I’ve talked about Mt. Shinobu many times in this blog–the long, low-lying mountain near my home (and in the center of Fukushima City, so easy access for city people. In fact, my son’s school is on the side of this mountain.)

It’s a small mountain compared to the mountains which surround Fukushima City—higher mountains like Azuma and Bandai. I don’t have time to get to Azuma and Bandai, to tell the truth.  Also, years ago, my husband drove me and my son up one of the high mountains. There were SO MANY switchbacks (curves in the road) that we were all feeling ill just halfway up!  We stopped at a rest area, and so did another car–the passenger tumbled out of the car, almost puking.  My husband and I turned around rather than continuing higher.

Being from Kansas, I’m not really mountain savvy.  Driving up a high steep mountain was not exactly a “fun” experience!  I guess I prefer the lower mountains.

Riding my bike. This is in front of the art museum.

Still riding my back. Art museum to my right now. That’s the edge of Mt. Shinobu in the distance. It continues on to the right (the east) for a very long distance.

Hmmmm…I wonder where a path up a mountain starts?

At the bottom, of course.

It was such a perfect autumn day.

Pretty?

Japanese trees

In the distance, the city. This is not the part of the city where I live though.

Such an interesting plant!  Anybody know what it is?

I’m glad I took advantage of the beautiful blue sky. If you travel in Japan, autumn is a pleasant time, usually. (My friend Lauren came a month ago—during our huge typhoon!  Rain! Typhoons can strike in the autumn, so be aware of that. I think typhoons are especially early autumn though, when the temperatures are higher.)