Winding down...

 ...what remains of the year (that was)

I switched off my computer yesterday at 5:00pm when I finished the last review of students' dissertations. Most sent in drafts by the due date, just a few remain but, as I said to them, that's it from me until 7 January. I think I need some rest since we've not really stopped since the onset of Covid--which is why I'm still here in Tokyo. And so today (well last night actually) I made the decision that I would indeed get out for the day, preferably to the beach, specifically Chigasaki, south of Tokyo in Kanagawa--it is where I will end up living if I can never get out of Japan! (teehee). I've been there a few times, it is just 'around the bay' from Kamakura and Shonan, which are better known but a little more crowded. Chigasaki is for me, like Moffat Beach is to Maroochydore if you like. 

Anyway, I got away on time, on the 9:24am train direct to my destination. There is always the temptation to take the board, even in this weather but good thing I didn't, it was flat as. 

Not exactly a great day for the board

Anyway, Chigasaki has a rich history in surfing culture, the evergreen band The Southern Allstars have songs synonymous with the region and when the surf is up, the waves are not as crowded. There is an historic ryokan nearby too which also has played a part in local surf history. I will stay there one day. The other nice feature is that on a clear day, you can see Mt Fuji from the beach. Not so clear today, but visible. Imagine surfing under the eye of Mt Fuji every morning. Peace. I always thought the Shonan area would have made a better venue for the Olympic surfing venue--transport infrastructure is better and the wave quality, well not a great difference really unless the Chiba coast gets that cyclonic swell (which, as it turned out, it did) and there is Mt Fuji. 

Local manholes

But that is all done. Today is was just a day to literally breathe in the sea air, listen to the waves and just, well, do very little really.

Here are some pix of the day. I think it has been about 22 months since I was last here, thanks to the Covid restrictions on movement out of Tokyo. It was a nice day. I even went around the corner and found a new spot, where some more ambitious surfers were trying for a wave. 

It is a fishing port as well, lots of fishy stuff around

This might have been a build your own Fuji moment

This is what I came for ...

The sound of waves...

A Chigasaki landmark, Eboshi Iwa

More

Fishing boats, quite a few out and about

Not all the fishers were in boats

From Chigasaki...you can see Enoshima

Hard shore break

A view of Mt Fuji, through the haze

These two were out for a lunchtime stroll among the reflections

Selfie, old school

Do as the locals...

There was an earthquake in Tokyo while I was here today...

Last view, for now

Of course, work is never far away,
we are in the electorate of almost nearly but not quite PM Kono after all

Just so we know where we are... but I also like the stylish dragonflies

Taken with the Canon EOS 90D, mostly, mostly using the 70-300mm lens with a touching up and trimming with the simple edit function. Some pics were also taken on the iPhone 12 mini. Some 12,700 steps and about 10km walked. I should get out and away more often.

And, as of 1 January, I'm resuming the #project365 blogposts too, just to get back into the habit of writing. See you then. 

A little time out...

 ...to a park, a short bus trip away

There have been many weekends where I've spent one or two days working (not research, unfortunately) whether postgraduate teaching or entrance exam supervision, or...something. As 13 December (Monday, today) approached in my diary, I noted a rarity--not one meeting, not one class, OK an inbox full of emails, but that's all the time, such a rare day. I had a few thoughts...to the beach! Four hours travelling for what might be an hour by the water; slump on the lounge and do timely combinations of reading and sleeping, both of which are needed; or, if the weather is fine why not catch the bus I caught yesterday, the one that goes to the other campus, but get off halfway at Shakujii Koen, one of Tokyo's rather large suburban parks. It was a fine day, I went for this last option. And it was quite nice and sunny but rather windy. 

We are certainly feeling winter at the moment but here and there, you can still see the last of the koyo, or the autumn leaves and there were plenty to look at here, over the water, among the trees, all quite pretty. Perhaps someone like me likes them because we don't see a lot of autumn leaves where I come from. Anyway, it's not hard to take a few pics, probably more than one should. 

It was rather more crowded than I expected, it seems it is a popular spot for older people to get out and about and do their daily exercise. I probably would too if I lived within walking distance. (I might just try riding one day, probably at the outer edge of where I would ride but maybe...)

So a few pics here to add to the ones on twitter and Insta taken on the fruit phone.

Red leaves at the entrance to the park

Of course, there were ducks

Lots of autumn leaves

I think this is boss duck

December berries everywhere

Lots of paths to walk around (next time)

A little mucking around with shutter speeds in the wind

Photobombed...

...by...

I was angling for this reflection

A rare sighting in the park, apparently

The photobomber, an aosagi, （青鷺）or Ardea cinerea, grey heron

At this point, a lovely woman stopped to have a chat with me. She comes to the park for a walk 3-4 times a week and this was the first time she had seen one of these in the park. It was a lovely chat, about 15 minutes or so. 

A bit more playing around with shutter speeds and apertures

Dusk light and reflection

It's a crow but kind of in a maze

A day for unexpected sightings though this white heron is more common

Last duck of the day

Ripples (caused by a crow in the branches above dropping things into the water
with a certain rhythmic regularity that I reckon it had to be playing

And the light wins...end of the day

So I think we all know that feeling that when we live and work in a particular city, whether it is Brisbane, or Tokyo, or Canberra (to name three where I've spent a bit of time in a non-touristy role), we tend not to get around and take in the sights as much as we might or should. I'm going to try and get around a bit more. This particular park, I have travelled past several times over the last few years. Today, I pressed the button and got off the bus. Certainly the last twenty-two months or so, through Covid lockdowns and restrictions,  travelling around has been a little bit difficult. But, I will try to do more.

Photos here on the Canon EOS90D, 70-300mm lens (yes, I took others but didn't change over...) between 2.00pm and 3:45pm. 

As always, all photos are copyrighted to me and I would be grateful if you didn't lift them without a request. @psephy on twitter. 😊