An appreciation of 2 wheels

Sapporo has a characteristic flatness to it, almost artificial when you have the backdrop of mountains to 3 sides of the city. It does make the city incredibly bicycle friendly, you’ll stumble into an alleyway to find its entirely bike storage and there’s no route through without a pair of bolt cutters. its also the norm to cycle on the pavement, which is wild to my London sensibilities, especially as they never use a bell, just silently pedal past you (occasionally with far too little personal space). I do like the bicycles everywhere, it makes me miss my own.

I went to Moerenuma Park the other day. I conveniently forgot to bring a spare battery for my camera, which was devastating when a falcon was gliding on the spot about 10 metres from us; Its a great spot, full of playgrounds that look like a Roald Dahl interpretation of a military training base (probably not though as he did serve in the air force). You can rent bicycles there though, for the cheap fee of 300 Yen for 2 hours. Its a great way to see the park and glide around the huge pyramid structures of steel, glass and grass. Also was a great test to see if we both remembered how to ride a bike comfortably if we want to rent some for a slightly longer term in Okinawa. But if you’re ever in a bit of downtime in Sapporo, take the bus to Moerenuma, its beautifully eerie.

I’ve been taking lots of pictures of bicycles. They’re an easy way to get a bright colour into a photo, but also are just very comforting.