it was getting warmer, and then it didn't.

I thought it was finally getting warmer.  Just one week ago, I went on a ride exploring closed roads up in the mountains in the surrounding areas.  It was my first outdoor ride without leg warmers or knickers and I even took off my jacket during the second half of the ride.  It was lovely and what I had hoped would be the start of great weather to come.

But I was wrong.

It snowed for two days and brought frigid temperatures to Iizuka.  It was misleading as well.  At first, overnight, the snow didn't fall very hard.  Nothing stuck to the ground and I was a bit disappointed.  Most of us were skeptical, thinking that we wouldn't have a proper snow day this year.  Then the sun came out and to our surprise, it snowed hard.  In a span of 1 hour, Iizuka was blanketed in snow.  There wasn't a thick layer of snow, but it looked like a winter wonderland out there.

With my co-worker, we first walked outside to see a plum blossom tree in hopes of taking nice photos of blossom and snow.  We then noticed a few trails that led up the hill a bit further and decided to explore.  This exploration did not disappoint.

We found a shrine and various gardens up the hill as well as a network of trails that led to the most random of driveways in the surrounding neighborhood.  We took a few photos and headed back in doors to warm up.  I knew I had to re-visit this place on my bike.  I worried that the snow would end and I wouldn't have the chance to see more of the trails on bike.  As beautiful as it was in the snow, we seriously doubt that this area would look nice in the summer.

--------------------

I woke up the next morning to more snow.  I took the mountain bike out.  I wasn't disappointed.  I discovered a few more trails back there and had some fun.  There was a mystical feeling about those trails as it had always existed, but had never been found by us.  I'll probably never venture up there again till it snows again.  I'm sure that place doesn't even exist if it's not a snowy day.

Later that day, I headed out to Nagasaki to see the annual Lantern Festival.

That wasn't the original plan for the day.

At first, I was to go to Kumamoto Greenland with friends because of free tickets that had been obtained.  To our displeasure, we discovered that these tickets were for entrance only.  If we were to ride any of the attractions, we would have to pay an additional $40 or so for the "free pass".  It was cold, so we decided to pass.  We searched for other options and settled on Nagasaki for the Lantern Festival.

The drive itself was an adventure.  Due to snow and icy conditions, many roads were closed.  We had to get off the expressway and worried about the icy conditions on the road.  What should have been a 2.5 hour drive, turned into a 4 hour drive or so.  Nothing to complain about though, with good company and good views, the time passed by quickly.

When we entered Nagasaki Prefecture, it was a different world.  Gone was the snow and it looked like a hot sunny day outside.  It wasn't, but at least the skies were clear.

We arrived in the Chinatown area and had to walk through dirty areas to get to the festival.  These dirty areas led to interesting photo opportunities.

Finally, we arrived at the festival.  There were a lot of people in a relatively small area.  I don't know what this festival was about.  Perhaps the celebration of Chinese New Year, but I wasn't particularly impressed.  There were lanterns and Chinese food stalls, but that was about it.  Definitely a beautiful sight to see, but not something worth going back for again.  I would insist that without good company, it's not worth the trip.  Luckily for me, good company was present.

Many of the restaurants were crowded.  Some had over 1 hour waits and others didn't even take in patrons.  We found a restaurant on a side street that was relatively empty.  It had an uncomfortable feeling in there.  We quickly understood why.  Small portions and terrible food.

We spent the night in Chikugo and were treated to great home cooked meals by the Vietnamese Martha Stewart.  It never disappoints.

--------------------

The blog can't end unless it's something cycling related.

I checked the mail on friday night and was absolutely pleased to see I had gotten a letter from Rapha.  My Festive 500 patch had come.  Another patch to add to my collection.