The great scooter adventure...(the beginning)

John and I had been talking for some time about doing a epic scooter trip sometime over the next few months, after the snow has melted and the weather is a little warmer. We were playing around with the idea of scootering as far as southwards as possible, with a final target of being as far away from Toyama as possible. Whether this turns out to be Fukui or Fukuoka is another matter.

However, rather than doing this in one go (which would not only be extremely time-consuming and knackering, but would probably kill our little scooters) we have decided to do it in little bursts - a weekend here, a weekend there.

Yesterday, we started this adventure, getting as far as Kanazawa by 2.30pm from Asahi, taking the good ole' Route 8. We made amazing time, stopping only en route at Plant 3 for a pizza and some engine oil.

Kanazawa on a scooter is pretty cool, and quite strange. Firstly, it's strange driving around Kanazawa on your little scooter, and secondly, you can see everything in half the time with half the hassle!! Imagine what it will be like if we ever get to Kyoto!! No subway, no bus, just jump on and go!! Kinkakuji and then 15 minutes later Ginkakuji.

Kanazawa is built for scooters, what with all the little alleyways and cute little sidestreets. I'd read about a Geisha area in Kanazawa but had never got round to seeing it. But within minutes on our trusty 50 cc beasts we had found Higashi Chaya and were winding our way through the cobble streets, whizzing by temples and tea shops and scooting up hills over-looking the city. We were seeing things that we would never had bothered to see if we had been walking, or even been able to get to in a car. Traffic is always bad in Kanazawa, particularly on a weekend, but on a scooter it's no problem, weaving amongst the cars and buses and parking wherever you want to.

So for all of you who have scooters, this is the big one. Join us!