My plan for the day was to catch the 6.40 a.m. bus out of Tomie town and then change buses in Sanano to get to the trailhead for the Osezaki Lighthouse (short) hike. After the hike, I would walk up north following the coastline and catch the 2.30 p.m. bus back to Tomie. The only part of the plan I could follow was the 6.40 a.m. bus.
After missing the bus stop where I had to change buses, I quickly had to decide on a new walking route. Since the bus that I failed to get off was heading to the northern part of the island, I quickly settled on a walking path that would take me to Takahama Beach and then to the Italian restaurant (Shimashoku Gino) that I mentioned in the third day's post for a late lunch. The route would require three to four hours of a pleasant and easy walk through small settlements and Kaitsu Church that I could not see the interior of during my first trip to the islands.
It was a cloudy day but not cold—perfect conditions for a comfortable walk. The road to Takahama Beach goes through open fields overlooked by the modest mountains of Fukue Island. At this time of year, the car traffic is very low, so you can count on having a peaceful walk.
My pack today was unusually light thanks to the choice of camera. After saying goodbye to my 12 years old Canon 5D Mark II last year in a rather embarrassing fashion on the last day of a travel writing & photography assignment in the presence of a client, I decided to invest in two second-hand cameras - one Canon 5Ds (with 50.6 MP sensor) due to its very attractive price and my love for and comfort level with full-frame Canon DSLRs and one mirrorless full-frame Sony 7R (and 24-105 mm lens) due to my curiosity about Sony system and need (or better to say desire) to have a light camera/lens kit for long hikes. Two full-frame bodies and the Sony lens (all second-hand but in very good condition (I always use Map Camera in Tokyo)) came cheaper than a new Canon R5. While I still enjoy the experience of shooting with Canon much more than Sony (or any mirrorless honestly), Sony still does a reasonably good job without giving me any back pain. So I occasionally leave Canon at home/in my room and head out with only Sony, even if no hiking is involved.
After a 1.5-hour walk, the day's first stop was at Kaitsu Church, initially built in 1924 and re-modeled in 1962.
The church, hidden along the narrow backcountry road, is known for its beautiful stained glasses. There was no one in or near the church during my visit. Even though the churches are open at all hours, I sometimes cannot help feeling like I am doing something wrong and entering a place that I should not. I know that this is not a valid feeling at all and a little (maybe very) childish, but I sometimes wonder if I would feel that way if I were a Christian or even a religious person. Also, the atmosphere, knowing the history, sometimes feels a little eerie and makes me feel a little scared (not that it takes much for me to feel scared).
Merely 30 minutes after my brief stop at Kaitsu Church, I was already overlooking the ever-beautiful Takahama Beach and the ocean featuring every possible shade of blue on this cloudy day.
Takahama Beach is one of the most famous beaches of the entire Goto Islands chain, if not the most. And when I wrote the following in the February edition of Letters from Japan, I was thinking of Takahama Beach specifically:
What I love about the Goto Islands is the opportunity to experience traditional rural fishing village life while having access to beaches on par with those in Okinawa…
While the beach was far from evoking summer vibes in early March, I found it exceptionally relaxing, making me spend around an hour sitting on the beach and just watching the waves. Takahama is one rare beach in Japan where there are no concrete structures that take away from the beauty of the scenery or take you back to real life, it is just you and the endless ocean, you can freely dream away.
By the time I hit the road again, it was close to noon. I planned to walk for about 1.5 hours and then catch the bus to Shimashoku Gino to not miss the last order time. Thank you to the enticing rural scenery on the road, the coffee/food truck that was miraculously open, and the sun that pushed the clouds away; it was a very fulfilling walk.
When I arrived at the Italian restaurant Gino a little after 1:30 p.m., I was happy to see that they had a room for me. Gino is located in the middle of extensive farm fields, which never leave your sight thanks to the large windows surrounding the dining room. I had a pasta lunch set for 1.400 Japanese Yen that included a delicious pasta with mushroom and tomato sauce, a small salad and a coffee.
After a 6.30 a.m. start, I was back in Tomie town at around 5 p.m., leaving me some time to walk around the town while the sun was still out, then clean up before heading out to the only yakitori joint in the village for an early dinner.
Thank you for being here and reading my travel diary. I will be back tomorrow. And here is a link to the page where all Goto travel diaries are listed.
Lovely photos, the yellow flowers especially made me feel fantastic. Your embarrassing loss of the cameras was a bit mysterious!