23rd of December, 2011, and I begin day 22 of my walk around the famous Shikoku Ohenro Pilgrimage by crossing the Shimanto River on the Shimanto River Bridge that carries Route 56 acrossthe river.
There are numerous possible routes down to the next temple at Cape Ashizuri, and I chose this one, if I remember correctly, as it gave me more shrines to visit.
Vast fields of Susuki, Japanese pampas grass, line the banks in places...
I pass under the New Shimanto River Bridge which carries a new expressaway across the river. It is so new that the pilgrim guidebook doesnt even show it...
I suspect these ducks have come from the far north for the winter...
This is one of my favorite times of the year to go walking in Japan. The winter weathe has not yet arrived and the low sun makes for nice photography light.
The days are very short though. Winter Solstice was two days ago, so when sleeping out you spend a long time in the sleeping bag.
I've seen people repurpose plastic bottles to make these bird-scaring windmills, but never seen them painted so nicely.
A little before reaching the sea the route cuts inland over some hilly country towards the Shimonokae River...
Though still more than a week till New Year, there are still daidai citrus fruits on this altar
The Shimonokae is a much smaller river than the Shimanto and not at all well known
I follow it down to the coast and then head down the coast as the sun starts to get low.
I get as far as the tiny fishing harbour of Kohama before stopping on a grassy verge overlooking the sea.
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