Thursday, September 22, 2005

Coteau du Lac, QB to
Driving Day 7
Biking Distance: 39.73 km

Another early morning bike ride – this time along a paved trail, which I had biked with Kim and Chris on our way east. It goes along an old canal, complete with bridges with curved supports, and non-operational locks. The air was warm, but birds were gathering, and geese were heading south already. A heron flew out, startled that he wasn’t alone. I took the trail from our campsite to Pointe des Cascades, where we had camped on our way east, and I just made sure I could still find Hwy 338 easily, in case I come this way again. I was very excited to reach the 7,000 km mark on my odometer – I still have a few kilometers to make up from our forced driving days, but at least I’ve reached my total distance goal.

I noticed I wasn’t stressing out about the wind; it was in my back going out, so that meant I had to fight it coming back. It’s just the difference between going out for a fun ride, versus being focused and goal-oriented in trying to get as far as you can each day. It felt like a morning fun or training ride, and I loved it.

The day’s drive was good; we were at Port Credit around 4:00 p.m., and when Cam gave me the option of driving all the way home instead of camping one more night, I of course took it. Also of course, our hopes of getting to Orillia in daylight were quickly dashed as we approached Toronto; the traffic got much heavier, and it started to rain. We were very interested to note the incredibly long lineups at the gas pumps; all of Toronto it seemed was trying to fill their tanks before prices went up due to Hurricane Rita. Of course, the prices never did go up - it was all a lot of hype for nothing. In order to try to get Cam back to Waubaushene, where his trailer gets parked, at a reasonable hour, we arranged for Pat and Terry Hehn to come pick me up at Crown Hill (Albert was at choir practice by the time we got there). We arrived at 7:40 p.m.; Cam headed off into the rainy darkness, and the Hehns treated me to supper. By the time we got home, Albert was getting anxious – practice and the start of choir season party had been over for at least half an hour!

I was too tired to unpack the van – that would wait until next morning, after a little bike ride.

Home hasn’t changed a bit, and it’s good to be here.

Wednesday, September 21, 2005

Notre Dame du Lac to Coteau du Lac, QB
Drive Home Day 6
Biking Distance: 25.75 km

It was a cool and breezy morning, with the sunrise still glowing in the sky when I set out on my bike at 6:30 a.m. Since we were camping right on the trail I had used to get from Riviere du Loup to Notre-Dame-du-Lac, I figured I might as well enjoy it a second time. This section skirts Lac Temiscouata, and is sheltered by rock and trees on the other side. The surface is hard packed gravel screenings, and is very flat. All in all, it was a perfect place to make up a few kilometers, and I thoroughly enjoyed doing so. I even went down to feel the lake; it wasn’t nearly as cold as I expected, and if I’d had more time, I might have gone in for a dip.

The rest of the day passed uneventfully. After we got to Quebec, the landscape flattened out, and we were able to make better time than on the previous days. Cam managed to negotiate Riviere du Loup, Quebec City, Trois Rivieres and Montreal without losing his cool or his way. We took Hwy 40 (north side of the St. Lawrence) after Quebec City; it’s flat and not very busy (until we got to Montreal of course). We could see leaves starting to change colour in New Brunswick and Quebec; in another week, this route will be spectacular.

We arrived in Coteau du Lac at the KOA campsite there about 7:10 p.m. It was already getting quite dark, but the temperature was fairly warm, and mosquitoes were out in the thousands to greet us. Yay! We set up as quickly as possible, then had supper and went to bed, to the sounds of Hwy 20 traffic and the VIA go train.

Tuesday, September 20, 2005

Grand-Barachois, NB to Notre-Dame-du-Lac, QC
Drive Home Day 5

Monique, Christian and Chloe had come in very late the night before from their trip to Chesapeake Bay where Chloe had participated in sailing events and training (now they have to buy a bigger boat), so we hadn’t seen them yet. So it was a treat to see Monique for breakfast – she was surprised to see us there, since we hadn’t expected our paths would cross. However, our visit had to be short, since we needed to get on the road. Monique did mention she has a job interview for what would be a very interesting position if she gets it, with Immigration Canada and involving international postings, so keep her in your thoughts.

The most interesting event of the day happened at the Fredericton Mall – every time Cam went through a door at either Zellers or Sobey’s, he set off an alarm. No one could figure out what the reason was; Cam finally decided it must be something to do with his teeth!

Scenery for the rest of the day included lots of hills (mountains), starting of fall colours, and the beautiful St. John River. We had a bit of rain here and there, including when we got to our campsite, but nothing too bad. Since we gained an hour by crossing the Quebec border, Cam decided we could make it to Notre-Dame-du-Lac, which pleased me - being into another province made me feel a little closer to home.

Monique and Patapouf

Monday, September 19, 2005

North Sydney, NS to Grand-Barachois, NB
Drive Home Day 4
Biking Distance: 63.9 km

Because Cam had to do some tire switches for his trailer (six ply tire for a four ply one), we decided it would be more efficient for him to do that while I got on my bike and made up some mileage I had missed near Sault Ste Marie. The day dawned rather foggy, but by 7:15 I was on my bike and headed back along the highway to North Sydney (our motel was actually 20 km from there, at Seal Island). About 5 km out of town, the traffic started getting quite heavy, so I decided to take a local road along Mill Creek, which turned out to be delightful. I met a lady walker, and asked her the name of the road so I could tell Cam in case I needed to; it was Point Aconi Road. She also told me it would connect with another road just up the highway, all paved, so I had a little loop worked out. Those are always so much more satisfying than going out and back. Cam meanwhile couldn’t find his keys to the trailer, so he tracked me down, and the whole tire switch was delayed. Oh well, I just got to do the loop twice. Through a series of other lost articles, etc etc, we didn’t leave the KOA campsite where the trailer had been parked for the week we were in Newfoundland until after 1:30 p.m. I figured we’d never get as far as Monique’s house, but luckily Cam was game to keep driving, since we knew we would have a place to sleep once we got there, without having to put up the camper. The rest of the day was relatively uneventful; we drove highway 104 through Nova Scotia, so had lots of hills (very slow with the camper), but lovely scenery. We arrived in Grand-Barachois at 9:40 p.m., and went straight to bed.

Sunday, September 18, 2005

Port aux Basques, NF to North Sydney, NS
Drive Home Day 3

Despite all the hype and fears about the ferry ride due to tropical storm Ophelia, Sunday was an uneventful day in the end. The ferry left on time, and although the waves were very high at the beginning of the trip, they subsided after about 3 hours. I took my gravol, and once the movies started, settled in the middle of the boat and watched one. I chose a lunch which consisted mostly of fruit, since that would be easier on the stomach, and then read for the rest of the trip. No one was allowed on deck because of the wind and waves. We drove to our motel, had supper, and that was the day.

Thoughts and Impressions

Even though I’ve done the whole thing, I can still not comprehend the enormity of it. I still think of it as a day at a time, or at most, a section at a time.

I thought I might feel different at the end, but I don’t. I’m just an ordinary person, with all my old feelings of inadequacy and anxiety (sometimes). I’m hoping I’ll use this experience whenever I feel overwhelmed by a task at hand – “one stroke at a time” will win the day.

Thanks – to God for keeping me safe and healthy; for making things “happen” just when they needed to, for moments of sheer joy and face-splitting grins, for songs in the heart and strength in the legs, for sounds and smells, exquisite rainbows, breathtaking beauty in mountains, lakes and plains.

Thanks – to family and friends. Thanks especially to Albert for allowing this to happen and keeping the home front running smoothly. Thanks also to those who allowed me to cry when I was hitting walls, sometimes of my own doing by pushing too hard physically, not knowing if I could make it in time if I didn’t, and sometimes by circumstances beyond me. Thanks to those who gave me advice and encouragement. Thanks to my three drivers – I hope you had a good time with me, as I did with you. Thanks also to those who cycled with me, long distances (Monique and Cassie) and shorter ones (Kim, Chris, Hilda, Doug, Alec, Heather), and who visited me along the way (Albert, Nory, Robin). A great big thank you to those who hosted me along the way - almost too numerous to mention, but I really appreciated all the hospitality (and real beds and food).

Would I do it again? Possibly. Will I do it again? Not likely in the whole, but I will do parts again, especially in Quebec.

Advice? Go for it – whatever your dream, big or small, short-term or long-term, do it.

.

Saturday, September 17, 2005

Grand Falls-Windsor to Port aux Basques, NF
Drive Home Day 2

I had fresh trout for breakfast – caught by Jack the day before. I had to learn how to fillet it (after it was cooked), so now I’m a pro (Jack says “yeah, right”). Cam came over (he had stayed at a B&B right behind the Sweeney’s house) around 9:00 a.m. and we left shortly after that. There were lots of concerns about whether Hurricane/Tropical Storm Ophelia was going to affect our ferry plans, but we eventually decided to stick with our original plans, and go on Sunday at 11:30 a.m. We did book a motel near North Sydney for Sunday night, since we heard there was lots of wind and rain there, and we didn’t want to have to deal with the camper in that kind of weather. The scenery through Newfoundland was wonderful, very barren in places, lots of beautiful lakes and of course, always a big rock. The west end was mountainous, and always, there were strong winds. One section is called “train wreck” because the winds used to blow trains right off the track (that’s when there were still trains running). We had a little tour of Cornerbrook, but I must say I like St. John’s better – it’s much more colourful. However, seeing all the logs at the paper mill there was fascinating; I guess that’s where most of the logging trucks I had seen passing me in Nova Scotia must end up.

Signs in Newfoundland are somewhat different than in the rest of Canada; often the speed limit signs are more elongated. I must say, they are very noticeable. One sign particularly caught our attention; it said “Bump 1 km”. We figured it must be a very large bump indeed, especially when that sign was followed by a “speed limit 50” and then “bump 500 m”. At the bottom of the not very large hill, there was a bridge, and indeed it had a bump – a very small one. We laugh about it every time we hit a bump now – where were our warning signs? I personally think it was an example of the Newfoundlanders’ quirky sense of humour.

Cam has also decided that the stories of moose in Newfoundland are just myths. We’ve been on the lookout for 3 days, and this is his third time here, and he has never seen a moose. He almost had to change his mind when we saw a truck on the side of the road with a dead moose in it, but he thinks that was just staged to propagate the myth, and keep tourists and hunters coming. I guess all you hunters out there will have to come over during moose hunting season and see what you think.

Friday, September 16, 2005

St. John’s to Grand Falls-Windsor, NF
Drive Home Day 1

We spent the morning cleaning up (I tried not to leave the place any less immaculate than it was when we arrived; our host and hostess had already done far too much for us), shopping for a few last gifts and souvenirs, and looking into tire problems (“I guess ya must be losing air on rotation, then b’ye”). Thus, we did not leave St. John’s until after noon, and didn’t get to Grand Falls-Windsor until 7:00 p.m. This was unfortunate, because I found out after I got there that Jack Sweeney (Terry Rideout’s sister’s husband) is an avid cyclist, and I missed going out on a good ride with him. However, we thoroughly enjoyed visiting with Joan, who served up a wonderful “cold plate” supper, including potato salad made with beets. I hadn’t had that since Pauline brought some to a potluck supper (actually, I did try to make it once after that, but it wasn’t as good as hers). We also had cod au gratin – another recipe I’ll have to get. Jack and Joan were disappointed that we didn’t have time to see any of the Grand Falls attractions, but I was just as happy to get to know them – we’ll try to see the Falls next year.