年も押し迫った本日、友人のHさんがご主人とお正月の花を生けに来てくださり帰りに運良く彦根のスーパーまで車に乗せていってくださいました。買い物を済ませ停留所でバスを待つも３０分経っても来ない。次の時刻は２時間後。この雪で時間通りには運行していない可能性大。あてのないバスを待つより歩くのが賢明と出発することに。
問題はしこたま買い込んで重くなったバックパックと手にはエコバッグと財布の入った手提げかばん。しかも、いつも自転車で走る歩道は除雪されておらず完全にアウト。つまり歩くのは車道。もう一つ、雪道用に履いてきた長靴の右つま先が痛くて仕方がない。幸いお天気は回復して遠くの山々を眺めながらひたすら左右の足を前へ出していれば家には帰れると前方を見ようとするも、背中の荷物が肩に食い込んで重く視線は下ばかり。
江戸時代の人に思いを馳せながら途中のローソンでまずは一休み。座りたいけど椅子はなく立ったままコーヒーと肉まんを食べてまた出発。ごぼうとネギを突っ込んだ背中の荷物が妙にリズムを作っていました。
多賀駅でベンチに腰掛け二度目の休息。若者が３人雪遊びをしているのが楽しそう。休んだ後のカバンは一層重く感じます。家に帰って重さを計ったら９キロ近くでした。
Today is almost the end of the year, and my friend, H, came to arrange flowers for the new year with her husband. On her way back home, she kindly offered to give a ride to the grocery store in Minami-Hikone by car. After the grocery store, I was waiting for the bus to get home at the bus stop for about 30 mins but no bus came. The next bus was scheduled to come two hours later and it was uncertain to come due to the traffic condition caused by the previous snow. I decided to go home by foot.
Today is almost the end of the year, and my friend, H, came to arrange flowers for the new year with her husband. On her way back home, she kindly offered to give a ride to the grocery store in Minami-Hikone by car. After the grocery store, I was waiting for the bus to get home at the bus stop for about 30 mins but no bus came. The next bus was scheduled to come two hours later and it was uncertain to come due to the traffic condition caused by the previous snow. I decided to go home by foot.
I had several problems, though. The first one was my backpack. It was very heavy with groceries. The second one was about the way I walk. Usually I take the sidewalk by bicycle but it was full of snow. The last problem was my right toe hurts because my right rain boots don't fit well. Fortunately it was a fine day and the mountains were so beautiful but I couldn't enjoy the view because my backpack was so heavy and it dug into my shoulder which made me look down on my way.
I was thinking of the people who were walking in the same way two hundred years ago in Japan. Since there was a convenience store, I took a short break to have coffee and Pork bun. While I was walking, I could hear some noise but it made a certain rhythm inside my backpack which was full of groceries.
I found benches at Taga Taisha station so I took a second break. I was watching three young male people playing with snow. It looked so pleasant. My backpack was very heavy, especially after taking a break. I scaled it at home and it weighed almost 9 kg (19.8 lb).
