Happy Birthday Sherri!

Hope you have a fabulous birthday & we can't wait to see you this summer! Lots of love . . .

Saturday 20 km Bike Ride!

Stan and I were each on our separate computers when he asked me on Facebook if I wanted to go for a bike ride. That sounded like a good idea since it was a beautiful clear day - so off we went! This is the side of the building where our LR balcony faces. We're on 5th - next to the top.


Since it's Saturday, the North gate is open, so we're heading that way along the fence. Outside is where we rode last week.


We took the same route, but turned left when we got to the river to head for the pedestrian bridge.


As I turned onto the bridge, I saw a man helping his grandson learning to ride his bike.


Looking to my left is the Hwy 188 bridge.

Closer view of Boys' Day carp banners flying over the Hwy 188 bridge. Beautiful!


That's Stan riding in front of me. The little boy & his grampa are on our left side.


We're back on Hwy 188 now riding toward downtown.


Beautiful red azaleas in front of a newer apartment building next to the tracks.


We crossed the tracks, and are taking the shortcut road that goes to the station. There's someone in the flower beds by the tracks.

Man working on the flowers. He probably lives in the neighborhood. There are always beautiful flowers here -- all year long.


Azaleas in a small park below the twirley bridge.


We've stopped for lunch at one of my favorite places - L Style Cafe near the train station. This was (as always!) 6 different, perfect entrees: Beef, fish, salmon spread, curry chicken, pork, and shrimp. We also had corn soup & fresh, hot bread. What a delicious meal!


Beautiful plants in the restroom.


I thought this sign in the potty was cute - those pesky ordinal abbreviations! Also, if you look toward the bottom, you see that for only 3000 yen (about $30) everything is free for 1.5 hour . . . hmm.

Looking through the inside window of the corridor kitchen at L Style Cafe.


The salad bar area is left front, window to the kitchen above, and to the right are the seating areas - non-smoking in front & smoking in rear. I have to run though there to get to the potty all the way in the back.


After a delicious lunch and quick stop at Andersen's bakery for bread, we decided to ride down to the ginza area nearby. This is our covered shopping street in downtown Iwakuni and we can ride our bikes. Stan's patiently waiting while I take pictures.


Cute store sign.

Passing by a pretty shop in the ginza area.


An interesting narrow alley.


Photos in the window of a photo shop. What a cute baby in kimono.


Looking down at flowers on a street that leads out of the ginza.


This lady thoughtfully stopped when she saw my camera, so I could get a good shot of her cute doggy, who appears to be posing for me.

Riding around some side streets downtown. That's a 7-11 on the far right.


Looking down another street.


Cute sign outside a restaurant. Is he sumo? We heard there was a restaurant somewhere downtown that was owned by a former sumo wrestler, but we're not sure if this is it.


Back inside the covered shopping area, we're stopping for a coffee break.


Pie, my fancy iced coffee, and Stan's hot coffee.

Oh yeah, Baby! This is as delicious as it looks. Lemon meringue pie - notice how it's edges are wrapped in clear plastic? This allows it to be cut, but not dry out. We halved it . . .


Each cup of coffee is fresh made while you wait.




Inside the coffee shop. Booths down one side & serving area on the other. Restroom in the back.


Beautiful azalea in the shop.

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Back out on the main street downtown Iwakuni. That's the movie theater where we saw Avatar in 3D, but it was up on the 4th floor, I think. Fortunately for me, there was an elevator! We're watching for more 3D movies in English to show there.


Riding down the sidewalk downtown under the arched sidewalk covers. Stan is walking his bike because it's a little more crowded here. I can ride slow since I don't have to balance.


The right edge of this building is very sharp because the street in front is less than a 90 degree angle.


From downtown, we've cut through some neighborhoods to ride across the river on the pedestrian bridge. It's an easier & less congested way to travel back to the base.


Looking over at the car bridge that we drive over to get downtown. Beyond is the open sea. Beautiful!

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Soaring birds overhead.


Looking from the pedestrian bridge into the river, with sidewalk above & seawall above that. On the other side of the seawall is the road that we're headed for.


Stan on a cement stairway leading into the river. Don't jump!


Wonder what that fancy antenna is for?

Instead of riding along the river, we decided to wind though the neighborhood to return to the base, and passed this very old building.


Beautiful pink dogwood blossoms in someone's yard.


Pretty little white flowers against a house that caught my eye.


Suzuki Every Wagon Joypop . . . I love the names of cars here!


Look at this beautiful house - 3 floors. I'd love to see inside. It's down a very narrow road that we would probably never drive down in our car - so it's very private here.

Oh I can't remember what these flowers are called - Stephanie? In her comment (see below) Steph provided me this info: "That appears to be a Chinese lantern, aka physalis alkekengi, or hozuki in Japanese." Thanks!


Signs with neighborhood maps really come in handy, because houses are not numbered sequentially here. I've heard that they're numbered by the year they were built . . . I just know that when we're riding bikes, it feels like we're in a maze!


Carp streamers (koinobori) hang outside someone's house for upcoming Children's Day (part of Golden Week & used to be called Boys' Day). The number of fish are determined by the number of boys in the house. Read more about Golden Week Holidays here!


White iris in bloom.


Beautiful garden in someone's yard.

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