I feel bad for the 9 people who still continue to tune in. I have been sitting around doing not too much of anything the last week. I do need to build up the calouses in my heels again because the initial walk I took with my dogs left me somewhat bloody. Good thing its Halloween soon. It's nice to be home, sleep in my own bed, and being warm. Lots of stuff to do here. Things to plan-maybe a trip to Japan and for sure, an adventure to Europe. This year off is all about professional development, not my personal pleasure. What a great experience and a great way to explore this country. I will continue to fine tune the blog, maybe go back and fix some grammar, add captions to the pictures, and cure my sister of autism. I will be recording like mad over the next few weeks as I have a bunch of songs to get down. Most are pretty basic but there are a few in there that I think are pretty good-we'll see. I will add them as I can. You might check in each month. If I go anywhere, I will fire the blog up again and do a blow by blow of the trip. It's funny-this started out as an obligation to a few people and by the end, I found that I enjoyed producing it. I should thank all those that helped me during my trip. Some provided housing, rides, meals, friendship, humour, emails, encouragement, but most of all, I felt a whole lot of support! I even appreciate the Wasaga beach Corvette club and Jordan in Pictou for helping me realize that it won't all be roses out there! :) Thanks for reading this too-whether you just read a bit, looked at the pictures, or went through this with a fine-tooth comb, I appreciate it! Take it easy and give those cyclists lots of space!
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I awoke early and with a purpose. Today was the day I was flying back home! I quickly organized everything I owned into the leafs hockey bag and had a quick breakfast of oatmeal. The girls were doing their hair with Dad and Hannah had already headed out the door to go to work. I got everything together and was waiting for Carmen to get down the stairs so I could say goodbye. Good byes were quick and I heaved the bag over my shoulder and headed out the door. At the bus stop, I texted Ross, "I miss you already." I caught the airport bus without much incident and was surprised when the bus driver bragged about putting the airporter out of business. I guess a choice between $19 and $3.25 isn't that tough. It was a nice morning and I had arrived with time to spare so I hung out at Tim's and wrote my last postcards to my mom and Megumi. For most of the trip, I have been writing each day to them and the news is a little behind but I know they both enjoy getting them! I checked my bags and then rode the three planes to Prince George. I realized that this is a big country yet we flew across it in a day. We were a little delayed getting into Vancouver but that was ok since the PG flight was delayed too. As if my brush with celebrity wasn't enough, I found out that I was sitting beside an Olympian on the way home. Miss Calahan, (daughter of the Callahan's of Prince George who were photographed at Mt. Robson) was talking to her seatmate and I couldn't help but overhear that she had competed in the winter Olympics. I didn't get a picture but I did give her back the bag strap she had left on the plane. I gathered my gear and took an airporter back home. The driver took me on the long side of the trip but I finally walked back through the door into a whirling, wagging wall of fur. Megumi laughed as I crashed through. Tania, my unofficial trip co-ordinator was not around so I got to relax in style. A piece of fresh pumpkin pie with whipped cream was my reward. Good to be back home. I find that entering any place of business looking like a homeless person is an excellent way to catch people's attention. That was the case when I came into Ross' school soaking wet, complete with hobo ensemble. the secretary paged Ross and he led me into his room where the Gr. 3's were working on math. Surprisingly, they managed to stay on task as I wheeled my bike into the class. I got my pictures prepared and when the Gr. 4's came back from French, Ross gave me an intro and I talked a bit about my bike and then showed some pictures. LIke any good presenters, we had thought about pre-checking the electronics before the presentation but hadn't actually checked them. Thus, I was left with smaller than normal pictures but I think they did enjoy what they saw. After about 45 minutes they started getting squirrely so we went into some songs. The kids at this school sounded really good. I was so impressed! They mastered all four songs and I think "Dynamite" was definitely the crowd pleaser. One kid came over later and said that the song was his all time favourite. He was a nice kid but high school might be a bit rough for him-just a prediction. Hope he doesn't read this. :) Once we finished, the kids took turns strumming on the uke and then it was recess-that treasured and sacred time of teachers everywhere. It was a rain day so Ross' continued to work with the kids. What a hero!. I peddled off in search of the great mall and made it there after some dubious highway riding. The mall itself was a montrousity. No thought whatsoever for pedestrians or people on bikes. Even Edmonton Mall seemed friendly. This thing was a single story boutique spread over hundreds of acres I'm sure. I did manage to find a hockey bag in Crappy Tire and I choose the Leafs logo because even though they are a miserable team, I still love them. I managed to find some bike trails back and debated how I was going to fit my groceries onto the limited space of my bike. I had left most stuff at Ross' to avoid getting soaked. I pulled into the Superstore and noticed 3 guys walk past me to their car. One looked A LOT like Julian from Trailor Park Boys. I looked again and couldn't quite convince myself. It was only when he spoke that I was positive and just as he was getting in his car, I asked for a quick photo. he didn't say anything but he was nice enough to give me a Julian grimace. I asked if I could use the picture in my blog and said, "Sure Buddy!" I was know BUDDIES with Julian!!!! I quickly emailed my wife who was convinced it was a cut out and also pasted the picture to facebook. I came home, ate some chicken and had my last bowl(s?) of ice cream and had a great nap. I awoke and rushed out the door to grab the ferry and drop my bike off to be biked up. The good folks at Cyclesmith took my bike and sent it away to Prince George. It was strange not having my bike and being a normal pedestrian. I had a last Keith's as I waited for the ferry and then went home. Carmen and I took Samson for a little walk, I can't remember much of what we talked about but there was a lot of talking on Carmen's end. As we came back on the walking trial bordering the harbour, we ran into Hannah. We talked about my trip and her work and the masters she is doing. When we got home, some effort was being made at dinner. I kept bugging Carmen to tell me how many lobsters her dad had bought. Trouble is, Hannah doesn't like lobsters so that wasn't going to be happening. It was fun to bug Carmen every 5 minutes by whispering, "How many?" The dinner was enjoyable but I can't remember what it was! I should also note that much was made about the dent I put in the mint ice cream I bought but no notice was given to the purchase of an additional 2 litres of Vanilla which I had no hope of finishing before I left! :) Tonight's event was dying the hair for wacky hair day. The kool-aid hair dye was not successful so that made for not-so-happy kids. The picture of the family was taken under some stress but I thank all involved for humouring a dirty cyclist. Ross and I took the dog for a walk during the hair dye event and I got caught up and found that indeed, Dartmouth had something to offer. It was fairly cheap compared to Halifax and the rowing programs were world-class. People had been doing organized rowing on the lake for a 100 years and the Mic Maq used the series of lakes to head down to the harbour in the summers. I found Ross is a busy guy. Between teaching and the kids, he finds the dog walking to be just another thing to do. Me, I appreciate that the dogs get me outside on those dark, winter mornings. I'm hoping to take advantage of the sunshine here and there as it gets darker and colder in PG. We arrived back just as the calamity of the failed hair dye experiment was being realized. Could this day get any worse? It was sad to think that my last full day in Halifax had passed. I made a half-hearted attempt to clean up before the morning. The mist on the ocean and the rock face shore made for nice riding into the city of Halifax proper. I find I am getting more retrospectful (?) as I near my time to go home. The ride into Halifax is enjoyable and I make it to the Citadel at opening time. I catch the English tour and am impressed by the costume of the 79th Highlanders. I believe the tour guides might actually be Reserve members. Not sure. We took our tour around and through the Citadel. It is an impressive piece of work. Much was made about Halifax never being attacked but it could also be that people didn't want to be too close to Dartmouth! See Dan, I can bash Dartmouth too! :) I spent an enjoyable 3 hours there and the weather was actually too warm for a sweater! I had a few hours to kill before I went to Ross' house so I ate at a pizza joint on main street which Dan and company had said was the closest I could get to skid row in Halifax. For skid row, it wasn't too bad. I sat and wrote being tired from the morning and decided against going and seeing the graves of the Titanic victims. It wasn't too far, it was just that my heart wasn't in it. Instead, I made my way to the ferry, successfully boarded and watched in amazement as the seagulls cruised above the water. It was when I noticed the splashes in the water that I watched a little closer. The seagulls would cruise but then tuck their wings in close, not unlike Stuka dive bombers and plummet to the sea. Just before impact, they would tuck their wings in completely and enter the sea like a lawn dart. It was the most interesting thing to watch them fish. No one else was too interested but I marvelled at it the entire trip. The ride was soon over and I made my way over to Dan Freeman's to pick up the remainder of my gear. I gifted Dan my tarp and gave my raincoat a burial. It was a raincoat in name only. I got to Ross' house and was greeted by Anya and their huge Burmese Dog named Samson. It would not be an exaggerate to describe Samson's size as being roughly equivalent to that of a baby elephant. He is gentle though. I dropped stuff off at Ross' since it was earlier than the 6 pm appointed time and tried to find a mall to buy a hockey bag. This search proved difficult and I returned empty handed to the Armstrong residence. I knew Ross from doing a French Immersion at Laval University. I have always maintained that having to sit beside Ross for my courses held me back from reaching my true French potential but it was sure a lot of fun too. A group of us would play guitar and sing songs on the commons and for the talent show, Ross, Mark D, Jim Morisson, and myself did "Country Roads" in Japanese. It was a tremendous hit and people were stopping us in the halls days after wards and telling us how much they liked it! We made the big time at Laval. Sadly, the guitar was no where to be seen and Ross mentioned something about not having time. Poor Ross. Ross and family, (Hannah-doting wife, Cloe and Carmen- adorable 10 year old and 7 year old daughters). I caught up with Ross on his life over a delicious bowl of stew while he supervised the homework of the children. They seemed a bit worked up over my presence. I have that effect on kids for some reason. We enjoyed a pleasant evening and I tried to do a few songs in preparation for the speaking engagement at Ross' class the next day. I'm not sure Cloe and Carmen were completely caught up in the songs but they did make an attempt to sing. Ross cautioned that they had some problems so I did my standard "Meatballs and Spaghetti", "Ham and Eggs", "Waving Flag" and "Dynamite". Hannah was working late on her Master's course so I didn't actually see her that night. I was slightly nervous about my speaking engagement, sad about the trip being over, and excited about getting home all at once-strange. I left Gary and Anya's place in a light rain and had a hard time not continuing on to Lunenburg. Another time...I made it down the street before the rain started to come down harder. Not depressing-what-am-I-doing-here?- hard but enough to make me take a time out after only about 25 km to sit down in the Chester Tim Horton's and write some postcards. I took an hour break and then continued along. the roads were good and the traffic was light so I was happy. Along the way, the rain stopped too so it was looking up. I made it back to the French Village Train Station which now serves as a cafe/bike shop and stopped again for another break. Around 3, I took off again and let my warm showers host Dan know that I was coming back. This was a Dan Corbett with whom I'd talked several times and I almost felt I needed to stay with him out of courtesy since I'd emailed him so often. I made it down to the SUperstore by his house and took a break to dine. I had my hear set on a BBQ chicken but the machine had broken down so there were no chickens available. I am consulting legal representation at this point. While I was dining, the rain poured down. So, my arrival to Dan's was finished by me arriving soaking wet and cool. Glad to get indoors. Dan's place is a bit out of the way but has a great view of the ocean. Dan is quite laid back but hospitable. He tours in Newfoundland with tourists and gets paid for it in the summers. Currently, he is studying to get into Med school. He lives with 2 roommates, Benna and James. All three are university students but speak with an intelligence and sophistication that escapes me even now! James (Geology) and Benna (Women's Studies) took a bike trip last year and the harmony of the room was broken when they started to argue about which Alps they had crossed. Benna maintained that the Alps extend through several countries while James wanted to give each range a specific name. For the first time I have ever heard, James finishes the conversation with, "Well, geologically speaking...." to our great amusement. I think I will try to use that in my next conversation I am losing... Another fun part of the night was the bashing of Dartmouth. For me, Dartmouth and Halifax are one and the same but I supposed I can relate too it by the comparison of saying one is from Toronto verus one is from Scarborough. Even though the two cities are separated by a 10 minute ferry ride there was great mocking of Dartmouth. Dan said the best thing about Dartmouth was the view of Halifax! This mocking was done tongue in cheek because the Dan and James hail from Ontario while Benna is the only original Halgoonian. Finally, there are few people who have the DVD, "Breaking" in their houses but it is only the true fans that have both "Breaking" and "Breaking 2" in their collection. I have never seen the films but I remember the premise being based on something like a breakdancing competition and that they were probably bad. Benna claimed that "Breaking" was a childhood favourite and she bought the 2nd one more for the nostalgia. Harry Potter is suddenly not looking so bad right now. It is an early night for me while the rest study and prepare for the week ahead. Really enjoyed meeting Dan and his roommates and hearing about some of their bike trip experiences. Benna and James were nice enoough to lend me a sleeping bags since I had come au naturel having left my stuff in Dartmouth (UGhh!) with Dan Freeman. The bag that James gave me was good for at least sleeping on the Moon and maybe even Mars. I could not complain about being cool in that house. In the morning, I teased James by asking him, "So, do you do a lot of camping in the arctic then?" to the amusement of his roommates. I was Dan's first warm showers so I hope I made a good impression over my 12 hours there! It was a bright, cool day as I rode away. As the trip winds down, it is getting harder and harder to justify the multiple donuts and beverages I am partaking of. I still cling to my 1 litre chocolate milk routines but not for much longer I fear. After my beer-filled day and night, I wasn't too bad as I started off for Mahone Bay. What was nice was that I was able to leave many of my things behind such as a tent, sleeping bag, mattress, and my uke, I felt as a new mom must when she finally goes out for her first night without their babies. Still, I appreciated the lighter weight as I moved down Hwy 3. What was really new today was the brutally cold temperatures. It was sunny outside but cold! I pulled into the Spring Garden Cafe to have some Joe and use the computers. At 10:30, I'd decided that it was time to head to Mr. Macey's. I took the trails after a while just for a change and was quite happy to see a train station that had been converted to a cafe and bike shop. The place was filled with bikers and I picked up a few maps that indicated the trails would take me right into Mahone bay. I did try the trials for a while and saw a women with a Great Dane dog. As I slowed down, she told me she'd found a phone. She suggested just putting it on a stump nearby but I volunteered to drop it off at a police station. The last time I picked up a cellphone, it belonged to a Hells Angels supporter so I guess its not true that fools learn from experience. I biked on and told the lady that if she ran into the owner, they could catch up with me! A little later, a guy on a 4 wheeler came riding up behind me and when I pulled over to let him pass he stopped and asked me if I had found a phone. He was happy to get it back. I didn't pedal too hard since it was a sunny day and eventually made it into Mahone Bay. The town sort of jumps out as you round the corner because it is so picturesque. There are 3 churches lining the water as well as the houses and fishing boats in the harbour. Very pretty! I got in touch with Mr. Macey and he met me outside his house. He looked ageless as always and it had been 6 years since I'd seen him last at my Dad's funeral. He flew all the way out to say goodbye-what a great guy! Gary set me up with a shower and soon we were munching on cheese and crackers while his wife Anya upstairs, recovered from a long day of teaching. As a boy, I heard Mr. Macey's name often but never really spent any time with him. He had lots of good memories of Dad and that was good to hear as well. I'm so impressed with the couple as a whole. The living room is a gallery with works from both of them. I'd never really appreciated art until this trip and I started to get brainwashed coming around the lakes and getting re-introduced to the Group of Seven's works. Anya's pieces used varying media and styles but all were excellent. Gary seems to have taken up music and art to fill his time as well. He teaches trumpet and has been paid to be in movies, and has several recording credits to his name. He plays in a few bands and symphonies and I was astounded. His pictures of birds are excellent and its one of the reasons Dad and him were such good friends. Great to see someone taking advantage of the opportunities presented to them. Who knows what my 2nd life will be after teaching? Gary prepared local cuisine so I feasted on shrimp, scallops, chicken, a great salad, and for dessert, vanilla ice cream with blueberries and peaches. A wonderful meal in very good company! I am so happy I made the trip out to Mahone Bay and almost wished I had stayed another day. Gary has a love of history so he was able to fill me in on many things I'd seen on my trip! There was much talk about coming out again in the summer when the Maritimes is apparently, even better. We stayed up late past my bed time and Anya was honest in saying she wouldn't be up too early. Gary showed me all the breakfast fixings and was nice enough to help me get the laundry going. In the morning, I awoke to a quiet house and smiled when I saw an old hockey picture of Dad and Gary with the team which Gary had placed on the kitchen counter. Dad is smiling and obviously enjoying himself which was heart-warming to see. I enjoy my breakfast, note that there is a bit of misty rain and almost get my stuff out the door when Gary comes down to say goodbye. He sees me off and I ride away from a good visit in the town of Mahone Bay. After only a few hours in the city of Halifax, I am figuring out the lay of the land and streets friendly to the touring cyclist. My sleep on the porch of Dan s house was very enjoyable. I think it could be the wind which bothers me when I sleep I toured the Citadel but found I was a bit too early so I found a cafe that functioned as an internet centre, convience store, and anything else you needed. People all said hello as they came in. Lisa, the co-owner has quite a steady stream of regular customers. She even gave me an apple when she found out I had biked across the country. It was an extremely tasty piece of fruit! I sat there about an hour before heading down to the pier and stumbling upon the Alexandre Keiths Brewery Tour. I would need to get to that later as first I was going to the Maritime Museum. It is an impressive place! I admired the exhibits on sailors who had sailed around the world alone and usually in tiny boats and who questioned why they had undertaken the trip. Many of their quotes resonated with me. The sailboat is something I have always admired and dreamed of doing. Maybe for the next sabbattical! :) I also liked the Titanic exhibit and was surprised at the Halifax connection. Many of the survivors and victims were brought here and the bodies, if not claimed, were buried here. They had the actual shoes from a baby who was found in the water and I think that they actually identified him recently through. Apparently, when rescuing or recovering, sailors will take pieces of the wreck and make something from them. There was an assortment of wooden games, crafts, and art made from the Titanic debris. The museum also has a deck chair from the wreck. Many sad stories. Not too many apparently because Hasbro came out with the board game Titanic in 1976. The race was to get off the ship and if you were a 1st class piece, you were automatically closer to the boats to start compared to the 3rd class who started their pieces in the bowels of the ship! I would have liked to sit in on that game pitch! And then you figure, they had to convince someone else it was a great idea and the thing went into production! Set amongst the true stories and wreckage of the ship disaster, it is shockingly tacky! The gentleman behind me said, Whats next, the game of Dauchau. Give it enough time.....Sadder still is that the game reincarnated as Abandon Ship which was a family favourite of mine at the cottage. Substitute the sand, shrubs, and rocks for the different classes of passengers and you have got the same game! The next favourite part of the museum was the Halifax Explosion. Until you see the pictures and realize the extent of the damage, its hard to appreciate the extent of the blast. Interesting stories come out of this section too. Crew from the munitions ship scrambling to the shore as their ship burns and rescuing a women and her baby even though she didnt understand what was going on. The wireless operator who knew he was toast but decided to send a stop message to a train coming into the city just in time before the harbour exploded. I hadnt thought about the blast effect of clearing all the water and carrying and lifting debris for kilometers around! Out of all this damage though, a small miracle-the Alexander Keith Brewery was protected from the blast by the Citadel Hill. At the end, I finally see the gibbeted pirate hanging above the ticket wickets. It is the actual skull of the pirate Edward Norton along with a fake skeleton hanging in a wire cage. Apparently, the spot where I ended my trip was near the spot where they tarred, feathered, and caged these criminals to hang and rot in the sun and they were posted as warnings to others. Black Rock was the spot in Pleasant Point Park. The pictures of Hurricane Juan in 1996 were also impressive-Im so glad I wasnt cycling through here that year! My only criticism of the museum was that they didnt have those wooden cutouts where you could stick your face through. You know, a scene from the ship sinking or a one from the blast...that would have made the museum complete. The tour at the Brewery is quite neat. The centre courtyard is done in old brick and you feel like you have stepped back a bit in time. A gentleman dressed in period clothing (1863) starts you off on the tour and in character. The tour is one long commercial for the beer but done with lots of dry humour. A good time. Different characters take over and lead you through the brewery. The highlight of the tour is the tasting and entertainment. They sing us a song, tell us a story, ask where we are from relative to 1863. Prince George was not around so apparently, I am from the Rupert Islands give or take 800 kms. It is a bit like watching a class being taught as they are trying to move people through in 3o minutes segments so they encourage us to toast and lift our mugs several times to speed up the tour. A little hokey but still enjoyable and the red Keiths was excellent. Now, my evening went a little astray since I was going to see the ghost walk but due to the weather, I suspect it was cancelled. I was waiting for it in the Red Stag next to the Brewery. I had several more samples of Keiths and wrote postcards while I waited. For those of you who received them, I apologize if the writing was scribbly or messy. I also delighted in texting my friends a particularly crude joke about the maritime museum which I am prohibited from repeating here due to my high standards on good taste and morality! A guitar player came on about 7 and I stayed for a few tunes before heading home in the rain. Disaster almost struck when I found the back door of the host had been locked but I was rescued minutes into my plan to sleep in the old coal cellar. A dry place is not looked lightly upon now. Today (13) I find myself in a moral dilemma. I m to meet my Dads friend Gary Macey in Mahone Bay today but I discovered that Valdy is also playing tonight. I dont usually like to name drop but we have played on the same stage together as we did a festival in Terrace in 2005 while I played with the Lakeside Ramblers. Still not sure what to do. Also, Im to give a talk to a group of elementary school kids on Tuesday and I am not sure if I should go with my biking shorts presentation or just my regular shorts. I feel a little of the realism is lost when I am out of my official cycling gear. Decisions, decisions.... I hadn't realized how hilly Halifax is. It descends to the Atlantic Fleet port and you can see some frigates and other ships getting serviced. If you follow along though, you get to a main street place where students are everywhere! Them and tourists. I kept following my iphone until I was only kilometeres from the park. I sent messages to kathy and Megumi updating them on my progress. I sent a message to Jim too, letting him know I was only 7 km from the ocean but that I was going to give up! This was a tribute to the very, vey funny joke I played on his wife Mel. I showed enough restraint not to msg Mel though! The scenery changed to smaller homes and finally the park itself. I asked a lady where I could go to get a good beach picture and she pointed to the bottom and said I would find my spot there. Sure enough, there was a wide, gravel trail that followed the waterfront. I stopped at the Anchor to memorialize those sailors killed in peacetime. I took a few pictures, changed clothes and walked down to the water almost reluctantly...it was really over! I walked over the rocks and washed my face in the salty water of the Atlantic. Success!! Now the hard part...I had to get someone to take my picture. There were a bevy of beautiful co-eds all running but I was reluctant to stop them from fine-tuning their bodies. Finally, I saw a couple and asked them if they could take my picture. I found out their names were kazue and Mike. They were surprised that I had come all that way. They took a few pictures to commerate the trip. Kazue wanted to know my name because she thought I was going to be famous! I wish people would just get to know me for who I am and not just for my fame and many accomplishments!! I also texted a few people and made my final status to facebook. I took a last look at the ocean and went to Henry House for a few celebratory beers and some of the best Chicken Chowder I have ever had. Delicious. I biked over to Dan's place to stay and found he was a younger guy who worked for Westjet. It was a spacious house filled with lots of musical instruments including a bigger uke that was quite nice! He'd done a trip of his own and seemed to really like touring. He took off to eat with his dad and left me to do laundry (how I love to do laundry now!) and shower (how I love to shower now!) and play music. I saw some Shock Therapy bodywash in the shower but after my previous bodywash experience, decided that I would give that a pass. Dan came home later along with a few of his roommates and I was allowed to sleep in the sun parlour which was cool but I told Dan that I didn't want to go into shock by sleeping in a warm bed the first night of my transformation! A good sleep! Tomorrow, a day of sightseeing. For me, it is hard enough to say Truro but my greatest fear would be having an accident, contacting Megumi to let her know what deserted road I was on and then having her try to relate the town name to the RCMP! I'm sure I would bleed out before they got it translated. I thoroughly enjoyed the library and showed up at the address of Daisy and Bruce. Their house was up a long, long hill. It reminded me of Northern Ontario again. I camped out in the backyard and used their bathroom briefly to clean up. I talked to them for just afew minutes and they were into racing, well Bruce was, and had toured a bit. it was nice to set up with a flashlight and to be able to make noise and not be discovered! I even had a chance to play the ukulele. In a repeat performance of the night before, it gently started to rain in the early morning hours and I got up reluctantly and packed up my gear. I headed downtown to Tim's and found a sign saying "no loitering". Isn't that the point of Tim's. They limited people to 20 minute stays there. I watched the locals and thankfully, everyone ignored the rule and sat and read and talked to their delight. The lady at the counter greeted everyone and had a 3 or 4 minute conversation with each person. There is definitely a regular crowd at Tims! I dropped a breif note off at teh Hub Cycle for Bruce and Daisy and headed out into the mist. It cleared up quite quickly and soon I was enjoying sunny skies. I also noticed the wind picked up considerably! It was gusting and if it hadn't been the last day, I might have been frustrated. Nice country driving but nothing too notable. Stewiacke made a mastadoon its symbol since they had found one while mining for Gypsum. Those poor Gypsies! I also found out it was 1/2 to the equator and 1/2 way to the Northpole. Perhaps, potential trips in the making? I pushed on and stopped at convience stores along the way. I was taking the #2 Hwy which was a little longer but much nicer for scenery with a big lake and traffic. I almost ran into a problem at the junction of 376 and Hwy 2. The bridge was under construction and I asked the guy if I could somehow get my bike across. He pointed and showed me the footpath which was just wide enough to get me and my bike through. I pushed on and watched smaller municipalities referring to themselves as Halifax. The thought that I was getting closer made me nervous and I pushed a little harder. I started to encounter some growing traffic and decided on the MacDonald Bridge to get to the Pleasant Point park which seemed like a good place to finish the trip. I made it under the bridge like the Chilli Peppers song but unless I was prepared to scale the 20 metres with my bike and gear, I was out of luck. I asked a lady and she directed me up the street to the ramp for the pedestrians. Now, at ground level, the wind was bad enough but up top, it was ridiculous. I had to lean over to prevent myself from being bown into the side of the bridge! I would have taken pcitures too but they have the bars all over the place to prevent people from checking out early. Not a very nice picture. I entered Halifax proper. |
About meAmateur cyclist, bon vivant, writer and internationally acclaimed singer/songwriter. Archives
February 2013
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Travelling Musician |
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