Iseji – Following your feet

Day 20: Kii-Katsuura to Wakayama

Today was travel and rain day. The hotel served yet another great meal for breakfast. I cannot recommend the food enough, it really is excellent, but why ketchup on the omelette. I paid my dues at the hotel and walked to the station through the streets that almost feel like home. I really like Kii-Katsuura,…

Day 19: Kii- Katsuura and Shingu

I was up early as I wanted to visit the fish auction at 7am. It was beautiful weather as I strolled over to the port and to the visitors section on the second floor. I have absolutely no idea how it works, but fish were inspected carefully, by cutting into the fish near the tail…

Day 18: Odomari to Shingu

Sunday was the last leg of my walk, from Odomari, where I have slept the past two nights, to Shingu, more specifically the third of the grand shrines of Kumano, the Kumano Hayatama Taisha (the two others being Nachi Taisha and Hongu Taisha, which I visited earlier during my walk. I am writing this Monday…

Day 17: Kata to Odomari

It’s Saturday night and I am sitting in the hotel’s launderette, washing clothes for hopefully the last time on this trip. Today was supposed to be a quiet day, but I obviously hadn’t read the trail details, I walked over 8 passes and climbed 1130m. I woke up at 6.30, feeling that I hadn’t slept.…

Day 16: Owase to Kata

I’m writing this feeling very sorry for myself. After a hard day I was looking forward to having a bath. I was sitting on at the station and the train pulled up, a bit early, but sometimes they need to wait for a train coming in the opposite direction, the train was on platform one,…

Day 15: Furusato to Owase

For the third time during the trip I didn’t need to carry my backpack today, as I return to the Royokan I stayed last night. I haven’t at any time felt that the backpack has been a burden, and I didn’t walk any quicker because I was only carrying a day pack. I started the…

Day 14: Ise-Kashiwazaki to Furusato

I had a great nights sleep. I’d already dozed of at 21.30 and despite waking up to change the side I was lying on, I slept until 6.30. The futon mattress is so thin, my hips hurt after lying on one side for a few hours. The female owner of the Ryokan served breakfast. She…

Day 13: Tochihara to Ise-Kashiwazaki

Yesterday I realised that walking through small villages and varied scenery was why I loved Shikoku last year. Today I remembered why I took buses and trains on long stretches of main roads. Most of the first 13 kms today were along route 42, with nice views of the mountains, but otherwise just cars and…

Day 12: Ise to Tochihara

Now I remember why I enjoyed walking on Shikoku, because the landscape is varied, not just forest. I walked 28 km, and not least when I came to the outscirts of Ise, the scenery was fantastic. Empty roads. I was up at 7 o’clock, breakfasted and finished yesterday’s blog – I fell asleep before I…

Day 11: Ise

Today was tourist day. Whilst it’s fine being alone when walking, being a tourist is more fun when you have somebody to share it with. But it has been an interesting day in bright sunshine. The motive on man hole cover symbolises my first stop today. I was up at seven to be in plenty…