a while, but rest assured, it was beautiful. Actually, there were a few things I noticed about that ride that are quite pleasant and worthy of sharing. Perhaps I'll do it one day when I manage to avoid starting it 15 minutes late!

Frustrating Week

Weather has not been conducive to riding - rainy. When not rainy, very windy. But, have been getting in a couple rides. Saturday, the race was canceled from the rain.
Last week (Wednesday) I headed out from the bike shop for a ride on the Trace. When I got to Margaritaville, I was feeling good - so headed on down to Mineola. Was thinking of stopping in Mineola for lunch at the Steak House - but it was already 1:10. So just turned back up the hill.
Stopped just out of town to take this photo - well a "touched-up" version of the photo. This is the Keg Creek bridge.
Uneventful ride back. Had a great, relaxing ride on the hardtail.

Let me know if I get in your way

I don't think cats understand reading.

Goo Day

Happy Goo Day!

I was mistaken in thinking that I'd already missed Orange Goo Day this year... That is, the day the Cedar-Apple Rust and Cedar-Qunice Rust make their outlandish annual appearances.

Hooray! I hate to miss it. This year the appendages seem more noodly than ever, don't they? I wonder if that's because it's rained so much in the past year.
Well, if you aren't hip to the whole orange goo phenomenon, don't fret. I wasn't either, until we moved out to the country. You can read my past posts (with slightly more scientific explanations) here.
So, was it Goo Day with you too? Did you have fun shouting sporulation and heteroecious and gelatinous telial spore horns?