Today’s ride takes us along the undulating and verdant coastline of the Noto Peninsula, around the tip and back towards the mainland of Honshu and the Japanese Alps. Like yesterday, we get intermittent rain through the morning, but given the tropical heat it actually makes for refreshing riding. The roads have remarkably little traffic and wind through small towns of black-tiled wooden houses with flower and vegetable gardens out front.

Along the way, we ride by a terraced rice farm that has been in continuous cultivation for over 1,000 years.

Rounding the tip of the Noto Peninsula, we see the Japanese Alps across the water, our destination in the coming days.

A final note on food. We are eating exceedingly well here, with great Japanese breakfasts of rice onto which a soft boiled egg is cracked, broiled mackerel, seaweed and pickles and elaborate dinners of sashimi, seafood hot pot soup, tempura and egg and seafood custards. That said, we periodically find ourselves at the Family Mart, a ubiquitous convenience store with free WiFi and delicious steamed sweet black sesame buns, pretty much the perfect ride snack.