Although their timetables are by no means conveniently designed, and the aisles can feel a bit cramped with passengers "swollen" in their black down jackets, I find riding the bus in Sapporo to be a safe and delightful way to discover new places. While subways are faster, they hide the city from you. On a bus, you can see the natural ups and downs of the land and really get a feel for how different neighborhoods connect〓all for just 240 yen.

The other day, I hopped on a bus to the Fukusumi area.

I was struck by how different the atmosphere felt compared to my own neighborhood; it was calm yet reasonably lively, with the UFO-like Sapporo dome in a distant view.

First, I stopped at a big Donq bakery for an afternoon coffee.

They actually offer an all-you-can-eat bread buffet during lunch, but I stuck to just coffee〓partly because I was still stuffed from lunch at home, and partly because my monthly "cafe budget" was running thin!

Afterward, I wandered to the other side of the station and stumbled upon a large farm run by a local agricultural specialist school.

It looks like they sell fresh produce and soft-serve ice cream in warmer seasons, though it was closed for the season when I visited.

After getting slightly lost for a while (thankfully, it wasn't snowing!), I eventually made it to Branch Sapporo Tsukisamu, a suburban outdoor shopping center. There, I picked up a "corn bun" (think an-pan but filled with sweet corn kernels) and scored a pair of pre-owned trousers for 1,600 yen at Second Street.

By the way, the bus was packed both ways, and I had to stand the whole time.

 (Many thanks to Gemini for help with polishing this post!)