Consonant please Carol ! Its 170 miles from Fukuyama to Osaka where Im meeting family in two days, so like Saturdays at the Masters, today just had to be Moving Day ! Unfortunately the weather wasnt helping, it rained all day and there was a gusty headwind all day to cintend with. I left Fukuyama at 8:45o n small neighbiurhood streets run̈ing parallel to the highway - they were great however the first 15 miles was like a rollercoaster with constant climbs and drops. By 9:30 it was proper raining, the sort that soaks you, I decided to just concentrate on riding - it was going to be a long day and I thought get 30 miles before noon then that only leaves 60 after ! I stopped briefly in the fields when the rain eased a touch to take photos of a Shinto Shrine near the shinkansen line and I was treated to a close fly over by what I think was a buzzard. Next I passed a temple leaving Soya. Through a dismally wet Soya and Okayama - I managed 32 miles by noon - another 13 and I could start to look for lunch !. I found myself on a canalside road being built - it wasnt barriered off so I set off on a perfect tarmac road which soon became hardcore gravel and then sandy mud then gravel. I reached my bridge ... It was gated and locked shut !. Exploring options I went another mile along this dubious road and did find a bridge across and I was soon on my route - I was coming up to 50miles done so I searched and found a 7-11 just off route which I headed for and had lunch at 2. Now 7-11s are great for food but all they have is a car park, the window ledge is about 3inches wide and the roof overhangs by about a foot ! Its like they dont want people eating there, just buying ! So I was perched on a 3inch window ledge protected from the constant rain by a 12inch eave ... What a fun lunch. Then a guy got out of a car, stood 2 foot upwind from me and lit a tab up. I moved to the other slightly wetter end and he was oblivious to it ! So I had about 4hours daylight to do 40 miles with a strengthening wind and some climbs to come along the coast. I reached Bizen at 4pm and finally it stopped raining - an undulating run past the industry at Ako and a pretty bleak coast and I reached Aioi exactly at sunset and exactly 90 miles - perfect timing again ! I think Aioi is the first place I have ever been to without a consonant ... and I have no idea how to pronounce it but it is perfectky placed between Fukuyana and Osaka - tomorrows ride is slightly shorter and tge weather looks good again !