Sunday, June 30, 2013
We were up at 7:00 which really pleased Molly who liked to stick to her established routine. We quickly ate breakfast, finished packing our bags and loaded them on our bikes. Bev had, unbeknown to me, gotten them our of the garage and placed them next to the basement door where we could easily load them up. Pat and Almont were up to say goodbye, wish us a safe journey and take some pictures. We left for Windsor, NS, at 8:10 AM. It was cloudy, there was a tailwind, we had smooth pavement but no shoulder. We took a few breaks on the way. Our legs and butts had gotten a bit soft over the last 3 days of rest. We stopped at a gas station in Kingston where I saw a model of a white 1957 Mercedes 190SL sports car just like the one I had bought for $700 in 1967 when I was on posting at the Canadian Embassy in Brussels. I took some photos of it and asked Darcy, the attendant, if the owner would be interested in selling it. He took my contact information and said he would ask and let me know. We stopped at a Tim's in New Minas for lunch and a pit stop. I filled my 2nd water bottle up in the washroom. Once we got to Kentville we left the Annapolis Valley and the going got tougher. We ran into several long climbs where I finally had to use my "Grannie Gears". After Wolfville the highway turned South East and we now had to cope with a strong crosswind and for the last 15 kms we had a strong head wind which really slowed us down. We stopped at a gas station just 2 kms outside of Windsor for a cold drink. We were both really parched by this time. The humidity had really gone up with the appearance of the sun. We passed a motel on the outskirts of Windsor and passed it up hoping to find something in town with more shops, etc around. We stopped in Windsor and asked a couple who were sitting down to a late lunch (3:00 PM) or an early dinner re motels, etc. We were given bad directions and ended up cycling 3 or 4 kms out of town. I finally set my GPS for the Super 8 Motel. We had to make a U-Turn and cycle back into town and a further 1.5 kms before we finally arrived at the Super 8 which was on top of a %&#@ hill. I went in and managed to get a room for $109 plus taxes down from $119. It included breakfast, swimming pool, Wi-Fi, etc. We took our bikes up to our room on the 2nd floor using the elevator one at a time. We arrived at the motel at 4:00 PM and once settled in our room enjoyed a late lunch of ham and cheese on croissant buns. Bev decided to walk down the hill to the Atlantic Superstore and get some groceries for our dinner and tomorrow's lunch. I checked out the Wi-Fi and updated my journal. I also posted a note on FB re today's ride. Bev returned with a Hungry Man Turkey dinner for me and a Swanson Ribs, mashed potatoes, corn and Brownies for dinner which she warmed up in the motel microwave.
Well it's getting late and that's enough blogging for this evening. Time to get some shuteye as we need to get up at 6:00 AM tomorrow if we want to beat the heat and make it to Brookfield, NS, tomorrow.
Super 8 Motel, Windsor, NS
Sunday, June 30, 2013
CCCT Part II - Lawrencetown, NS Rest Days
Thursday, Friday, Saturday, June 27-28-29, 2013
Day 1
We had hoped to have a lie in but Molly, the black lab, was on a different schedule and she felt we should be up at 7:30 AM. After breakfast we drove into Middleton with Pat in her 2008 Chrysler van with all the bells and whistles including a rear-view back up camera that beeps when you get to close to any obstruction. We parked in the grocery store/NSLC (Nova Scotia Liquor Control) lot and walked to the General Store. It was a combination gift shop/antique shop/shoe shop/clothing shop/souvenir shop/etc. Bev found a dress that she liked. Apparently she buys a dress in this shop every time she visits Middleton. We then did some banking. Bev at the Credit Union and I did mine at the RBC. While I had been to the "Dollar Store" there was an accident at the main intersection where a new traffic light had recently been installed. Apparently a pedestrian was hit while crossing. There were several police vehicles and an ambulance there and quite a few spectators. It was the highlight of the day for most of them. We continued doing our shopping by purchasing a 6-pack of beer at the NSLC and some groceries at the shop next door. On the way back home we stopped in at the VIC to see if they had a NS pin for me and Bev was able to get a map of NL which we will need later on when we take the ferry over.
Once back at Pat's home we checked out her garden which consisted of a few raised beds containing a variety of plants including some tomato plants one of which had been severely decimated by deer. I also checked out her very large garage - big enough to store a dozen on more sports cars. Of course they would have to be stacked to the ceiling which was quite high. My tummy started to grumble so it was time to go in for lunch. I had a chicken sandwich sandwich, a diet coke and some of Almont's home made Blueberry Grunt. Don't ask me to describe it or how it's made - you'll just have to Google it. Needless to say it was strangely delicious. I checked out airfares from St. John's, NL, to Ottawa compared to cycling to Argentia, taking the ferry across to N. Sydney and renting a U-Haul to transport all our gear home. If we post most of our gear home and just take our bikes on the plane it half the cost of taking the ferry and renting a U-Haul. I also tried to help Pat create a business card using Avery free templates but for some reason it would allow us to create one card and not 10 at a time as I had done for our cards.
Almont BBQ steaks while Pat prepared smoked spare ribs which we had with potato salad and cucumbers and tomatoes. There was a birthday cake with strawberry coulis and fresh whipped cream for dessert.
Day 2
I spent the morning after breakfast cleaning our bicycle chains, derailleurs, etc. There was a pair of coveralls in the garage which I found handy for keeping my clothes from getting messed up. They also helped to keep me warm as it was pissing down rain and quite chilly. Bev did our laundry and helped prepare lunch. I had pea soup and a chicken sandwich and a diet coke. I managed to complete another day of my blog and after lay down for a nap.
Almont and Pat returned from grocery shopping with lobster tails for dinner. But first Almont invited me over to his house, which was just two doors over, to show me his hobby which was all about building model airplanes, making medal displays of former fighter pilots, etc. In the past he has interviewed many decorated fighter pilots and military veterans. He has an extensive military library and memorabilia collection. It was all very impressive.
We had surf and turf for dinner i.e. lobster tail, steak, baked haddock, mashed potatoes, leeks, Brussels sprouts, fried mushrooms and onion for dinner. Dessert was Angel Food cake with strawberry coulis and whipped cream. Yikes!!! All the weight I've burned off since starting to cycle again from Trois Rivieres is starting to pile back on.
Pat asked me if I knew how to setup Netflix. I'm still a bit of a dinosaur when it comes to the latest TV technology. When I asked her what it was she was having a problem with she explained that she wanted to hook up her laptop with WIN8 on it to her HD Flat Screen TV. I Googled it and was able to find a video on Youtube explaining how to do it. The difficult part was figuring out where to find "Devices" in WIN8 so we could change the configuration to "dual monitors". But after an hour or so of messing around with WIN8 we finally found it and Badda-Bing-Badda-Bang we had video and sound. After showing Pat's family cruise photos from last year I was able to show my slide show presentation from my France/England 2009 cycling trip.
Day 3
I finally got up at 8:15 and let Molly out. She had been outside our bedroom door rattling her collar and dog tags since 6:30. I assumed she had to go real bad but all she did was go out on the porch and dance. I guess she wanted me to go out with her and relieve myself!!! Anyway she came back in without doing anything. Bev got up and let her out and she did her business knowing that when she came back in Bev would have some dog food waiting for her. Go figure.
After breakfast, Almont and Pat invited us to go to Wolfville to the Farmer's Market. It was a 75 km drive and it was a very overcast day so we decided to go along if not only to check out the route that we would be cycling tomorrow on her way to Windsor. Since we were on the #1 highway in the Annapolis Valley it was reasonably flat and quite straight most of the way. Once we got to the FM we walked about and checked out all the various stalls offering a variety of farm produce, baked goods, canned goods, meat products, locally produced wines, cheeses and food vendors. Bev bought some croissants for tomorrow's sandwiches and some date squares. I took some photos. We decided to go to Pete's Market for lunch as they served healthier food there. I ended up having a spinach and cheese soup and a spinach and Feta cheese Samosa. All very tasty. We then did some grocery shopping before going next door to check out a bicycle/stove shop. Bev was able to get a new tail light to replace her old one as the lens had fallen off and gotten lost somewhere on the way to St. John. I got a white "Dew" rag for myself. We also saw a really neat bright orange Sugoi jacket with removable sleeves that were held in place by magnets. Never seen anything like it in the Ottawa bike shops. Come on Ottawa - get with the times!!!
When it came time to pay I tried to negotiate a discount. I asked for a bicycle club discount but the cashier refused. I then asked for the "Seniors Cycling Across Canada Discount". It agreed to give us a 10% discount. He then told us a story about a senior cyclist who also asked for a discount. He told him that he would have to chop one of his fingers off to check and see how old he was. Sort of like how you check the rings on a tree trunk to see how old it is. The customer then held up his had with two missing fingers and said "Will this do?". The cashier was dumbfounded. The manager who had overheard everything then said "I guess he stumped you!!!". We all had a good laugh. Bev then treated us all to ice cream in a cup. They were out of cones. On the drive home, Almont began to get drowsy, so I took over and drove the remaining 50 kms home. Bev did some last minute laundry for me and I had a quick nap before we drove into Middleton for dinner at the Pasta Jax & Ribs Restaurant. Bev and I ordered Spaghetti with Italian Sausage and a garden salad. Pat and Almont ordered to daily special a Seafood Crepe which came with mussels. The manager had gone by with an order of Seafood Crepe for another table and there were no mussels on the plate so it was quite a surprise to Pat, who is not a fan of mussels, to find them on her plate. She did try 2 of them and passed the rest to me. It was a very delicious meal in spite of the unexpected mussels.
Once back home I packed my clothing for tomorrow's early morning departure. It was very hot and humid. I also once again tried to help Pat with creating a business card. In the end she found a site online that allowed her to create a business card with graphic, etc and they would print off 250 cards for $12. Of course it was a US company and by the time the taxes and shipping charges were calculated it all came to $26 I think. It was time for dessert so we all had a piece of apple pie before going off to bed at 10:30
Super 8 Motel, Windsor, NS
Day 1
We had hoped to have a lie in but Molly, the black lab, was on a different schedule and she felt we should be up at 7:30 AM. After breakfast we drove into Middleton with Pat in her 2008 Chrysler van with all the bells and whistles including a rear-view back up camera that beeps when you get to close to any obstruction. We parked in the grocery store/NSLC (Nova Scotia Liquor Control) lot and walked to the General Store. It was a combination gift shop/antique shop/shoe shop/clothing shop/souvenir shop/etc. Bev found a dress that she liked. Apparently she buys a dress in this shop every time she visits Middleton. We then did some banking. Bev at the Credit Union and I did mine at the RBC. While I had been to the "Dollar Store" there was an accident at the main intersection where a new traffic light had recently been installed. Apparently a pedestrian was hit while crossing. There were several police vehicles and an ambulance there and quite a few spectators. It was the highlight of the day for most of them. We continued doing our shopping by purchasing a 6-pack of beer at the NSLC and some groceries at the shop next door. On the way back home we stopped in at the VIC to see if they had a NS pin for me and Bev was able to get a map of NL which we will need later on when we take the ferry over.
Once back at Pat's home we checked out her garden which consisted of a few raised beds containing a variety of plants including some tomato plants one of which had been severely decimated by deer. I also checked out her very large garage - big enough to store a dozen on more sports cars. Of course they would have to be stacked to the ceiling which was quite high. My tummy started to grumble so it was time to go in for lunch. I had a chicken sandwich sandwich, a diet coke and some of Almont's home made Blueberry Grunt. Don't ask me to describe it or how it's made - you'll just have to Google it. Needless to say it was strangely delicious. I checked out airfares from St. John's, NL, to Ottawa compared to cycling to Argentia, taking the ferry across to N. Sydney and renting a U-Haul to transport all our gear home. If we post most of our gear home and just take our bikes on the plane it half the cost of taking the ferry and renting a U-Haul. I also tried to help Pat create a business card using Avery free templates but for some reason it would allow us to create one card and not 10 at a time as I had done for our cards.
Almont BBQ steaks while Pat prepared smoked spare ribs which we had with potato salad and cucumbers and tomatoes. There was a birthday cake with strawberry coulis and fresh whipped cream for dessert.
Day 2
I spent the morning after breakfast cleaning our bicycle chains, derailleurs, etc. There was a pair of coveralls in the garage which I found handy for keeping my clothes from getting messed up. They also helped to keep me warm as it was pissing down rain and quite chilly. Bev did our laundry and helped prepare lunch. I had pea soup and a chicken sandwich and a diet coke. I managed to complete another day of my blog and after lay down for a nap.
Almont and Pat returned from grocery shopping with lobster tails for dinner. But first Almont invited me over to his house, which was just two doors over, to show me his hobby which was all about building model airplanes, making medal displays of former fighter pilots, etc. In the past he has interviewed many decorated fighter pilots and military veterans. He has an extensive military library and memorabilia collection. It was all very impressive.
We had surf and turf for dinner i.e. lobster tail, steak, baked haddock, mashed potatoes, leeks, Brussels sprouts, fried mushrooms and onion for dinner. Dessert was Angel Food cake with strawberry coulis and whipped cream. Yikes!!! All the weight I've burned off since starting to cycle again from Trois Rivieres is starting to pile back on.
Pat asked me if I knew how to setup Netflix. I'm still a bit of a dinosaur when it comes to the latest TV technology. When I asked her what it was she was having a problem with she explained that she wanted to hook up her laptop with WIN8 on it to her HD Flat Screen TV. I Googled it and was able to find a video on Youtube explaining how to do it. The difficult part was figuring out where to find "Devices" in WIN8 so we could change the configuration to "dual monitors". But after an hour or so of messing around with WIN8 we finally found it and Badda-Bing-Badda-Bang we had video and sound. After showing Pat's family cruise photos from last year I was able to show my slide show presentation from my France/England 2009 cycling trip.
Day 3
I finally got up at 8:15 and let Molly out. She had been outside our bedroom door rattling her collar and dog tags since 6:30. I assumed she had to go real bad but all she did was go out on the porch and dance. I guess she wanted me to go out with her and relieve myself!!! Anyway she came back in without doing anything. Bev got up and let her out and she did her business knowing that when she came back in Bev would have some dog food waiting for her. Go figure.
After breakfast, Almont and Pat invited us to go to Wolfville to the Farmer's Market. It was a 75 km drive and it was a very overcast day so we decided to go along if not only to check out the route that we would be cycling tomorrow on her way to Windsor. Since we were on the #1 highway in the Annapolis Valley it was reasonably flat and quite straight most of the way. Once we got to the FM we walked about and checked out all the various stalls offering a variety of farm produce, baked goods, canned goods, meat products, locally produced wines, cheeses and food vendors. Bev bought some croissants for tomorrow's sandwiches and some date squares. I took some photos. We decided to go to Pete's Market for lunch as they served healthier food there. I ended up having a spinach and cheese soup and a spinach and Feta cheese Samosa. All very tasty. We then did some grocery shopping before going next door to check out a bicycle/stove shop. Bev was able to get a new tail light to replace her old one as the lens had fallen off and gotten lost somewhere on the way to St. John. I got a white "Dew" rag for myself. We also saw a really neat bright orange Sugoi jacket with removable sleeves that were held in place by magnets. Never seen anything like it in the Ottawa bike shops. Come on Ottawa - get with the times!!!
When it came time to pay I tried to negotiate a discount. I asked for a bicycle club discount but the cashier refused. I then asked for the "Seniors Cycling Across Canada Discount". It agreed to give us a 10% discount. He then told us a story about a senior cyclist who also asked for a discount. He told him that he would have to chop one of his fingers off to check and see how old he was. Sort of like how you check the rings on a tree trunk to see how old it is. The customer then held up his had with two missing fingers and said "Will this do?". The cashier was dumbfounded. The manager who had overheard everything then said "I guess he stumped you!!!". We all had a good laugh. Bev then treated us all to ice cream in a cup. They were out of cones. On the drive home, Almont began to get drowsy, so I took over and drove the remaining 50 kms home. Bev did some last minute laundry for me and I had a quick nap before we drove into Middleton for dinner at the Pasta Jax & Ribs Restaurant. Bev and I ordered Spaghetti with Italian Sausage and a garden salad. Pat and Almont ordered to daily special a Seafood Crepe which came with mussels. The manager had gone by with an order of Seafood Crepe for another table and there were no mussels on the plate so it was quite a surprise to Pat, who is not a fan of mussels, to find them on her plate. She did try 2 of them and passed the rest to me. It was a very delicious meal in spite of the unexpected mussels.
Once back home I packed my clothing for tomorrow's early morning departure. It was very hot and humid. I also once again tried to help Pat with creating a business card. In the end she found a site online that allowed her to create a business card with graphic, etc and they would print off 250 cards for $12. Of course it was a US company and by the time the taxes and shipping charges were calculated it all came to $26 I think. It was time for dessert so we all had a piece of apple pie before going off to bed at 10:30
Super 8 Motel, Windsor, NS
Friday, June 28, 2013
CCCT Part II - St. John, NB to Lawrencetown, NS
Wednesday, June 26, 2013
Got up at 7:30 AM. It was raining. We had scones with peanut butter and a banana for breakfast. I left a $5 tip for Billy and note thanking him for the cold beers and suggested he try a different type of battery in the smoke detector alarms i.e. alkaline batteries seem to work best if I remember correctly. We finished packing our bags and loaded them on our bikes. By this time the rain had eased off. I programmed my GPS for the St. John - Digby Ferry Terminal and set off at 9:15 AM. We arrived at the terminal at 9:45. Rain had stopped. We paid $33 each (senior fare) and $10 each for our bikes = total $86. We had a hot chocolate while waiting to go aboard the ferry. several passengers approached us asking about our trip including a 76 year old lady from Pennsylvania travelling to NL in her camper van on her own and a gentleman from Stittsville who recognized my KNBC jersey. At 11:30 AM we went outside to wait for our turn to go aboard the ferry. It was quite windy and a bit chilly. Finally we got the go ahead and walked our bikes onto the ferry up to the very front, parked them and went up to the cafeteria for lunch. We both had crispy chicken with fries for lunch and shared a Danish pastry. We watched a movie "Saving Planet Earth" and a Bay of Fundy documentary and did some reading during the 3 hours it took to cross to Digby. We arrived at 3:00 PM, returned to our bikes and waited for 30 some cars to drive off before we were allowed to proceed with our bikes. Pat, Bev's sister, was there to meet us. We unloaded our panniers into her van and cycled to Lawrencetown stopping at a VIC for highway info. I asked for a NS pin and the person helping us gave me the pin off her lapel. I gave it to Bev as it was her birthday. We also got maps for NS and the Annapolis Valley. We stopped at a German Bakery for pastries and a cold drink. Bev paid $14.++. We had to put up with quite a strong head wind so took turns drafting for the last 30 kms. We arrived at Pat's at 8:15 PM and put our bikes and bags away, showered and sat down to a dinner of spare ribs and BBQ chicken, potato salad, salad and birthday cake with a fresh strawberry sauce and whipped cream. I chatted with Almont, Pat's partner, while Bev and Pat cleaned up and got caught up on the latest family gossip. Eveyone was quite tired to it was off to bed at 11:00 PM.
Springall Residence, Lawrencetown, NS
Got up at 7:30 AM. It was raining. We had scones with peanut butter and a banana for breakfast. I left a $5 tip for Billy and note thanking him for the cold beers and suggested he try a different type of battery in the smoke detector alarms i.e. alkaline batteries seem to work best if I remember correctly. We finished packing our bags and loaded them on our bikes. By this time the rain had eased off. I programmed my GPS for the St. John - Digby Ferry Terminal and set off at 9:15 AM. We arrived at the terminal at 9:45. Rain had stopped. We paid $33 each (senior fare) and $10 each for our bikes = total $86. We had a hot chocolate while waiting to go aboard the ferry. several passengers approached us asking about our trip including a 76 year old lady from Pennsylvania travelling to NL in her camper van on her own and a gentleman from Stittsville who recognized my KNBC jersey. At 11:30 AM we went outside to wait for our turn to go aboard the ferry. It was quite windy and a bit chilly. Finally we got the go ahead and walked our bikes onto the ferry up to the very front, parked them and went up to the cafeteria for lunch. We both had crispy chicken with fries for lunch and shared a Danish pastry. We watched a movie "Saving Planet Earth" and a Bay of Fundy documentary and did some reading during the 3 hours it took to cross to Digby. We arrived at 3:00 PM, returned to our bikes and waited for 30 some cars to drive off before we were allowed to proceed with our bikes. Pat, Bev's sister, was there to meet us. We unloaded our panniers into her van and cycled to Lawrencetown stopping at a VIC for highway info. I asked for a NS pin and the person helping us gave me the pin off her lapel. I gave it to Bev as it was her birthday. We also got maps for NS and the Annapolis Valley. We stopped at a German Bakery for pastries and a cold drink. Bev paid $14.++. We had to put up with quite a strong head wind so took turns drafting for the last 30 kms. We arrived at Pat's at 8:15 PM and put our bikes and bags away, showered and sat down to a dinner of spare ribs and BBQ chicken, potato salad, salad and birthday cake with a fresh strawberry sauce and whipped cream. I chatted with Almont, Pat's partner, while Bev and Pat cleaned up and got caught up on the latest family gossip. Eveyone was quite tired to it was off to bed at 11:00 PM.
Springall Residence, Lawrencetown, NS
Thursday, June 27, 2013
CCCT Part II - Oromocto to St. John, NB
Tuesday, June 25, 2013
We were up at 6:30 AM in view of the long ride to St. John which we had ahead of us. Also, the forecast was calling for a hot and humid day. We went down to the dinning room for breakfast. Again it was a Continental breakfast of juice, yogurt, large muffin and fruit. I took a banana and an apple to go. We had to wait awhile for a baggage cart. Once we got one we loaded our bags on it and took them down to the reception area. We loaded our bags on our bikes which Bev had gotten out of the storage room earlier. We set off for St. John at 8:00 AM. Because of the forecast of thunder storms we decided to take hwy 102 which was the longer way but with more places to seek shelter and drinks. The 7 would have been shorter but did not offer any shelter, etc. We made many, many stops because of the heat and high humidity. Several times we heard thunder booming off in the distance. We stopped twice at homes along the way to ask for cold water. At the first stop the lady had just had a new well dug and the water was still to muddy so she took us across the highway to get water. Marge, who lived across the street, was slightly deaf and well into her 80s was expecting us. She said she had passed us earlier and knew that we would be stopping in for a cold drink. I also had to stop several times because of cramps in my right leg due to the tough hills, high heat, etc. We arrived in St. John at 6:30 PM. We managed to escape the rain and thunder and lightning. I checked my GPS for nearby motels and headed for the closest one which turned out to not exist!!! We stopped at a nearby garage and were able to get direction to motels another 2 kms further down the highway. The first one turned out to be closed due to recent renovation and according to the sign in the office window was scheduled to reopen on June 25th. It was June 25th but there was no sign of anyone. There was another motel across the highway that looked like it had seen better days but by this time we were both exhausted and at $60 the price was right. We had to get Billy to sort out the smoke detector alarm which seem to have a dying battery. When checking in I had asked where we might get a cold beer. Billy said he would be glad to drive us to the nearest beer store. I said we only wanted a couple cold beers and sometime later he returned with two cold ones. Bev went across the highway to get some groceries. we ordered pizza for dinner. Billy couldn't sort out the alarm. I think he was using the wrong kind of batteries. I believe the type of smoke detector required alkaline batteries only. Anyway he put the battery in the alarm in the next door room which we shared a bathroom with. There was no one in the other room. Bev paid for the pizza which finally arrived around 8:00 PM. By this time we were ravenous and quickly devoured the entire pizza. Bev called her sister in Lawrencetown, NS, to let her know that we had arrived in St. John and would be taking the ferry over to Digby tomorrow at noon. Pat called back a short time later and agreed to meet us at the Digby ferry terminal on arrival at 3:00 PM. The plan was for her to take our panniers and that way we could cycle the 80 kms or so to Lawrencetown without the extra weight of our panniers to slow us down. There was no Wi-Fi so we watched TV and did some reading. Bev was off to sleep at 9:30 and I joined her a short time later after updating my journal.
Springall Residence, Lawrencetown, NS
We were up at 6:30 AM in view of the long ride to St. John which we had ahead of us. Also, the forecast was calling for a hot and humid day. We went down to the dinning room for breakfast. Again it was a Continental breakfast of juice, yogurt, large muffin and fruit. I took a banana and an apple to go. We had to wait awhile for a baggage cart. Once we got one we loaded our bags on it and took them down to the reception area. We loaded our bags on our bikes which Bev had gotten out of the storage room earlier. We set off for St. John at 8:00 AM. Because of the forecast of thunder storms we decided to take hwy 102 which was the longer way but with more places to seek shelter and drinks. The 7 would have been shorter but did not offer any shelter, etc. We made many, many stops because of the heat and high humidity. Several times we heard thunder booming off in the distance. We stopped twice at homes along the way to ask for cold water. At the first stop the lady had just had a new well dug and the water was still to muddy so she took us across the highway to get water. Marge, who lived across the street, was slightly deaf and well into her 80s was expecting us. She said she had passed us earlier and knew that we would be stopping in for a cold drink. I also had to stop several times because of cramps in my right leg due to the tough hills, high heat, etc. We arrived in St. John at 6:30 PM. We managed to escape the rain and thunder and lightning. I checked my GPS for nearby motels and headed for the closest one which turned out to not exist!!! We stopped at a nearby garage and were able to get direction to motels another 2 kms further down the highway. The first one turned out to be closed due to recent renovation and according to the sign in the office window was scheduled to reopen on June 25th. It was June 25th but there was no sign of anyone. There was another motel across the highway that looked like it had seen better days but by this time we were both exhausted and at $60 the price was right. We had to get Billy to sort out the smoke detector alarm which seem to have a dying battery. When checking in I had asked where we might get a cold beer. Billy said he would be glad to drive us to the nearest beer store. I said we only wanted a couple cold beers and sometime later he returned with two cold ones. Bev went across the highway to get some groceries. we ordered pizza for dinner. Billy couldn't sort out the alarm. I think he was using the wrong kind of batteries. I believe the type of smoke detector required alkaline batteries only. Anyway he put the battery in the alarm in the next door room which we shared a bathroom with. There was no one in the other room. Bev paid for the pizza which finally arrived around 8:00 PM. By this time we were ravenous and quickly devoured the entire pizza. Bev called her sister in Lawrencetown, NS, to let her know that we had arrived in St. John and would be taking the ferry over to Digby tomorrow at noon. Pat called back a short time later and agreed to meet us at the Digby ferry terminal on arrival at 3:00 PM. The plan was for her to take our panniers and that way we could cycle the 80 kms or so to Lawrencetown without the extra weight of our panniers to slow us down. There was no Wi-Fi so we watched TV and did some reading. Bev was off to sleep at 9:30 and I joined her a short time later after updating my journal.
Springall Residence, Lawrencetown, NS
CCCT Part II - Nackawic to Oromocto, NB
Monday, June 24, 2013
I had a bit of trouble getting off to sleep in spite of having taken 2 Benadryl. It was quite warm in our little tent and perhaps having had to much to eat may have a little to do with my unrest. Eventually I fell asleep and the next thing you know it was 5:30 AM. Two crows had taken a dislike to our tent and were cawing away at each other or at us. We got up at 7:00 AM and packed our things. Breakfast was a muffin and some Greek yogurt. George, the park manager, offered to get us a coffee but not being coffee drinkers as a rule we both declined. We set off for Fredericton at 8:15 AM. It was another tough day with hill after hill. The first one was 6 kms long with a slight downhill in between. We met up with the young couple, Marie and Eric, again still on their way to Fredericton. they had also got caught up in yesterday's rain and had spent the night in Nackawic. Not sure where as they didn't say. we managed to get through Fredericton without incident. By this time it was getting very hot and humid but since it was only 1:30 PM we decided to push on to OROMOCTO which would make tomorrow's ride to St. John that much shorter. We arrived in Oromocto at 3:30 PM after several more stops and went into the VIC to ask about hotels, etc. Only 2 available i.e. Days Inn which was just around the corner or a motel 4.5 kms at the other end of town. We picked the Days Inn as we were quite exhausted and Bev wanted to do a load of laundry at the local laundromat which was nearby. I stayed in the room to check out the Wi-Fi and hopefully get caught up on my blog. It turned out to be painfully slow and unreliable. In any case I had expected to pay around $130 for our room at the Days Inn but managed to get it at $103 plus taxes and it included a Continental breakfast. We loaded our bags on a baggage cart and took them up to our room on the 4th floor. We left our bikes in the alcove at the reception. We sorted our laundry and put it all in one of my large rear panniers. Bev went out to do laundry while I checked out the Wi-Fi, showered and updated my journal. Once Bev returned and had showered we went down to Relishes for dinner and a cold beer. I had a very delicious Texas burger with BBQ sauce, etc. Bev had the Simpleton turkey burger. Very interesting coleslaw and sweet potato fries. Once back in our room we packed our bags for an early morning departure, watched TV and did some reading. Wi-Fi was a total waste of time. Took a Benadryl and was off to bed at 9:30.
Springall Residence, Florenceville, NB
I had a bit of trouble getting off to sleep in spite of having taken 2 Benadryl. It was quite warm in our little tent and perhaps having had to much to eat may have a little to do with my unrest. Eventually I fell asleep and the next thing you know it was 5:30 AM. Two crows had taken a dislike to our tent and were cawing away at each other or at us. We got up at 7:00 AM and packed our things. Breakfast was a muffin and some Greek yogurt. George, the park manager, offered to get us a coffee but not being coffee drinkers as a rule we both declined. We set off for Fredericton at 8:15 AM. It was another tough day with hill after hill. The first one was 6 kms long with a slight downhill in between. We met up with the young couple, Marie and Eric, again still on their way to Fredericton. they had also got caught up in yesterday's rain and had spent the night in Nackawic. Not sure where as they didn't say. we managed to get through Fredericton without incident. By this time it was getting very hot and humid but since it was only 1:30 PM we decided to push on to OROMOCTO which would make tomorrow's ride to St. John that much shorter. We arrived in Oromocto at 3:30 PM after several more stops and went into the VIC to ask about hotels, etc. Only 2 available i.e. Days Inn which was just around the corner or a motel 4.5 kms at the other end of town. We picked the Days Inn as we were quite exhausted and Bev wanted to do a load of laundry at the local laundromat which was nearby. I stayed in the room to check out the Wi-Fi and hopefully get caught up on my blog. It turned out to be painfully slow and unreliable. In any case I had expected to pay around $130 for our room at the Days Inn but managed to get it at $103 plus taxes and it included a Continental breakfast. We loaded our bags on a baggage cart and took them up to our room on the 4th floor. We left our bikes in the alcove at the reception. We sorted our laundry and put it all in one of my large rear panniers. Bev went out to do laundry while I checked out the Wi-Fi, showered and updated my journal. Once Bev returned and had showered we went down to Relishes for dinner and a cold beer. I had a very delicious Texas burger with BBQ sauce, etc. Bev had the Simpleton turkey burger. Very interesting coleslaw and sweet potato fries. Once back in our room we packed our bags for an early morning departure, watched TV and did some reading. Wi-Fi was a total waste of time. Took a Benadryl and was off to bed at 9:30.
Springall Residence, Florenceville, NB
CCCT Part II - Florenceville-Bristol to Nackawic, NB
Sunday, June 23, 2013
First of all I must apologize for the lack of postings of late. As you will learn Wi-Fi was not always available or of very good quality.
We got up at 7:00 AM and went up to the dinning room for our "Free Continental Breakfast". There was cereal, juice, toast, fruit, etc. After breakfast we returned to our room and finished packing and loaded our bags on our bikes. We set off for NACKAWIC at 8:30 AM. We followed hwy 130 to HARTLAND. Because the bridge was under repair we had to take hwy 105 which turned out to be quite hilly and quite rough. We met a young couple who were cycling from Quebec City to St. John's, NL. They were also from Ottawa. we stopped for lunch at 12:00 noon by the hwy at a home where there was some shade. A lady came out to quieten her dog and she offered us a cold drink of water which we gladly accepted. She brought out a jug of cold water which we used to refill our water bottles. We caught up to the young couple who had made a pit stop and passed them and left them far behind. With about another 20 kms to go to NACKAWIC it started raining. We had to stop to put our rain covers on. Eventually we reached the intersection for the ??? It was raining. While we were deciding which way to go a Lady stopped and said we could use her gazebo to get out of the rain. She also told us where to find the Nackawic Motel. We stopped at a gas station for further directions and supplies for dinner, breakfast and lunch. We found the motel but it had a NO VACANCY sign at the office window. By this time we were thoroughly soaked and chilled to the bone. There was nobody around. The motel appeared to be deserted so we both went around the back and pissed on it!!! We noticed that several cars were stopping at a building a couple lots over so we decided to go over and ask for help in finding a place to stay. It turned out to be a Vietnamese Restaurant. We were told that there was a camping site across the river about 9 kms back or an RV camping site a further 1/2 km up the highway. We chose the latter. We wasted no time finding the RV park and as we were about to call the manager he appeared from across the park. He advised us to put our tent up in the "ring toss" area as it was flat and had some nice grass. The rain had stopped so fortunately we were able to set up our tent in the dry. Our location was also next to the reception area where the showers and toilets were located. It would also provide shelter in case a further storm should develop. After setting up our tent we had a snack under the shelter. We shared a "Pumpkin Chip Whoopie" pie and a bag of chips. After freshening up we cycled back to the Vietnamese Restaurant for dinner. I was feeling rather hungry so I ordered 2 spring rolls and the Cantonese Noodles. Bev ordered a combo plate which included chicken fried rice, chicken balls, fried wonton, etc. The restaurant was not licensed so we had to settle for some soft drinks. NO BEER - NO WINE!!! After Quebec it's a bit of a letdown. My dish was huge - I couldn't eat it all!!! We cycled back to camp. Tried to connect to Wi-Fi but without any luck. George, the park manager, even got out his notebook with the Network Key which was a string of 32 or more characters. The flack flies and mosquitoes were gaining on us so we decided to seek shelter in our tent and have an early night i.e. Off to bed 9:00 PM
Springall Residence, Lawrencetown, NS
First of all I must apologize for the lack of postings of late. As you will learn Wi-Fi was not always available or of very good quality.
We got up at 7:00 AM and went up to the dinning room for our "Free Continental Breakfast". There was cereal, juice, toast, fruit, etc. After breakfast we returned to our room and finished packing and loaded our bags on our bikes. We set off for NACKAWIC at 8:30 AM. We followed hwy 130 to HARTLAND. Because the bridge was under repair we had to take hwy 105 which turned out to be quite hilly and quite rough. We met a young couple who were cycling from Quebec City to St. John's, NL. They were also from Ottawa. we stopped for lunch at 12:00 noon by the hwy at a home where there was some shade. A lady came out to quieten her dog and she offered us a cold drink of water which we gladly accepted. She brought out a jug of cold water which we used to refill our water bottles. We caught up to the young couple who had made a pit stop and passed them and left them far behind. With about another 20 kms to go to NACKAWIC it started raining. We had to stop to put our rain covers on. Eventually we reached the intersection for the ??? It was raining. While we were deciding which way to go a Lady stopped and said we could use her gazebo to get out of the rain. She also told us where to find the Nackawic Motel. We stopped at a gas station for further directions and supplies for dinner, breakfast and lunch. We found the motel but it had a NO VACANCY sign at the office window. By this time we were thoroughly soaked and chilled to the bone. There was nobody around. The motel appeared to be deserted so we both went around the back and pissed on it!!! We noticed that several cars were stopping at a building a couple lots over so we decided to go over and ask for help in finding a place to stay. It turned out to be a Vietnamese Restaurant. We were told that there was a camping site across the river about 9 kms back or an RV camping site a further 1/2 km up the highway. We chose the latter. We wasted no time finding the RV park and as we were about to call the manager he appeared from across the park. He advised us to put our tent up in the "ring toss" area as it was flat and had some nice grass. The rain had stopped so fortunately we were able to set up our tent in the dry. Our location was also next to the reception area where the showers and toilets were located. It would also provide shelter in case a further storm should develop. After setting up our tent we had a snack under the shelter. We shared a "Pumpkin Chip Whoopie" pie and a bag of chips. After freshening up we cycled back to the Vietnamese Restaurant for dinner. I was feeling rather hungry so I ordered 2 spring rolls and the Cantonese Noodles. Bev ordered a combo plate which included chicken fried rice, chicken balls, fried wonton, etc. The restaurant was not licensed so we had to settle for some soft drinks. NO BEER - NO WINE!!! After Quebec it's a bit of a letdown. My dish was huge - I couldn't eat it all!!! We cycled back to camp. Tried to connect to Wi-Fi but without any luck. George, the park manager, even got out his notebook with the Network Key which was a string of 32 or more characters. The flack flies and mosquitoes were gaining on us so we decided to seek shelter in our tent and have an early night i.e. Off to bed 9:00 PM
Springall Residence, Lawrencetown, NS
Saturday, June 22, 2013
CCCT Part II - Grand Falls to Florenceville-Bristol, NB
Saturday, June 22/13
The bedside alarm clock radio went off at midnight!!! Somebody with a twisted sense of humour??? I had to get up and turn it off. Afterwards I was able to get back to sleep and slept very soundly, according to Bev, until 7:00 AM when my wrist watch alarm went off. I had taken two Benadryl the night before and they really worked or I was just so tired from not having gotten much sleep while camping the previous night.
We went over to the restaurant for breakfast. I had decaf coffee, Bev had tea. We both ordered French Toast. Very tasty. We returned to our room and finished packing before setting off for Perth-Andover at 8:45 AM. After crossing the bridge we stopped to take a few pictures of the rapids. Kinda puts Hog's Back to shame. We cycled on hwy 130 which had a nice paved shoulder with plenty of rolling hills - some 2-3 kms long. It was a cool, overcast day but we still managed to work up quite a sweat going up the hills then we would get a chill coming down at 50 kph. We stopped in Perth-Andover for a break and met a young girl from Toronto who was cycling on her own to Halifax. She didn't like the 130 so she crossed over to the 105 which she said was more scenic and more hilly. She was much younger and in much better shape than we are so we wished her a safe journey and continued on our way on the 130.
After a few more breaks to give our butts a rest we arrived in Florenceville-Bristol at 2:15 PM. There didn't seem to be much in the way of lodgings but a quick check of the GPS revealed a motel and a B&B. Bev recognized the name "McNutts" and thought it might be Eric and Marilyn's friends who first introduced them. we headed for the B&B but when we saw that it was located up a hill I called to make sure there was a room available for us. It was CLOSED and NO they were not E & M's friends. I then called the Florenceville motel which had a room for us. It was a 2 km ride with a good climb up a hill that we had just come down!!! A room with TV, mini fridge, Wi-Fi, breakfast, etc cost $97 plus taxes. It also had a pool and hot tub but we later learned it was CLOSED. Since we were quite tired and there was nothing else available we took a room. after unloading our bags Bev cycled back into town to a gas station and got some Gatorade and sannies for tomorrow's lunch and a diet coke for me. I checked out the Wi-Fi and the SAT TV. The Wi-Fi is a bit flaky so I hope I don't lose everything that I've typed up so far. Once Bev returned from shopping we showered and went up to the restaurant for dinner. We had wanted to order a pizza but when Bev made enquiries at the gas station someone said "What's the matter, don't you like the food at the motel?" We had a delicious dinner of fish 'n chips and washed it down with a cold beer. I also had ice cream with chocolate sauce but only to keep Bev company as she wanted a cup of tea. Had to step outside of the room earlier to get a Wi-Fi connection. It seems to be working OK so far. I checked our route for AM and accommodation in Nackawic about 80 kms down the road. Bev called her sister Pat in Lawrencetown, NS, and left a voice mail. Bev is now off to La La Land so I guess it's time to wrap this up for today.
Lawrenceville Motel, Lawrenceville-Bristol, NB
The bedside alarm clock radio went off at midnight!!! Somebody with a twisted sense of humour??? I had to get up and turn it off. Afterwards I was able to get back to sleep and slept very soundly, according to Bev, until 7:00 AM when my wrist watch alarm went off. I had taken two Benadryl the night before and they really worked or I was just so tired from not having gotten much sleep while camping the previous night.
We went over to the restaurant for breakfast. I had decaf coffee, Bev had tea. We both ordered French Toast. Very tasty. We returned to our room and finished packing before setting off for Perth-Andover at 8:45 AM. After crossing the bridge we stopped to take a few pictures of the rapids. Kinda puts Hog's Back to shame. We cycled on hwy 130 which had a nice paved shoulder with plenty of rolling hills - some 2-3 kms long. It was a cool, overcast day but we still managed to work up quite a sweat going up the hills then we would get a chill coming down at 50 kph. We stopped in Perth-Andover for a break and met a young girl from Toronto who was cycling on her own to Halifax. She didn't like the 130 so she crossed over to the 105 which she said was more scenic and more hilly. She was much younger and in much better shape than we are so we wished her a safe journey and continued on our way on the 130.
After a few more breaks to give our butts a rest we arrived in Florenceville-Bristol at 2:15 PM. There didn't seem to be much in the way of lodgings but a quick check of the GPS revealed a motel and a B&B. Bev recognized the name "McNutts" and thought it might be Eric and Marilyn's friends who first introduced them. we headed for the B&B but when we saw that it was located up a hill I called to make sure there was a room available for us. It was CLOSED and NO they were not E & M's friends. I then called the Florenceville motel which had a room for us. It was a 2 km ride with a good climb up a hill that we had just come down!!! A room with TV, mini fridge, Wi-Fi, breakfast, etc cost $97 plus taxes. It also had a pool and hot tub but we later learned it was CLOSED. Since we were quite tired and there was nothing else available we took a room. after unloading our bags Bev cycled back into town to a gas station and got some Gatorade and sannies for tomorrow's lunch and a diet coke for me. I checked out the Wi-Fi and the SAT TV. The Wi-Fi is a bit flaky so I hope I don't lose everything that I've typed up so far. Once Bev returned from shopping we showered and went up to the restaurant for dinner. We had wanted to order a pizza but when Bev made enquiries at the gas station someone said "What's the matter, don't you like the food at the motel?" We had a delicious dinner of fish 'n chips and washed it down with a cold beer. I also had ice cream with chocolate sauce but only to keep Bev company as she wanted a cup of tea. Had to step outside of the room earlier to get a Wi-Fi connection. It seems to be working OK so far. I checked our route for AM and accommodation in Nackawic about 80 kms down the road. Bev called her sister Pat in Lawrencetown, NS, and left a voice mail. Bev is now off to La La Land so I guess it's time to wrap this up for today.
Lawrenceville Motel, Lawrenceville-Bristol, NB
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