Snowy Ride With Lots of New-Expressway Construction

Panasonic LX100 at an effective 31mm — 1/200 sec, f/5.6, ISO 200 —
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A Little Snowy

on a ride two weeks ago

二週間まえの雪の後

Two weeks ago we had a fair bit of snow in Kyoto (a rarity, since many years we have none), so that probably meant that the
mountains in the north (which get lots of snow) were impassable, so I took a bicycle ride south-west towards Kobe. I still found snow.

Here's the 100km ride:

The first climb was the eastern Yanagidani
climb, which I had descended before but never ridden up. I took my time, stopping for photos like the above when I ascended above
the snow line, and at one point to help a group of elderly hikers find their way.

Panasonic LX100 at an effective 49mm — 1/125 sec, f/5.6, ISO 200 —
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Local Peak

60m below the pass








Panasonic LX100 at an effective 24mm — 1/200 sec, f/5.6, ISO 200 —
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More Snow








Panasonic LX100 at an effective 47mm — 1/125 sec, f/4.5, ISO 200 —
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Blacktop Harder to Find








Panasonic LX100 at an effective 24mm — 1/200 sec, f/5.6, ISO 200 —
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Nope

I had planned to take this road, but bailed due to snow and ice

Just after I took this photo, a station wagon came by with writing on the side along the lines of “City of Ibaraiki Bicycling
Support”, which piqued my interest. I have no idea what the two guys in city-worker uniforms intended, but they apparently didn't
have snow tires and their trip stopped when they hit this road and their wheels just spun on the ice. I asked whether they needed
a push, but they waved me off, so I took a less-snowy road down the mountain into the city.

Along the way I came across construction for the “Shin-Meishin Expressway” (“New Kobe-Nagoya Expressway”), which is slicing through
sparsely-habited mountains, and redrawing maps with construction closures and reroutings.

Panasonic LX100 at an effective 41mm — 1/320 sec, f/5.6, ISO 200 —
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Massive Construction Project

one little bridge out of hundreds of bridges and tunnels

The cost of leveling mountains and filling in valleys, of making huge concrete bridges and boring long tunnels, must be huge. The cost of just the one massive bridge above is inconceivable to me, but it's just one small piece of the whole thing,
slated to be done in another six years.

The social and economic benefit to the first trans-national expressway is pretty easy to understand, but since this “new”
expressway more or less parallels the current one (+/- 20km), the benefits seem marginal at best... is it really worth the
cost in money and in displaced people (and displaced serenity)? Eminent domain is a very big hammer best used exceedingly sparingly
and with specific purpose. I realize that I'm utterly ignorant on this project, but at first blush my mind boggles.

Panasonic LX100 at an effective 38mm — 1/125 sec, f/4.5, ISO 200 —
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Some Undisturbed Serenity

Working my way through the suburbia and back up into the mountains, I took the next old mountain road I could find.

Panasonic LX100 at an effective 24mm — 1/60 sec, f/1.7, ISO 1000 —
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Pleasant

a bit messy, but pleasant








Panasonic LX100 at an effective 24mm — 1/125 sec, f/1.7, ISO 800 —
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Panasonic LX100 at an effective 49mm — 1/100 sec, f/2.7, ISO 1250 —
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Panasonic LX100 at an effective 24mm — 1/80 sec, f/1.7, ISO 200 —
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Where's My Road?

The road I take dives down to the left, out of sight








Panasonic LX100 at an effective 24mm — 1/200 sec, f/5.6, ISO 200 —
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Discovering More Construction








Panasonic LX100 at an effective 24mm — 1/125 sec, f/5, ISO 200 —
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Old Bridge

as the map is redrawn around it

I wanted to go down to look at the obviously-old bridge, but there was no access to it anymore. Looking at Historical Imagery in
Google Earth, I could see that even just 15 years ago, it led to a couple of farmsteads (that had been on the flat areas to the left
in the photo above), but then about 10 years ago the big bridge I took the photo from was built, obliterating the farms.

Now, the road along the right side of the river has been taken over by construction for an exchange for the new highway,
so the little old bridge looks like it will be forever cut off.

Panasonic LX100 at an effective 50mm — 1/125 sec, f/5, ISO 200 —
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Old Little Bridge

with remnants just beyond of a temporary construction-use bridge









Panasonic LX100 at an effective 24mm — 1/400 sec, f/5.6, ISO 200 —
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Another New Road

new, but still steep








Panasonic LX100 at an effective 24mm — 1/125 sec, f/1.8, ISO 200 —
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Quaint Pass








Panasonic LX100 at an effective 28mm — 1/400 sec, f/5.6, ISO 200 —
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“Watch Out for Kids”








Panasonic LX100 at an effective 40mm — 1/320 sec, f/5.6, ISO 200 —
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Square Tunnel

under the new expressway, in what used to be the middle of nowhere








Panasonic LX100 at an effective 24mm — 1/125 sec, f/9, ISO 2500 —
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Hidden Thatched Roof

caught my eye from the road above,

so I went back to look...








Panasonic LX100 at an effective 24mm — 1/125 sec, f/3.5, ISO 200 —
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Looks Fun

Madama Mura Cafe (まだま村カフェ)








Panasonic LX100 at an effective 24mm — 1/125 sec, f/4, ISO 200 —
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Dodged a Bullet

the new-expressway construction slices through a few bus-lengths behind me








Panasonic LX100 at an effective 24mm — 1/125 sec, f/2.2, ISO 200 —
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Small Roadside Shrine

also spared the eminent-domain hammer








Panasonic LX100 at an effective 24mm — 1/320 sec, f/5.6, ISO 200 —
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Not So Lucky

When I got to a local pass, I noticed a road heading up to the side, so I gave it a try, and found a short but pleasant area
that I bet would be wonderfully cool in during a hot summer...

Panasonic LX100 at an effective 24mm — 1/125 sec, f/1.7, ISO 500 —
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Pleasant Side Road

It led to a little village with a few houses, a restaurant, and this unexpected find:

Panasonic LX100 at an effective 28mm — 1/200 sec, f/5.6, ISO 200 —
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Ibaraki City Christian Artifact Museum

茨木市立キリシタン遺物史料館

They didn't have all that many artifacts inside, but I was surprised to learn that the first Catholic church
in the area dated to 400 or so years ago.

I gave the small restaurant a try...

Panasonic LX100 at an effective 24mm — 1/60 sec, f/1.7, ISO 1250 —
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Gyudon Lunch

It was getting late, so I headed out of the mountains and through the ugly city until I got to the riverside path
presented in the previous post (“Discovering a New Cycling Route from Kyoto to Osaka”), and headed home.

Panasonic LX100 at an effective 60mm — 1/320 sec, f/5.6, ISO 200 —
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Lots of Photographers

lined up like this for kilometers

Every time I go by this wetland area I see some photographers lined up with big lenses, standing around looking cold, but this
time there were hundreds stretching as far as the eye could see. I stopped to ask someone what was going on... it seems that
there's some kind of owl that they're trying to photograph. Good luck to'em.

On the way home I stopped by the Morning Glory Cafe for crepes and coffee...

Panasonic LX100 at an effective 24mm — 1/125 sec, f/4, ISO 200 —
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Crowded Parking








Panasonic LX100 at an effective 24mm — 1/60 sec, f/1.7, ISO 250 —
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End-of-Ride Reward