Rest Day in Matsuyama

First some random impressions from our first week in Japan.

Cars. In Korea, 99% of cars were white, black, or something in between. Japan... more colours, even a couple of Mazda zoom zoom zoom yellow. Korea front windows were heavily tinted, Japan no tint.

Food - different, but amazing in both Korea and Japan. We are being extremely well fed. Below... dinner on Friday (May 19), our rest day in Matsuyama. It may not be apparent, but we're all sitting on the floor. Fortunately there is a recess beneath the table so our legs are positioned just as sitting on a chair - we don't have to sit cross-legged or anything like that.

 Earlier in the day, we visited the castle which dates back to the 1600s. Apparently castle design evolved in Japan independently of Europe, but the similarities are striking, such as the ramps to the gates being designed to trap a would-be enemy in a way the facilitated firing arrows or stones at them. 

It's hard to imagine people wearing armour like this clambering around the steep stairs in a castle like this.

After the castle, Ursula and Fiona, an Aussie riding this trip with us, went to the public Onsen, one of the oldest in the country for some relaxation in the spa while Rae and Maurice (Fiona's husband) found a massage. Everybody was happy with the results. 

The next three days we'll be on the bikes on Shikoku Island before going into Kyoto for a rest day.