山陽方面への旅 ３ (Trip to San'yo Region -3-)

　一枚目の写真は、11 月 21 日朝、かんぽの宿竹原の部屋の窓から見た付近の田園風景。ここは竹原市内を流れる賀茂川の上流にある湯坂温泉郷の中である。

　二枚目の写真は、同日午後、かんぽの宿光の部屋の窓から眺めた瀬戸内海の風景。右端に湾を隔てて見えるのは、室積半島。その先端に手前へ象鼻ヶ岬（ぞうびがさき）が突き出ている。一、二枚目の写真はどちらも、もう少し右へカメラを向けた方が構図としてはよくなるのだが、そのアングルでの眺めは明日掲載予定のスケッチでご覧いただくことにする。

　11 月 22 日は、まず宿の車で 9:20 に竹原駅へ向う。10:16 発の呉線の列車に乗り、広で乗り継ぎ、広島に 12:17 着。広島発 12:33 の山陽本線の列車で、13:24 岩国着。岩国発 13:47 の列車で、14:42 光着。宿からの迎えのマイクロバスで、15:20 宿に向う。——というように、移動ばかりの一日だった。

　三枚目の写真は、22 日朝、帰途の JR 山陽本線光駅の 2 番ホームに立って、5 番ホームの方を撮ったもの。この駅では、駅舎に一番近いのが 2 番ホームで、3、4番ホームがなく、隣は 5 番ホームである。過去には 1 から 6 番ホームまでが存在したが、新幹線の普及で山陽本線に急行や特急の列車が走らなくなり、駅が縮小されたようである。そういう状況だから、名前に「本線」とついても、いま、そこを走る列車で旅するのは、ローカル線の旅に等しい。ローカル線の旅の楽しみの一つについても、明日記すことにしよう。

The top photo, taken in the morning of November 21, shows the countryside landscape viewed from the window of the room of Kampo Hotel Takehara. This hotel is located in Yusaka Hot Spa in the upstream of the Kamo River, which flows through Takehara city.

The middle photo, taken in the afternoon of the same day, shows the scenery of the Seto Inland Sea as seen from the window of the room of Kampo Hotel Hikari. At right, Murozumi peninsula is seen beyond the bay. From the left end of the peninsula, a smaller peninsula, Zōbigasaki, protrudes toward the camera. Both these photos might have gotten a better composition if the camera had been directed a little to the right. However, you will find such views in my sketches to be posted tomorrow.

At 9:20, November 22, we went to Takehara station by the car of the hotel. Then, we took the train of Kure Line, which started at 10:16. We changed the train at Hiro, arriving at Hiroshima at 12:17. The next trains we took were those of Sanyo Line. One of them started Hiroshima at 12:33 to arrive at Iwakuni at 13:24; and the other started Iwakuni at 13:47 to arrive at Hikari at 14:42. A microbus of the hotel came to the Hikari station at 15:20 to drive us to the hotel. Thus, we spent almost all the daytime just for transportation.

The bottom photo was taken at platform 2 of the JR Hikari station of Sanyo Line and shows platform 5 of the station. This station has platforms 2 and 5 only. In the past, there were six platforms in all, but the size of the station was reduced, probably because of the fact that express and limited express trains of this line were abolished by the spread of the Sanyo Shinkansen. So, in spite of the presence of the word "main" in the Japanese name of this line, the trip by the use of the trains of Sanyo Line is now like the trip by a local line. Tomorrow I will also write about one of entertaining things in the trip by local lines.