Monday, September 12, 2005
Day 77 – Ferry Day
North Sydney, NS to Argentia, NL
It was a dark and rainy morning when we left at 4:45 a.m., and there wasn’t a single street light to show the way. Luckily Cam figured out immediately when we started down a wrong road, and turned around in time to get us to the ferry by 5:00. Pauline Rideout had told me there would be a surprise waiting when we got to the reservation kiosk, and sure enough, there was. The young woman manning the booth quoted the ferry price (accurate) but said we also had a cabin (surprise). However, the surprise was even greater when we got to the purser’s station, and were personally escorted to an “owner’s cabin”, which is a suite which includes a living room (with a futon), bedroom and bathroom. It even has two TV sets. Terry’s nephew, who works for Marine Atlantic, had arranged it all for us. The first thing we did was have breakfast, then we came back to take a nap. I worked on my photos, then went down for a cup of tea (to settle my stomach; I’m really not a very good sailor, and it’s incredibly windy and wavy today), then I came back for another nap. This one was really nice, and I was totally out of it. I appreciated the luxury and privacy of my surroundings all the more each time I came back to it, as it made the 14 hours on board much more tolerable. Especially after supper, when the baked cod I had didn’t sit too well, did I deeply appreciate being able to lie down until everything settled.
For the record, Cam asked about the size of the waves and the strength of the wind; evidently the waves were 3 to 4 metres high, and the wind did reach gale force. It also rained all day, so that water was sloshing around on the decks, preventing much walking about. The boat was creaking considerably at times (not in a scary way) and gave jolts like the camper does in wind. At least my body had got used to sleeping through that kind of movement – I didn’t realize I had been rehearsing!
There was some fun entertainment on board the ship; there were movies, which I didn’t watch, and also a pair of male singers, who played guitars and accordion, and sang Newfoundland songs. Cam and I both bought their CD “Songs to tap yer feet ‘bye’”. I thought perhaps Albert would get some ideas of songs he could arrange for choir…
I also enjoyed talking with a young couple who were just finishing up their cross-Canada trip as well; they had trailers behind their bikes, and we had spotted them at the ferry parking lot in the morning.
It was dark when we landed at approximately 9:00 p.m. Newfoundland time, so we took our time finding our way down to St. Bride’s. I can hardly wait to see the route in daylight; the hills on this road (Hwy 100) are very steep and winding, and I’m glad I don’t have to do them by bike! Cam assures me the trans-Canada hills are more moderate, and I’m sure hoping he’s right! We’re staying at the Atlantica Inn tonight; it’s a small motel, not luxurious but very clean and not expensive. Luckily, the heater works well too; the temperatures quoted for St. John’s today were 13, whereas for Toronto, they were quoted at 30. Quite a contrast!
North Sydney, NS to Argentia, NL
It was a dark and rainy morning when we left at 4:45 a.m., and there wasn’t a single street light to show the way. Luckily Cam figured out immediately when we started down a wrong road, and turned around in time to get us to the ferry by 5:00. Pauline Rideout had told me there would be a surprise waiting when we got to the reservation kiosk, and sure enough, there was. The young woman manning the booth quoted the ferry price (accurate) but said we also had a cabin (surprise). However, the surprise was even greater when we got to the purser’s station, and were personally escorted to an “owner’s cabin”, which is a suite which includes a living room (with a futon), bedroom and bathroom. It even has two TV sets. Terry’s nephew, who works for Marine Atlantic, had arranged it all for us. The first thing we did was have breakfast, then we came back to take a nap. I worked on my photos, then went down for a cup of tea (to settle my stomach; I’m really not a very good sailor, and it’s incredibly windy and wavy today), then I came back for another nap. This one was really nice, and I was totally out of it. I appreciated the luxury and privacy of my surroundings all the more each time I came back to it, as it made the 14 hours on board much more tolerable. Especially after supper, when the baked cod I had didn’t sit too well, did I deeply appreciate being able to lie down until everything settled.
For the record, Cam asked about the size of the waves and the strength of the wind; evidently the waves were 3 to 4 metres high, and the wind did reach gale force. It also rained all day, so that water was sloshing around on the decks, preventing much walking about. The boat was creaking considerably at times (not in a scary way) and gave jolts like the camper does in wind. At least my body had got used to sleeping through that kind of movement – I didn’t realize I had been rehearsing!
There was some fun entertainment on board the ship; there were movies, which I didn’t watch, and also a pair of male singers, who played guitars and accordion, and sang Newfoundland songs. Cam and I both bought their CD “Songs to tap yer feet ‘bye’”. I thought perhaps Albert would get some ideas of songs he could arrange for choir…
I also enjoyed talking with a young couple who were just finishing up their cross-Canada trip as well; they had trailers behind their bikes, and we had spotted them at the ferry parking lot in the morning.
It was dark when we landed at approximately 9:00 p.m. Newfoundland time, so we took our time finding our way down to St. Bride’s. I can hardly wait to see the route in daylight; the hills on this road (Hwy 100) are very steep and winding, and I’m glad I don’t have to do them by bike! Cam assures me the trans-Canada hills are more moderate, and I’m sure hoping he’s right! We’re staying at the Atlantica Inn tonight; it’s a small motel, not luxurious but very clean and not expensive. Luckily, the heater works well too; the temperatures quoted for St. John’s today were 13, whereas for Toronto, they were quoted at 30. Quite a contrast!
posted by BikingBabe at 2:13 PM
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