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• Day 21 – Echizen to Komatsu
• Distance: 73.4km
• Ascent / descent: 288m / 312m
• Weather: overcast, humid and headwind 
• Accommodation: camped in Fureai Park, Komatsu, ¥300

I slept so well and was up at 7am. I had a delicious breakfast with Saskia, her homemade bread was incredible and I’ve been dreaming about it all day!

Breakfast at Saskia’s of apple, delicious homemade bread with jam and apple danishes, not to mention a fresh drip coffee, yum!

The rain had eased off a little when I started but the roads were wet. After visiting a few temples in Echizen, I decided I needed to get some warmer bedclothes so I went to Uniqlo in Fukui and bought some sweatpants, unfortunately they no longer had any of their thermal wear in stock 😦

Echizen is home to many temples, so I did some sight-seeing before leaving

A Meiji period house in Fukui

I found it really hard to get motivated today. The roads were busy, I had a headwind all day, my back wheel feels unstable and it was cold. I got my first view of the Japan sea though.

An ichi-ri-zuka milestone mound – these mounds were built on the side of the road every ‘ri’ (3.9km) and acted as a place to rest with shade, as well as to collect tolls

Buddhist statue

Buddhist temple with an interesting shaped roof

Cycle path beside the sea

I arrived at the campsite I was planning to stay at but the office was now closed. I asked a Japanese family there if they thought it was ok if I camped and they said to camp next to them and to register in the morning. I have no idea how much it’s going to be and I hope it’s not going to be crazy expensive!

Two young girls came and knocked on my tent just after I’d got in (to get changed) and they gave me a cherry blossom flower – so cute! We chatted for a while then their dad came over and we chatted some more.

I hadn’t picked up anything for dinner so I was going to cook one of my camping meals but the same family insisted I eat with them and we had a delicious dinner of yakiniku, washed down with plum chu-hi, thank you!

I was into bed at 8:30pm which I think is exactly what I needed, an early night 🙂

Camping at the Fureai park

Too cloudy to see the sunset tonight at the Fureai park

Jb21 – elevation profile from Garmin connect

Jb21 – google map from Garmin Connect