A Fukuokan's Notes from Sapporo

It’s truly a penance to go somewhere by bike in August weather. Sunshine tries to burn you to death, oppressively wet wind makes you feel suffocated and reflected heat rising from asphalt roads literally grills you. You are in a big oven (gass mark 8).

Some people attempt to keep themselves in shade by attaching a parasol to their bike,

or wearing monstrous sunhat

(I call it Robocop hat).

Me? I just put on a hat with wide-ish brim. So shopping becomes a do-or-die type task during summer. Only I can do is watching weather forecast carefully so that I can go out when the weather is cloudy and bit less unbearable.

Today, I went to my regular shopping tour, which usually involves one-hour cycling, with desperate determination. Then, thanks god, I found a nice route where the path is under trees with densely grown leaves providing comfortable shade to the pedestrians and cyclists.

Plus, there is no annoying traffic right so you can cycle without stopping and having to do unnecessary thigh and hamstring exercise (by vigorously pushing the pedals to start the bike again).

My usual route along the river has no sun-protection at all,

so I get and nearly evaporated when I cycle there.

But from today, I can cycle comfortably, maybe humming a tune or two.

Thank you the public works bureau! You are not always wasting our tax!