Yesterday, we took a cycling trip to a small island. We caught a ferry from a nearby port, which took about an hour, and brought our bikes along for the ride.

When we arrived at the island, we cycled to a roadside station for lunch. The place was a bit run down, and we stumbled across a tiny somen noodle shop that looked even less inviting. We hesitated for a moment, wondering if it was a good idea, but since a couple of people were already eating, we decided to give it a try.

The menu was as simple as can be. There were just two options: cold noodles or warm noodles. We opted for the cold one, not expecting anything special, but to our surprise, it was absolutely extraordinary! Much better than we had imagined. Without a doubt, it was the best somen we’ve ever had. We were so impressed that we bought two boxes of dried noodles before leaving.

After lunch, we decided to head to an open area at the top of a steep hill, where we'd heard there were plenty of cherry blossom trees. We assumed they would have started blooming by now. The climb was tough, and at one point, I was so exhausted that I had to hop off and push my bike the rest of the way up. Unfortunately, we were a little too early. A few trees were blooming, but most of them were on their way to full bloom.

That said, the view from the top was breathtaking. We could see the calm sea dotted with small islands, creating an incredibly peaceful atmosphere. I always love this kind of scenery.

After enjoying the view, we rode back down and took the ferry home. The ride was a bit exhausting, especially with my hay fever symptoms, but overall, it was an incredibly rewarding day.