|
Friday June 9th Rest Day Thunder Bay
After a delightful dinner at Hilldale church we split. Ernie and Gerry went with Jackie and Ernie Dojack to stay at their lovely home in Thunder Bay. Ernie Dojack drove Ernie Anweiler around Thunder Bay to find a new alternator for the motor home that our Ernie installed that night. Jan and Charlie were billeted in a beautiful lakefront cottage (complete with wood fired sauna) hosted by Ritva Koski. They enjoyed a relaxing sauna and were treated to a show put on by the fireflies.
On Saturday morning we all met at the Scandinavian Club restaurant for breakfast with Ernie and Jackie Dojack. We got ourselves organized and off to the TB CMHA where we were fed lunch and got to meet many of the clubhouse members and toured the TB housing office. That afternoon we rode out to the Terry Fox memorial just East of Thunder Bay where Ernie was waiting with a note from John Cronin from Ghana. Back to the Church for an evening with 35, sang and spoke about our mission.
Saturday June 10th Thunder Bay to Nipigon 114 Km
Sunday June 11th Nipigon to Terrace Bay 110 Km>br> Barry and Janet bought us breakfast in a Greek restaurant in Nipigon then dashed ahead of us on the highway to take road pictures of us heading south. What a delight to meet this engaging couple. We had a good day of hilly riding south stopping at the picturesque village of Rossport for a mid afternoon snack. We then headed to Terrace Bay where we camped. In Schreiber where we had dinner we met two Dutch women who were biking the same area of the northern Great Lakes.
Monday June 12th Terrace Bay to Marathon
Tuesday June 13th Marathon to White River We met a young couple from Holland who had a breakdown on their motor home. She works with children diagnosed with mental illness.
Wednesday June 14th White River to Wawa
Thursday June 15th Rest day
Friday June 16th Wawa (South) to Pancake Bay Got to Pancake Bay at about 5 PM. ready to stop for the night. We stayed in the Provincial Campground.
Saturday June 17th Pancake Bay to the Soo Jan and I billet with Helma and Randy Fleming. Charlie and Ernie go with Pat and John Gabriel. We had a good evening at Pat and John's where we meet neighbours and other members of the congregation.
Sunday June 18th Rest Day We were treated to strawberrys and shortcake at the church, then given a quick tour of the city by Pat, We fixed our bikes then had lunch and more singing followed by early dinner at the men's shelter. Pat and John have really put themselves out to make this short visit to the Soo very meaningful for all of us. Jan and Gerry went back to Helma and Randy's and were treated to a surprise second dinner at the home of Mario and Suze Turco, friends and neighbours of Helma and Randy.
Monday June 19th Soo to Blind River Arrived at Iron Bridge in the late afternoon and signed in to the campground. We met a young pair riding from Trois Riviers to Canmore.
Tuesday June 20th Iron Bridge to Spanish (Actually Massey) Got to Spanish a little early (2 PM ) so we put 20 Km into tomorrow by riding to Massey. We want to get a head start on the ride to South Baymouth to maybe get the early ferry so we can get a head start on riding to Owen Sound where a lot of activity is planned. The churches in the town of Spanish all got together to provide us with accommodation (the Vance cabins) and dinner provided by the Cathy Russell, the United Church minister for the 3 point parish which includes Spanish. All of this was organized by Brian Sonnenburg of the Massey Lutheran church. We had a comfortable and relaxing evening before hitting the road again in the morning. Next stop Manitoulin Island.
Wednesday June 21 Massey to Manatoulin Island We ran on back roads for 25 Km to Espanola from Massey. We stopped at a Tim Horton's, bought some groceries and headed south against headwinds to the islands. We saw lots of Canadian Shield territory and struggled towards Manatawagin where we found the Holiday Haven campsite for the night.
Thursday June 22 Manatoulin Island to Tobermory and South
Charley broke another spoke causing more wheel problems. We did a minor adjustment and headed for the ferry. We arrived in South Baymouth at 9:30 AM in time to get second breakfast then we waited for the Chi ChiMa to take us to Tobermory. The ferry ride is a little under 2 hours. We wove our way through the islands, which define the western boundary of Georgian Bay. Shield rock and pine seascapes. Gerry got a call from the Owen Sound radio station and got a chance to publicize the upcoming visit to Owen Sound. We arrived at Tobermory to be greeted by Sharon Williamson, who, with her husband Tom, kept us in their beautiful lakefront home on Georgian Bay just outside Tobermory. We were also met by Kevin Fritz, a member of the CMHA club in Hanover. Kevin biked all the way up to Tobermory to guide us down to Owen Sound. What a delight to meet this wonderful young man. Kevin accompanied us on our ride south that afternoon to gain 30 km on our distance to Owen Sound. The evening with Sharon and Tom Williamson was very special. Tom has biked from Sarnia to Nova Scotia before, so he was able to give us some tips. He is planning a bike trip from Vancouver to Tobermory next year so we will have to talk further. One overnight in Tobermory is not enough!!!
Friday June 23rd Tobermory to Owen Sound The remaining ride into Owen Sound was a tour of the rich farming country just north of Owen Sound. We arrived at the outskirts of Owen Sound to a reception of 15 to 18 members of the CMHA Clubs in the surrounding area. We were met by an official police escort and led right up to the Our Savior Lutheran Church where we enjoyed a reception and BBQ. We were also greeted by Linda and John Marek who billeted us for the night in their beautiful new farmhouse which is built of stone using techniques which are faithful to the centuries old practices which created so many long lasting farm structures in this part of Ontario. We were also greeted by Jackie Ralph of the Owen Sound CMHA and a host of local politicians, media and CMHA staff. What a reception !!!!!
Saturday June 24th Owen Sound to Barrie After breakfast provided by Brigit's Breakfast and Pastries, we started up the series of hills to the top of the Niagra Escarpment. By this route we reluctantly left the northern terminus of the Underground Railroad. We were accompanied by Johnathan, a local bicyclist who took on the first two hills with us and left us on the outskirts of town with his blessing.
We rode through to Meaford where we stopped at the Earth Harvest Café run by a couple who follow the philosophy of Jean Vanier and the L'arche community. There we met the 3 Marys. Mary-Anne, Mary Jane and just plain Mary, all three are elderly mentally challenged women accompanied by a support worker. This is a business that welcomes the mentally challenged. There are no coincidences. We continued to the outskirts of Barrie and there drive to Westside Lutheran Church where we met Pastor Steve Boros. We were billited with Tony (Ernie and Gerry) while Charlie stayed with Pastor Steve and his wife. Jan stayed with Wally and Diane Enn and Wally's brother Mark. On Sunday night Jan stayed with Jane and Brian, also members of Westside Lutheran.
Sunday June 25th Rest Day in Barrie
Tuesday June 27th Manila to Peterborough
Wednesday June 28th Peterborough to Madoc Our original destination for the day had been a few km further down the road but we had an invitation from Jeandot's (Banff) nephew Mark Bissett and his wife Jill to stay at their beautiful farmhouse just outside of Madoc. We met their friend Sandy who works with Jill on their home painting and decorating business and their two boys Matthew and Johnathan.
Thursday June 29th Madoc to Perth We showered and went into the old centre of town where we found a delightful choice of restaurants. We chose a small Italian restaurant, and Ernie decided to walk a little further down the street to a Chinese Buffet. The rest of us had a wonderful Italian meal complete with a very good Chianti. Ernie arrived back in the Italian Restaurant 2 hours later with a couple in tow. He had joined them for dinner at the Chinese restaurant and they had so fully taken up our cause that they went around to all the tables in both restaurants and collected what funds they could from the patrons to support our ride. We left the restaurant with $122 in donations!!!
Friday June 30th Perth to Ottawa There is evidence here of the conscious effort of planners to create viewscapes and vistas which reflect the natural beauty of this region, augmented by the canal and the mixture of architecture. This all leaves an impression of grandeur in this Capitol city.
We are nearing the end of our journey through Ontario, Canada's largest province. We passed the boarder from Manitoba to Ontario on June 2nd. We will leave by the bridge to Hull/Gatineau Quebec on Sunday July 2nd. In that month we have travelled the entire length of this amazing province from the Lake of the Woods, through the expanse of lake and farm to Fort Francis, to the city of Thunder Bay and from there over the great breadth of the north side of Lake Superior. Northern Ontario is really a separate province from Southern Ontario. Landscape and environment change as we move south. When we reached Sault St Marie we passed the boarder from Northern Ontario to the populace Southern region. Here we encounter the historical cities and towns of Upper Canada, the Northern terminus of the underground railway, stone farmhouses and barn foundations 250 years old and still used daily. From here East we are in the territory where the impossible idea Canada was conceived. As our journey to connect with the compassion of this country proceeds we are, more than ever, cognizant of the depth and variety of cultural heritage which is woven into the tapestry we today call Canada. We are indeed blessed!
Sunday July 2nd Ottawa to Montebello We left Ottawa via the Alexandra Bridge just south and east of the Parliament Buildings. Our month in Ontario has drawn to a close and we are looking forward our time in La Belle Province. We rode south to Montebello, a ride that takes 4 hours of biking along highway 148. After the suburban sprawl of Gatineau we passed through rolling hills, and farms with the Ottawa River on our right and the river front towns and villages of Ontario on the other bank. Montebello is a beautiful little town that got its name from Louis Papineau, the co-leader of the Mckenzie/Papineau Rebellion of 1837-38. Papineau fled Canada for the US and France in 1838 after the rebellion and returned rather triumphantly a few years later to establish his residence in the place by the Ottawa River he would call Montebello. Papineau and McKenzie together lit a spark, which would result eventually in the uniting of the Maritimes with Upper and Lower Canada into the confederation of 1867. We spent time walking the grounds of the Papineau residence where this chapter in the birth of Canada took place.
Monday July 3rd Montebello to Montreal
Tuesday July 4th Rest Day Montreal In the afternoon we toured the Old City. Later, Gerry rode out to Laval through an Italian Soccer riot when Italy won the semi final with Germany.
July 5th Montreal to Louisville
We stopped for the evening at Louisville where we were glad of a shower and a bite to eat. We had a good campsite by a river near the St Lawrence.
July 6th Louisville to Portneuf
July 7th Portneuf to Quebec City Our ride into Quebec City went quickly. We arrived at the home of Avril and Bruce Willet in south Quebec City in the mid afternoon. We showered and cleaned up, then enjoyed a stimulating evening of conversation with Bruce, Avril and their daughter Andrea.
After our ride we were treated to a very filling Quebec BBQ (and even a taste of Caribou meat) with the Willets and a yard full of their friends. This was a great evening of conversation and we again are left with the feeling that we have all too little time to get to know all these wonderful people.
July 9th Quebec City to St John Port Joli We had an opportunity to sing and to speak to the congregation, following which we received a blessing sung to us by the choir. This was a good way to start our day of riding. With Bruce Willet accompanying us we caught the ferry to the south shore across the city's harbour. What a remarkable, but all too short visit to Quebec City made special by our hosts who offered so much of themselves. Again we are both blessed and frustrated that we must leave these good new friends so quickly. Our ride along the South Shore didn't start till 1:00 PM but it went remarkably fast. We were in Port Joli and in our campsite in time to clean up and have a late supper. Coming into the campsite a woman stopped us and told us she had seen an article about us. She said that members of her family had schizophrenia and wanted to thank us for doing what we can to fight the stigma of mental illness.
July 10 St John Port Joli to Riviere du Loup
Coming into Riviere Du Loup we got separated onto two different entrance paths. We finally found each other and at the same time found the local tourist information centre which provided us with better directions to the municipal campsite.
July 11 Riviere du Loup to Rimouski> Dinner in Rimouski was made special when we were served by Vicki Durette a vivacious and interesting young woman who directed us to the “best” poutine in Quebec in the town of Amqui. She also directed us to the ice cream store operated by her mother Denise in Amqui.
July 12 Rimouski to Amqui
Just a kilometre north we also came across a dead beached Beluga whale.
We arrived in Amqui and got to our campsite but not without delay. Charlie had to fix a flat tire on his way south towards our final destination for the day. Once we got to the campsite and had diner we biked to the ice cream store across the road and met Vicki's mother Denise Durette.
Finally in the late afternoon we arrived at the bridge across the Restigouche River taking us from Quebec to the province of New Brunswick. And so ended our magical, and all too short, tour through Canada's Belle Province. Vive Quebec, Vive les Quebequois!! The warm vivacious spirit of the Quebequois will linger with us as we travel along the rest of our journey. Ride into Light Maritimes We arrived in the west end of Campbellton to be greeted by a pulp mill in the suburb of Atholville. NB is completely bilingual so we are not out of the influence of French, which helps to ease the pain of having to move on in our journey past our beloved Quebec. This is different, however, the road is more narrow and in worse condition and we feel we have stepped back in time. We arrived in town to be greeted at a parking lot by Ernie and by Cora and Murray Renaul who are Campbellton residents. Cora and Murray were very helpful and welcoming. They escorted us to the campsite and then we followed them downtown where they showed us the city hall. Murray even called the city administrator and the local paper to arrange an interview and attendance at city hall the next day. What an introduction to the hospitality of New Brunswick!!
Rest Day July 14th
Campbellton to Bathurst July 15th
We found a campsite out of Bathurst run by a woman who is taking a sabbatical from her profession of Mining Engineering. Her father was visiting from Crofton where he owns the coffee shop at the Crofton to Saltspring ferry. The very coffee shop where we stopped in March on one of our practice runs!!
Bathurst to Miramichi July 16th Riding south to Miramichi we skirted a thunderstorm on the way down. At one point the van caught up to Jan and Gerry and this would have been a good spot to wait 1/2 hour to let the storm pass to the south, but Charlie was ahead so we asked Ernie to catch up to Charlie before taking a break. Unfortunately this put us right in the thick of the storm. We got into Miramichi over a very high bridge crossing the famous salmon river which gives the town it's name, and south to the visitors information centre.
Miramichi to Buctouche July 17th The Buctouche Bay campsite is a large well organized family business with a pool and well laid out grounds. The office is equipped with a wireless internet so we are able to catch up on e-mail and purchase ferry tickets and plane reservations for the way back. We are not far from the beach and we strain to catch a glimpse of Prince Edward Island but the mist and the topography of PEI (highest spot being under 100 metres in altitude) conspire to deny us a view of our destination the day after tomorrow.
Buctouche to Murray Beach July 18th
The Charlottetown CMHA office has arranged to have several cyclists meet us for the ride from Cornwall to Charlottetown. There we met the staff of the very active Charlottetown CMHA offices and clubhouse.
David welcomed us, helped us get settled and took us out to a brew pub for a beer and a bite to eat. Charlottetown is such a compact picturesque village of a city. It is safe and pleasant to walk anywhere, and, in central Charlottetown you are never more than a few blocks away from the picturesque harbor and the center of town which is just made for pedestrian traffic and leisurely site seeing. We spent a pleasant evening just walking and taking in the sights of this historic Provincial Capitol.
Rest Day Charlottetown July 20th We arrived at the clubhouse to find a reporter from the Charlottetown newspaper that resulted in a generous article in the next morning's paper. This is an excellent example of the possibilities of the Ride into Light. Our presence offered the local clubhouse and the Fitzroy Centre an opportunity to focus the community on the issues surrounding mental illness. Not only were we interviewed about our ride, the local staff and consumers were interviewed about the clubhouse facilities and the many services offered here in PEI. After the press interview we were ushered into a room full of over 60 club members and staff. What an exciting morning of singing speaking and just plain fun!! The CMHA office hosted us for lunch and we had an opportunity to tour their offices and familiarize ourselves with the depth of their programs, ranging from teen suicide prevention to housing and job readiness assistance. This Island province provides an excellent example of a caring and compassionate community where there is space for differences and room to allow people to just be themselves. We rounded out the day with a walk down to the waterfront and a leisurely stroll to a lobster dinner. We got lost walking home, in Charlottetown this means a 5 minute detour!!
Charlottetown to New Glascow July 21st The day is cloudy and cool for our ride out of Charlottetown. We have chosen a path that takes us directly to the Wood Island ferry dock where we get the ferry to Nova Scotia. The rich red soil and the prosperous looking farmhouses betray a countryside where fertile soil has mixed with a social structure that has rarely known strife. The result is a quiet and easy prosperity that is reflected not so much in consumer goods, but in the orderliness and cleanliness of the surroundings. This is an easy place to just BE.
On the other side we rode the highway the 25 kms to New Glasgow in rain that varied from a drizzle to heavy. A few minutes after ending our ride for the day the heavy rain turned to a deluge that turned the parking lot into a small lake!! We found a campsite out of town where we dried our clothes on hangers in the motor home. We got an early night while some of the tent campers moved their gear to a large shelter that kept the rain at bay. As the night wore on the rain gradually subsided leaving space in the sky for a little moonlight. The next morning was fresh and mostly free of clouds. This was the first of the remnants of the tropical storm Bertha as it drifted north losing most of its winds but little of its rain.
New Glasgow to Port Hastings July 22nd After lunch we rode through the university area then doubled back to take in the small main street. We checked out the tourist information centre and got some tips on camp sights for the next three stops, our last on “mainland Canada”. The afternoon ride was more interesting, taking us closer to the coast as this part of northern mainland Nova Scotia nears the island of Cape Breton. Our day ended with a long downhill ride to the southern end of the Canso Bridge. On the way down we met a young couple from Quebec coming up the hill. They are just heading home to Quebec from an expedition through the Maritimes. We find a picturesque camp sight nearby and small restaurant where we have dinner.
Canso Bridge to Big Pond July 23rd
The first part our journey takes us east to the coastal town of Saint Peters where we get our first glimpse of the open Atlantic. From there we rode north to the eastern shore of the Bras d'Ore a large salt-water lake (somewhat tidal) that divides the west and east Cape Breton. As we got further north we were treated to the hillside views that make this one of the most picturesque areas in the world!! At 4:00 PM we arrived at the famous tearoom of Rita McNiel. Unfortunately we missed her by just an hour. We spent the night at a local camp sight by the lake and woke to the sound of rain on the roof.
Big Pond to North Sidney July 24th
We made our way to the Bras d'Ore Arm of Gold campground where we showered, washed clothes, dried clothes and set ourselves up for the next day.
Rest Day North Sidney July 25th The town bustles with period characters many of which are played by university students. The whole experience is an excellent way to get a flavour of the kind of life the French settlers lived on this coast. One fact which was clear is that the French authorities in Paris insisted that the town purchase all manufactured goods from France, so the community never became entirely self reliant. This served to solidify the ties to Paris and met the interests of the merchants in France who supplied many of the goods needed by the colony, from simple nails to clothing and staples like flour and grains. Unfortunately for long-term French interests it also meant that the town and fortress were very vulnerable to the blockades, which twice caused it to be surrendered to the British. A more self-reliant community might well have survived the British blockades and may have better secured French long-term interests in North America.
North Sidney to Argentia Newfoundland July 26th We arrived at Argentia and made our way in the dark and the light rain to Castle Hill overlooking Placentia Bay where we are reserved for the night in a B&B. As we enter the establishment we are greeted by the owners who convinced us in a moment's conversation that this place Newfoundland is also a distinct society. The owner was one of 16 children who grew up together in this very house. We feel as if we are half way between Canada and Ireland in this misty craggy maritime environment.
Argentia to Butter Pot July 27th We start out on the road from Argentia 50 Km to the Trans Canada Highway into St John's. Here we begin to see the steep inclines and the deep bays and inlets, which make up so much of the coastland of Newfoundland. Low cloud and mist create a dramatic backdrop for this, the second last day of our journey. Just a few kilometres from the junction of the Trans Canada Highway we meet two motorcyclists who turn out to be Charlie's cousin Ed Singer and his friend. They have ridden out to meet us and to make arrangements get us to the Back Door Pond camp sight where Charlie's cousin and his partner will put us up for the next two nights. We share a quick late breakfast and arrange for Ed to meet us at the Butter Pot Camp Sight later in the afternoon. We continued our ride through the rolling Avalon Peninsula terrain and reached the Butter Pot at about 4 PM. Charlie's cousin picked us up a short time later and took us on a quick tour of the Conception Bay area including the old and picturesque town of Briggus where he lives during the winter. We then wound our way over to Trinity Bay, the site of his Camp Sight (formerly a provincial park recently privatized).
Butter Pot to St John's July 28th The kind folks at the St John's CMHA office have arranged for us to have a police escort from the outskirts of town into the CMHA offices. This significantly reduces our chances of getting lost. As if we were organized we arrived at the site of rendezvous with the police escort 10 minutes before he arrived. We lined up behind the police car and followed him for the last 10 kms into the CMHA offices. There we are greeted by the entire staff and a number of members of the Board of Directors.
Following this reception three staff members follow us in a vehicle while we ride the last 4 kms to Mile 0, the site of the monument where Terry Fox dipped his leg in the Atlantic to start his legendary Marathon of Hope. We cannot get to the water because the Harbour commission has installed a chain link fence between the marker and the water, so we have to content ourselves with the fact that our tires will not touch this particular part of the Atlantic (we were cautioned not to dip anything we valued into the waters of this harbour).
Our 7000 Kilometre Bicycle passage from Nanaimo to Newfoundland is over. Mission accomplished!!!!! We were so thankful that day to receive all the good wishes of supporters from across Canada marking the end of this incredible journey. The physical task of riding a bicycle from one end of this magnificent country to the other is a personal accomplishment for each of us, but to receive the love and support of so many people from so many parts of this country is an overwhelming experience. We began this task with the idea that we would like to meet people and talk about the stigma that accompanies mental illness in this country. We found that this message resonated with people in every province. We have met so many wonderful people and truly we feel that we have experienced the soul of Canada, this most blessed of countries!!
|
Owen Sound is a community that works. It's over 200 year history, combined with it's old buildings and it's still vibrant market make it a very interesting and lively place to be. Again we are frustrated. We only have one day in Owen Sound. We all want to return to visit this place and these people to get to know them better.
Riding forward up two more hills we stopped at a side road to meet Marcia Halliday a counsellor who works with many persons struggling with mental illness in the Owen Sound region. There are no coincidences.
Monday June 26th Barrie to Manila
We were treated to a great dinner and company. Again, it is so special to meet these engaging and interesting people. We are often disappointed that we have so little time with the wonderful people we meet along this great journey.
We had dinner with Pastor Joel Crouse and Erin Anderssen with their children Noah and Sampson. Jan and Ernie stayed with Florence Klein Gerry and Charlie stayed in the home of Coreen Blackburn.
Quebec RANDONNEE vers la LUMIERE
We washed up in the church washrooms and went for a delightful dinner with Fred at a Portuguese Café. The vibrant street life in this district of Montreal (near Sherbrook and St Urbain) seems to embrace all races, cultures and lifestyles. There are bike lanes for the numerous bicyclists and the streets and sidewalks are full of pedestrians and vehicles of all sorts.
We also enjoyed the many street cafes, centuries old farmhouses and pastoral countryside. In this part of the country you can still see long tracts of land running right down to the water, evidence of the old French Seigniories.
July 8th Rest Day Quebec City
Thank you so much Avril and Bruce for being such gracious and engaging hosts !!!
We were cheered to meet again our old comrades the Ride for Spirit group we first met in Saskatchewan. They will now take a different route heading for Halifax.
The morning was made even more special by meeting Pierre (who we first met in Indian Head Saskatchewan when he was riding from Regina to Sault St Marie). Rimouski is Pierre's hometown and he just happened to be riding on the bike trail north of Rimouski when we stopped at the trail. We were all so happy to have a chance to see Pierre again. We left the trail repeating the old expression “there are no coincidences”
At Mont Joli we turned inland and generally south, up 4 kilometres of hill to enter an area of the most spectacular rolling hills and farmlands.
July 13th Amqui to Campbellton
We also enjoyed the local churches that announced the onset of each small town along the route.
We did our banking and toured the town on our bikes. Got back to the campsite and made dinner, maintained our bikes and completed the Quebec diary. A full and welcomed rest day.
As we continued our ride we noticing more and more Acadian flags as we traveled south.
Here we made arrangements to stay at a campsite south of town and drove into Miramichi for an excellent dinner overlooking the river where the sun played with the clouds to paint a beautiful scene for us. Part way through dinner we were treated to a storm cloud that ended up producing a gentle mist of rain.
Murray Beach to Charlottetown July 19th
We arrived in town about 3:30 and got to St Peters Anglican at about 4:30 where we met David Harris, the Anglican priest in whose Parsonage we stayed while David, his wife and their seven children stayed for the summer at their farm outside Charlottetown.
We arrived at the ferry in plenty of time and relaxed for an hour before departing this smallest, and in many ways most beautiful of the Provinces.
After crossing the Canso causeway we rode up the hill into Port Hastings, the first of many hills for the day. Cape Breton is a rocky island jutting out into the Gulf of St Lawrence on the west side and the Atlantic Ocean on the east. Its hills and outcroppings are old in geological terms making for a rolling terrain. This keeps us busy with one to two km hills both up and down.
With very few stops we made it to North Sidney by about 4:00 PM. just as we entered the Newfoundland Ferry terminal to check our tickets for the passage on the 26th, the sky brightened and the clouds parted to allow a bit of sun to shine.
We spent a happy evening enjoying the generous hospitality of Ed Singer and his partner Dee. A later, but more lively night than we had expected.
We are happy to get out of the cool St John's mist for a pleasant reception and snacks. Our hosts have also made arrangements for a CBC Radio interview, which is broadcast all over Newfoundland and Labrador.
Following our Photo session at Mile 0 the friendly folks at Bill's Bicycle shop drove their van down to meet us and transported us and our bikes to their shop to be packaged for shipment. At their store we are offered a private place to change and to pack our gear into one pannier that can be shipped with the bikes. To our surprise they phoned their shipper and found out that shipping each bike all the way home was only slightly more expensive that the cost of getting the oversize packages on the plane to Halifax. So off the bikes go all the way to Nanaimo. We left this very helpful bike shop feeling naked without our beloved bicycles!!!