Road trip.

 Headed out of Fukuoka for a couple of days driving in the country. So beautiful and green, we stayed off the main highways, most of those are tollways. The roads we were on were good with few trucks and buses on them. 

One place we visited was the kamakarski training school. That was rather sad and had photos of all the young pilots they were aged between 19 and 24.

A very long tunnel that we drove through.

Countryside

Public toilets with a chair for a toddler to sit in while mum is using the toilet, Warren told that they were in the men's as well, not all but there would be one or two in a block.

Streets of Japan.

 Just fun to wander along and see some familiar things and signs and also some weird (to us) things as well.

Not sure if I took a photo but it was very common to see drink vending machines on the streets. I guess they were powered by the nearest store but they were left on the streets 24/7. Great if it was hot, just a couple of coins and a cold drink would roll out. 

Always something to see and marvel at.

No smoking signs were out and it was rare to see anyone smoking on the streets, if they were, it was tourists smoking.

Often a shrine would on on the side of the road/footpath.

This was a cafe just down from our hotel called Fuk coffee. I am assuming it was because we were in Fukuoka, pronounced Foo koo ka, not how I managed it once. One of our party suggested that they only served tea.

Then there was this sign, under the triangle it states it's a Crack House. No idea what it was about but the mind boggles.

 

Fruit and veg market

 This was nearly twokilometre walk from our hotel but I had heard about the mosaic tiles that were on the floor of the market. At least all the walking was reasonably flat and it was almost like walking Lucy except where she stops to sniff, we had to stop to cross roads.

We have to locate these and then put them in order to get the coordinates. Took photos, had lunch and made our way back to hotel.

Tried to find cache a few days later to no avail. I was interested in the process, bonus would have been a cache.

Bike parking station

 This was near the station, couldn't see it from there but following the GPS we went there. I expected to see hundreds of bikes racks as well as bikes. Nope,not a bike in sight. 

Everybody had to take their bike down the ramp, parking was underground. 

Even though we couldn't read, we understood where the bikes were to be put.

Of course there was a cache there.

Footsteps at the station.

The biker slid off the bike and log was inside then it slipped back over the bike, so neat.

Yummy lunch

 I love spinache and feta cheese pastries well, I think I do but I have not had a good one. It took me a fair few years to stop buying them when I saw them on a menu. I mean they should be nice but I haven't had a nice one yet.

Saturday lunch, hummmm what am I going to do for lunch.

Lightbulb moment, I had pastry, frozen spinach and some feta cheese. Wow, I could try to make my own version.

The spinach is frozen in squares and I have learnt that I can defrost it in the microwave so I did that. 

Got a sheet of pastry oops have used some of the feta. Quick change of plan, two rashers of bacon and two eggs, spread over the pastry, rolled up, egg wash and a sprinkle of sesame seeds.

Fifteen minutes in the airfryer and lunch was done. Def be cooking this again, worked out well.

Fukuoka

 Can't say that in a hurry and get it wrong as I did once. I asked someone how to say it and apparently it is Fu kou ka which makes more sense that how I was trying to say it.

Again our hotel was within walking distance of the train station, straight down the main road after a couple of hours on the train, brilliant train rides.

The train station had a very big forecourt probably about 400 metre square we completed an adventure lab there which was aimed at kids and nearly did our heads in, but Warren was determined not to let it beat him. Each step was a puzzle of some sort.

This was the first one, the puzzle was to find a golden angel and a heart. It was way over to one side and is an actual letter box outside a post office. 

Second one was easy, what was wrong with the picture. The station is called Hakutta and picture had spelt it with two ks. 

Had to find this statue as well and send photo. Station is behind to the left. 

Missing in action for awhile

 I think I needed a break from the blog but now I'm back. 

I have been busy though just doing other things. Bought myself a new sewing machine. Luckily when I decided I needed one, it was end of financial year sales so I got a good deal.

I had been making bags for drainage after an operation and suddenly my old machine didn't work properly, the tension was wrong. Spent a few days changing the dials to correct it, it didn't work. The machine was a cheapy and I had had it five or six years. Spur of the moment, I said to Warren that I wanted to replace it. 

In the deal, I got a new paper pattern worth $23, $15 worth of fabric and an extra assessory. In my "spare"time I have been sewing, more on that later as my footy team has just started playing on TV. They may lose if I don't watch.

Stay tuned, more to come.