Dokkodo: Lonesome Road of Running

Edinho rushed to the bakery just in time for its opening. As he praised, croissant and pain traditionnel were the best! French breakfast is simple, just coffee or tea, orange juice, bread and jam, butter. I said goodbye to him and started at 8:00. After running about 750 meters, I notices I had not returned a room key. So I rushed to the hostel. Though I ringed the bell, no answer. I left the key on a dining table. I was lucky I noticed as soon as I started. Followed a quiet trail along the River Loire. Next problem happened afternoon. I found something wrong with the front wheel. Then I tried to find a cycle shop on Google Map, which was within 1 km. When I arrived at the shop, it was closed but it seemed there was someone inside. I knocked on the door to ask for help. I explained to the owner about what had happened to the front wheel. He said yes and checked the wheel. When the shaft broke down yesterday, bearing might have gone. He said there...

While moving, I’m all alone most of the time with no one talk to. I keep silent for a long time. Travelers sometimes have to go through a hard time which makes them stronger. As life needs some spice, travel should have many ways to taste Every hardship is not to be conquered but to taste or enjoy. We got to joy when good things happen. Even when we experience hard time, we can smile talking about it later. That’s what travel and life are for. Edinho from Brazil welcomed me with a glass of beer at a hostel in Mer. He seems like a chief staff. He said he had spent a lot of time in traveling around Europe looking for an ideal place to stay. Eager to learn anything such as language, culture and people. Both of us might have something similar and common as a traveler. He's alos dreaming of traveling all over the world. Mer is a nice small Medieval town which has a long history. It’s a town of my favorite type like Cashel, Ireland. Though I wa...

In the morning I woke up to find myself in my tent at 5:30. 14 degrees was not so cold. Enjoyed beautiful sun rise! But the route was tough and hard. D2020 was so dangerous with heavy traffic with no shoulders. Alternative routes were full of varieties. Trails with rocks on the rough surface, small path surrounded by fields, trails in the wood… How happy I am to run on the paved road! That’s my today’s impression. Pushing my buggy needs lots of power on my arms, shoulders and back. Just 50km made me feel as if I had run 80km. When my mental power gets weak, something bad will happen. I got to keep my mind clear. No problem…Everything is going to be all right! *Today’s Distance: 53.2 km *Total Distance in Europe: 2544.0 km * See More Photos

Daytime is getting shorter. Now the sun rises at 7:45am and sets at 7:40. 50 km might be the limit I can run in a day. Sunny blue sky spread today too. I don’t remember when I wore a rain jacket last. Today I ran on a trail of a mountain, a gravel road surrounded by corn fields and so on. N10 was the fearful highway with neither sidewalk nor shoulders. Trucks and trailers drove faster than 100 km per hour. Just 2.5 km I was so patient under the pressure. Google Map still annoyed me…  About 5pm, I pitched my tent at a campground in Monnerville. Very quiet on a weekday of off-season with very few campers camping. Exchanged both rear tires which I had bought in Etamp. Almost 2500 km since I started in London. Hope tomorrow morning won’t become so cold.   *Today’s Distance: 48.2 km *Total Distance in Europe: 2490.8 km * See More Photos

Started as soon as the sun rose at 7:30. Busy, noisy city of Paris. It’s full of people and cars. City of Paris is the area diameter 10 km with various people come together. Big city is always exciting like New York, London, Tokyo… Also it’s a center of fashion, there are so many hair salon, boutique, cosmetic shops. I’m surprised to see so many Japanese restaurant here and there. I guess Parisian might love healthy Japanese food. Paris has a long history. There are so many cathedrals, churches and temples. When I have finished my run at the end of Santiago De Compostela or Lisbon, Portugal, I’ll be back in Paris. Hope the time will soon come. My wife Piapi and her company will come and see me. *Today’s Distance: 41.2 km *Total Distance in Europe: 2442.6 km * See More Photos

Took a day-off for the first time in 10 days. Breda was the last day-off as long as I remember. Walked around city centre. Unfortunately supermarket was closed but instead there was a market going on. Lots of various things…food, accessories, clothes, books… So many things I can’t find in Japan. As I walk around, I find there are so many French Africans. France is the country which is so close to Africa. The only photo I took today is the one of Saint Denis Cathedral. When I got back to the hotel, it started to rain. I don’t remember when it rained the last. Turning on the TV but everything is French…lol In a small room of the hotel, I’m all alone keeping silent. *Today’s Distance: 0 km *Total Distance in Europe: 2401.4 km

Sunny morning. I wonder when it will rain. I haven’t worn a rain jacket for a while. Followed various roads such as single track of trails, grassy rough roads, highway with no shoulder or sidewalk where cars driving faster than 100km… Yes, I’m a running traveler. I have to go on no matter what kind of road stretches in front of me. And I have to accept any risk. That’s what a travel(an adventure) is for, I think. There were detour twice because of construction. Most of travelers now depend upon digital devices such as GPS. When we lose net connection, we fail to go on. But when we live in analogue age, we are able to go on depending on communication. When we get lost, we can ask anyone. Local people will help if we’re in trouble. Yes, it’s  true we live in a very convenient era. It means if we depend on digital tools, we may have a chance to lose humanity. Don’t keep silent before your digital tools. Find someone you can talk to wherever you go. Now I’m in...

At 7am, Pascal served a breakfast for me. Home-made bread and cake, jam, coffee and orange juice. Even in a short-time stay, I was so happy to have been treated like a family member. Annie and Pascal are planning to visit Asia next March. Hope they’ll visit Osaka and I’ll show them around. Saying goodbye to them, I got back on the road again. Followed D1017 almost all day, with no sidewalk, no shoulders, in some part there were sidewalk or cycle path. During rush hour in the morning, traffic was a bit heavy I got to be nervous. I kept looking at rear-view mirror watching for coming cars from behind. When big trucks or trailers, I had to step aside into the grass. Especially when two trucks or trailers passed by each other, I had to stay on the road side until they had gone by. The road was not so wide. About 5pm, when there was 3km left, both rear tires had flat tires. So disgusting! It’s time to exchange tires. At 6pm, I finished today’s ...

Early start at 7:20am just before the sunrise. 10 degrees was chilly but soon I felt warm while running. Beautiful sunrise was seen… About 20 km from Ytres, I stopped by at Peronne for shopping at Lidl. This is a historical site where there’s a castle. Today I ran on the right side of the highway with no sidewalk, no shoulders. I was always nervous while running with no sidewalk because I have to avoid trailer tracks coming behind. I really like running in Germany and Holland where there were lots of quiet and calm cycle routes. About 5pm I checked in at B&B in Roye. The owner Annie & Pascal were friendly and nice people. When I knocked on the door, only Annie was there. She doesn’t speak English. I don’t speak French. So I used Google Translation. It took time to communicate but it was fun. Little by little I’m learning French though it’s easy to forget. 100 km to Paris. Running 6 days in a row. Got to keep moving!! *Today’s Dist...

Most of the time I followed a quiet and flat route along the canal. Saw some cyclists and runners but it’s very rare to see people along the way. Took a rest from time to time. At lunch break, I enjoyed a picnic along the canal. About 5pm, I finished today’s run at a B&B in Ytres. Exactly speaking, this is not a B&B. An owner of the house rents a room for travelers at a cheap price. Emmanuelle, French-Vietnamese is an owner. She and her husband welcomed me. They keep chickens and grow some vegetables in the garden at backyard. I fried fresh zucchini and potatoes that she gave me. In a small village in France, I enjoy myself with good people. *Today’s Distance: 46.8 km *Total Distance in Europe: 2245.9 km * See More Photos

In the morning I said Bonjour to Jaco and Monique, the owner of Maison Tahereh. When I checked in yesterday, they were out for Brussel. Had a breakfast together with cyclists from Holland. Home-made bread, ham and cheese…everything was good. When I checked out, they said I didn’t have to pay for the stay. I asked why. They said we had the same goal…WORLD PEACE. Then I knew they are Bahaii People… I learned about Bahaii Faith for the first time in Winnipeg, Canada in 1994. A young man who worked for Bahaii Center welcomed me to stay at their place. He took care of me about a week. He gave me a Bahaii T-shirt in which WORLD PEACE and smily drawn. The next year in Perth, Western Australia, I walked to see City Festa. A man saw me in this T-shirt and asked me why I had worn the T-shirt. So I explained what had happened in Canada. I attended Bahaii Meeting after the fasting. I remember having speech out there. It’s a law of attraction, isn’t it? The day before yeste...

I woke up several times during the night because of some mosquitos. Had a big breakfast at 8am. Made a sandwich for lunch break today. Having fun running under the sunny blue sky in Belgium! Sidewalk sometimes disappeared. Or it became just a stone pavement. But the traffic was not so heavy, it’s okay. Some up&downs…As France is getting closer, there are more hills. Got to get ready for the Pyrenees. Near the border of France, all the traffic signs were written in French! Finished today’s run in Tournai, which is just 5 km to the border. Tomorrow I’ll be in France though I can speak only Bon jour and Merci. *Today’s Distance: 41.0 km *Total Distance in Europe: 2156.2 km * See More Photos

Quiet Sunday…As soon as the sun rose I started running. After getting out of Brussel, I followed Highway N8. But sidewalk disappeared and shoulder became stone pavement. Rough surface gave me lots of shocks. I guessed the shape of the wheels got deformed. Succession of rolling hills, the grade of the hill is not so steep about 4-6 percent but it surely gave me damage. I prefer country roads but today I ran along ordinary highway most of the time. The border of France is just 50 km away. Tonight I stay at B&B Moriaan in Brakel. The owner gave me service drink and I tried local dark beer which he recommended. So fruity but 10 percent alcohol contained. *Today’s Distance: 47.8 km *Total Distance in Europe: 2115.2 km * See More Photos

Drizzling but warm, 14 to 23 degrees. The sun rises at 7:20am. Sometimes I think that I am mistaken for a refugee. When I say hello to someone who takes a walk, most of them ignored me. Most of people I met in USA and Australia say hello in such an occasion. I haven’t seen horses, cows and sheep since I entered Belgium. It means Belgium is a industrial country. That’s why there are lots of cars and people. Land was almost flat in Holland but here in Belgium there are some up&down. I saw supermarket at every town or city, so convenient. ALDI & Lidl are my favorite place. It’s fun to learn food culture in each country. 2 days to cross the border of France. *Today’s Distance: 60.4 km *Total Distance in Europe: 2067.4 km * See More Photos

Cool morning 12 degrees. Highest will be 23 degrees. Started as soon as the sun rose after 7AM but the sun sets about 7:50PM. Daytime is getting shorter. The final day running in Holland. I may have crossed the border before noon. I didn’t even know when I entered Belgium as there was no sigh on the road. But I noticed some differences on traffic sighs. Cloudy in the morning. Sunny blue sky showed up in the afternoon. No sweat means it was a comfortable day. Drank just 500ml water. I am a real fuel saver! About 4PM I checked in at a cabin of campground in Brecht, Belgium. Small room but there are bed, couch, table, chairs and kitchen. I’m glad there are small refrigerator and IH cookers. It must be much better than cheap hotel! *Today’s Distance: 50.6 km *Total Distance in Europe: 2007.0 km * See More Photos

Taking a day-off for the first time in 13 days. I’ve been running almost 600 km in September. Belgium is almost there, Breda where I am now is close to the border. Washed my clothes by soap and hand in the morning. Before noon, I walked to a supermarket 1.3 km away from the hotel. Still hot under the sun, but the soft and gentle breeze makes me feel good. Ran more than 60 km 2 days in a row. I guess I have run too much since I left Hamburg. I know I need to pace up but haste makes waste, it really does. Lisbon is not so close, so far away. I’m sure I’m closing the distance. We’ll never know our future. That’s why we have to concentrate ourselves on the very moment. Now is the time we have to cherish most. Hope everyone who reads my blog will travel with me all the time. *Today’s Distance: 0 km *Total Distance in Europe: 1956.4 km * See More Photos

Owing to my mistake in finding a route today, I had to run 67km today. I mistook a name of the campground I stayed last night for another. I wish I could have understand Dutch name. Also, when I get tired, mistakes happen. Got to be careful. Took a ferry boat to cross the river. Because of the heat, I took a rest under the shade almost every 20-30 minutes. Must have taken 5 liter water today? Most tiring part was between 40 and 50 km points. I was losing consciousness under the temperature 31 degrees. Running alone, with no one to talk to, I just kept moving forward pushing my buggy. Sometimes I didn’t know where I was or I didn’t realize what I was doing. This is not a running race. No time limit, no checkpoints along the route. All I got to do is finish within today. Had a flat tire around 50 km point, which disappointed me most. As soon as I repaired it in 10 minute or so, I started running again. Evening run after the sunset, it’s not dark yet. But s...

Said goodbye to Jonathan, I left Almere at 8am. Just before I left he made the final coffee which was so good! Leaving Almere at 8am, I crossed a big bridge to get close to Amsterdam but this time I don’t stop by at major cities such as Rotterdam and Amsterdam because there are too many people. Highest temperature here was 31 degrees. I took a rest many times under the shade. Humidity was low which helped me a lot. Most of my adventure running I ran during summer. In Kansas, USA, the highest temperature was 47.7 degrees. In the desert area it was around 40 degrees. Summer in Japan was typically wet. Even if it is 35 degrees, humidity makes us feel uncomfortable. I like summer with less humidity. About 7:30pm I pitched my tent at campground at Lopikerkapel. Soon the sun set and it became cooler. *Today’s Distance: 61.0 km *Total Distance in Europe: 1887.8 km * See More Photos

The sun rises after 7AM and sets about 8PM. My running hours are getting shorter. Had a big breakfast, I ate too much. Whatever I eat it’s so good. Started at 9AM. Just a short run to another B&B in the city of Almere. I got to get a new pair of running shoes which ALTRA JAPAN(one of my sponsors) offered. Perfect sunny blue sky! It’s so nice to run under the sun. Enjoying the view of the lakes, it was too short a run for me today. About noon I checked in at B&B Almere. The owner Jonathan is a Christian who also likes running and cycling. He plays gold too. He is now in charge of his project that he makes schools in Uganda and India. I heard something about refugees in Holland. Refugees come from Africa as well as Syria. Some pretend refugees to work here and make money. There are many people who need help and support. Especially kids need education. It’s not fair poor people cannot go to school. That’s why he is trying to help those kids. O...

Dark clouds took some rain but it soon stopped. As usual, I followed a cycle route to the west. There are plenty of cyclists in this country. It’s because there are plenty of cycle routes here, there and everywhere. Each route has a number and there are maps and sighs on the route. It’s much more convenient than google maps. I often see senior couples enjoy cycling many many times everyday. Solo cyclists as well as group cyclists enjoy riding too. Tandem bicycles are sometimes seen and some ride bicycles with trailers in which their kids or pets ride. This is why Holland is called a paradise for cyclists. People are very health conscious and ride bicycles so often. They try not to drive cars. They ride bicycles which keeps them in good health. They don’t have to spend less money for medical service. The more often they ride bicycles, the more benefits they get. I hope this is what my country Japan has to be in the future.   About 4pm, I checked...

Mosquitos kept me away from sound sleep! Heat and humidity are good environment for them. In UK and Ireland there were no mosquitos. I use sandalwood incense that I bought in Australia 3 years ago. About 8am I started heading to the west. About 90km to Amsterdam. I got a message from Almere B&B that they had already received a pair of ALTRA shoes. I’ll be there on Monday. After I have finished Holland, Belgium, France, Spain and Portugal are waiting for me. There are so many wonderful towns in Holland. I saw a market in Kampen today. When people come together for a reason, they smile and have a happy time. Peace is surely created then. I’m happy if I am with them even by chance. About 5pm, I finished my run today at a camping place in Dronten. €7.50 for a tent site, with shower and toilet. Here’s an article of a local newspaper in Ireland… *Today’s Distance: 48.4 km *Total Distance in Europe: 1779.0 km * See More Photos

Woke up because of mosquitos. A little bigger than ours in Japan. Running over 50km for 6 days in a row. I have few chances neither to meet someone nor to speak too. Foggy morning. Soon sunny broke. Now I am making my dream come true which has been my dream since I was a child…travel around the world. Thanks to all the supporters and sponsors as well as my wife Piapi, I keep it in my mind that I can enjoy running today too. This might be my own run but each and every step of mine will change the world. Or it will do good to the planet earth. Thinking about the future is also important. Enjoyed shopping at Lidl, one of my favorite places. While traveling, the best thing to do is eating, and the second …shopping. Country roads always take me to the paradise. Quiet road makes me have fun. After running 63.6km I finally checked in at B&B of Dalfseveld. It was after 7:30pm. The first B&B I visited had no vacancy, and the owner told me about another...

Last night I had my skin bitten by some mosquitos for the first time here in Europe. Heat and humidity keep them alive. Mr.Hofman, who is a manager of the hotel, is a Dutch. He crosses the border everyday for work. There are people like him. Holland is a small country and they need to work out of their native country. Followed a trail with lots of bump. Gravel roads are sometimes fun. Corn fields reminds me of a movie “Field Of Dreams” which was a 1984 American movie, Kevin Costner starring. Yes, I visited Dyersville, Iowa the movie site while I was cycling across the US. Finally I crossed the border and entered Holland the 7th country I have visited as a PEACE RUN Running Around The World. As soon as I arrived at B&B, the owner didn’t speak English. So he called his friend who spoke English as a interpreter. The owner first thought I hadn’t booked yet and he asked me if I had a cash to pay for the one night stay. I said I had already paid by credit ...

Chilly morning. It’ll be sunny today too. Sometimes Google Map tells me to follow trails, gravel road or grassy ground… Very few words I can speak…Danke shoen and Guten morgen… Network is slow(2G) in a small town or village. At a town with high population, it’s 3G or 4G. Fortunately I found a hotel in Werlte. First I asked an owner of another hotel if there was vacancy but it was full no vacancy. But she told me there was a cheap hotel some hundred meters. I checked in at the hotel. For the first time in 3 days I took a shower and washed my clothes. There are so many things to do but I can do it all. Ran more than 50km 4 days in a row. *Today’s Distance: 52.7 km *Total Distance in Europe: 1608.9 km * See More Photos

Misty morning. Left motel at 7:30. Bremen is also a big city. In a small town or village, network speed gets slower for 2G. It’s nice running along bike pat beside the river. Took a coffee break at a cafe. Apple pie and cappuccino made me refreshing. Got a new flag at a bike shop at Delmenhorst. A bit too warm day. 25 degrees highest temperature today. I felt how warm it was for the first time in this travel. At 6:30pm, I pitched my tent at a sports park in Huntolosen. Having lots of fun running and traveling each and every day. Huge thanks to all my supporters in Japan. Tasting a real life of mine, I’d like to express how I feel by running. *Today’s Distance: 53.1 km *Total Distance in Europe: 1556.2km * See More Photos

Warm morning…it’s not bad to camp out here in Germany. One problem is a toilet. There is a toilet in Japanese community parks but there isn’t in Germany. Wet days…but today I didn’t wear rain suits. Sunny afternoon it’s a little too warm. Food is good. Croissant which cream cheese in was so delicious and cheap. Every time I come into supermarket, I have a really good time. Most of the highway has a sidewalk but local highway doesn’t because traffic is not so heavy. Corn fields here and there. About 6:30 I checked in at a motel. It’s a little bit far from city center. Busy with washing clothes, charging batteries, updating blogs and so on. *Today’s Distance: 57.8 km *Total Distance in Europe: 1503.1km * See More Photos

Started in the rain at 7:30. Sidewalk continued as long as I ran. Even the traffic is heavy, it’s nice to run on the sidewalk. No stress at all. And I never get lost. For some 15km it smelled bad because there were chemical factories and oil distillery. On Sundays most of supermarkets are closed. Some cafe and gas station open. There was a rainstorm and I sheltered at bus stop with a roof. I ran with rain jacket and pants almost all day long. After 7pm, I finished running at a community park of Arlenswohlde. It was quiet and I pitched my tent on the lawn ground. In countryside, time goes so slow and people are nice and tolerant. I asked a local if I could pitch my tent here at this park. And he said, “I think it’s okay because this is a community place.” That’s how I pitched my tent about half an hour before the sun set. I’ll keep running with no day-off as long as possible. The distance should be more than 50 km per day so I’ll finish by the end ...

Spent the night at the airport. Around 4am, people came around the check-in counter. Glad I didn’t have to pay extra charge for my luggage. Got out of Ireland with no problem. Saying goodbye to Ireland, I headed to Germany. Just 2-hour flight I arrived at Hamburg Airport. Successfully passed the passport control and was able to get into the country. Sleepy but drank a cup of cappuccino and built my buggy. Just 10km run to the hostel. Enjoyed shopping at Lidle. I was surprised to see food sold very cheap as well as beer! City is clean with lots of green and parks. Felt like loving Germany!! All I need to do is heading to the west!! *Today’s Distance: 10.4 km *Total Distance in Europe: 1388.5km * See More Photos

Daytime is getting shorter. The sun rises before 7am, which means summer is almost over. After checking out at B&B, I moved to a bus station. I wish I could have more time to enjoy Ireland but I got to keep running as far as possible. Took a 12-noon bus to Dublin International Airport. Spent 1.5 hours in Limerick for stopover. Arrived at Dublin International Airport at 7:30pm. My flight is due to 6:45am tomorrow reaching Hamburg, Germany in about 2 hours. Looking outside from the bus window, everything seemed like a video movie being rewinded so fast which was moving away that I couldn’t see it. I tried to remember everything that had happened and everyone I had met in this country. A herd of sheep, cows, horses, old buildings made of bricks and stones, quiet towns or villages I had passed by, local cafe and pubs and people who spent time there… people who wave their hands to me while I was running, people who said hello to me, who smiled at me,...

September started! Woke up at 6am, took a quick shower and enjoyed an Irish breakfast. Every time I visit tourist spot, I am at a loss what to do, where to go. Ran to Ross Castle. It was a weekday after summer vacation. Not so crowded, calm and quiet Killarney. It’s fun to visit popular tourist spot, but I prefer to share a peaceful moment with people I meet. Otherwise, I visit the place, get some souvenir and take some pictures, that’s all. The pictures I have taken will never be seen again. Travel for me is not just a sightseeing but also to discover a moment which will be an experience once in a lifetime both for me and for someone I meet. All I want is to see people smile wherever I go. Tomorrow I’m going to take a bus to Dublin International Airport. On the morning of 3rd September I fly to Hamburg, Germany. Just 2-hour flight, I’ll be in a main land of Europe. Have had a very good time in Ireland. *Today’s Distance: 12.6 km *Total Distance in Eu...