happylife

Folding bike

I'm riding on a folding bike which I brought from Japan. It is designed in Germany and made in Taiwan. It is so small and light-weighted that when I brought it into Vancouver, the airport officer wouldn't believe it was a bike before he opened the carrying bag. I bought it a few years ago in Japan, but I couldn't enjoy it in Tokyo because Tokyo is a cramp city. And the tires of it are so small (just 16 inches in diameter) that it is difficult to get over a small gap which we can find very often in Tokyo. I've already run more than 600km on this bike in Vancouver. I'm planning to run more than 1,000km before I go back to Japan this October.

Sunshine

The sunshine has come back after a long cloudy period. As my backpain seemed to have gone away, I went cycling to Stanley Park. It was almost one month break. Although I feel no pain now, my legs have got weaken. and also the tires of my bicycle were soft. So, first of all I went to a bicycle shop on Denman to get some air for them, and then I started cycling around the park. I was happy because I had retained one of my happiest time. This is a picture of Kids' Park in Stanley Park where a lot of children were playing in the water last month, and now, no children are playing because it is cool.

Flowers in a spotlight

As I was cycling in the forest of Stanley Park, I found these flowers in a spotlight. They were lighted up by the sun light through the leaves of trees. When I saw this scene, I couldn't pass by and stopped to take the picture. It was so beautiful that after taking this picture, I couldn't leave there for a while. I prefer simple, tiny, and pretty flowers like these to gorgeous, large, and loud ones.

Crossing Stanley Park

Usually I enjoy cycling on the way around Stanley Park, but today I took another way crossing the park. Stanley Park is you know a large forest adjacent to Downtown Vancouver. There are a lot of tall trees and it is dark even on a fine day like today. The roads are not paved but are well maintained, so we can comfortably enjoy cycling or walking. There are less people walking in the forest than around the park. I can listen to birds singing and trees trembled in the breeze. I am so happy that I can indulge into this wonderful nature world just by 10 minute cycling from my apartment.

Sunset Cycling

Most things are most beautiful just when they are going to end, and the sun is not the exception. This month almost every day I enjoy cycling around the Stanley Park, and I found that the sunset hour is best for cycling around this park. As the sun is located low and the light comes from aside, everything seems vivid, highly contrasted, and even dramatic. Shadows being long, colors being orange, and these make everything photogenic. Of course in the morning when the sun rises, it is as beautiful as in the sunset time, but it is a little bit cold, and it is not more confortable than in the bed.

Road signs in the Stanley Park

We can enjoy cycling safely in the Stanley Park because the roads in the park are well maintained. There is a special way for cyclists and roller-bladers separated from pedestrians. The rules for cyclists are in fact a little bit complicated; they have to keep one way, the speed limit is 15km/h, and there are a few areas where they have to get off the bycicles. But the road signs in the Stanley Park are well designed and explicit. So even a foreign visior who cannot read English can enjoy cycling safely.

Lions Gate Bridge

In the after noon I enjoyed cycling around the Stanley Park again. As it is weekday today, there were a few people in the park. The cycling course goes under the Lions Gate Bridge and this is one of my favorate view point. I can enjoy various view points along the course. It is far from boring.

Cycling around the Stanley Park

This morning, I enjoyed cycling around the Stanley Park. What a nice park it is! I could enjoy smelling the forest and hearing the sound of the sea wave at the same time. A lot of people are walking, jogging, cycling, and roller brading. Every one seems to be happy, and of course I get happy to see them.

It is about 12km long around the park and it takes about 40 minutes by bycicle. It is also a good exercise for me!