Monthly Archives: August 2011

Items that get noticed

Items that get noticed

In no order
-fenders, for the shiny hammered look
-Brooks saddle, for it’s springs or just being classic looking
-Arkel bar bag, for having a map holder/window
-frame, always just asking what it is
-bell, usually by the young or the old
-Catlike helmet, lots of holes
-PB in third bottle cage, “he’s even got the peanutbutter!”
-“Boda-Boda!” sticker, asking what it is
-organization in general, probably from neat freaks, ha
-coffee mug, for it’s biner
-broken screen on this iPod.

And the things I wish were noticed more.
-NYC flag. Its right on the front of my bike and almost no one has said a word about it.
-old Dura-ace brake levers. So baller but not one admirer except me.
-48 spoked wheels. I’m trying to start a fully loaded touring trend here and nobody sees this or cares.
-front rack. Totally custom & handmade.
-tent. it fits two

Victoria PEI to Cap-Pelé NB

Day 30
Tonight I have my tent in the grass and the mosquitos were not so bad.

This morning Eric and I went for a coffee at Island Chocolate. A very nice place with a fine National Cash Register on display (the one for regular use was of the plastic variety). The draw was open and chocolate coins filled the till. I also bought a simple chocolate bar for later. We sat out front and were talking. Emma, who was serving us sat and chatted with the two of us and the refills were free, for everyone not just us.
On the front porch with us was a large sleeping dog. Rupert, we learned. Rupert had to be the most photographed in all of Victoria. Despite that he only moved when the sun crept into his resting place. Rupert was dark brown and the size of a cub bear. I hear the breed Newfoundland said but I wouldn’t know.
When the sun became too much for me, around the time of our third coffees, I suggest we go to the park and see about making breakfast and see if this provincial park showers rumor was true.
The tide was on the up and the park was grassy with a small cliff to the water. A nice place to eat, and there were a number of kites in the air. The breeze was right for kites. Nothing like yesterdays 100 km/hr winds.
The shower was true! It worked and had hot water. So very thankful because I was without a proper washing since Machias, Maine. It’s been a couple weeks. I think I need another shower to get clean. That one just made me not-dirty.
For food we each made our own things but shared this and that. Eric was a cool guy. I think I learned a few things from him that he does not know. Like, it’s better to go slow. Maybe not bike slowly but to not rush away, stay and enjoy a place, see what happens, who you can meet. We had some things in common and yet we were on opposite tracks. He had come from Montreal (in two months) and I am going to Montreal. I’ll likely be there in two weeks.
After lunch we tried to get wifi and an outlet at the visitor center. I got a charge but the wifi cut out on me so I walked around the docks and light house with my camera. Then I sat in the shade of a tree by the curve in the road near the light house and talked with a girl also walking around taking photos.
I wanted to take a photo of Emma and I had my recurring thought about one lesson of touring. Don’t procrastinate. I know this. But in practice it’s more like, I can put that lesson to use later. We were tired of the sun at the V.C. And notice the shade had hit our porch table from earlier so we were headed back for more coffee. I was detoured to get a photo and caught up to him a few min later but he was up the block outside the cafe I was in last night and talking to some locals. I walked up. But then decided I needed some water so walked back down to Island Chocolate. I thought if I saw Emma I would thank her for being so friendly and ask for a photo. I got more water but did not see Emma. I walked back to where Eric was.
He had said he was going to stay in Victoria for the day. I knew I had to go. A part of me said I should slow down and use this lesson Eric has taught me. But I said to myself, I’ll use that lesson later.
I took one more photo of him with my iPod and shook hands as I said good-bye.

The rest of my day was mostly just numbers. 116 (some packed dirt) to the 1 to the 10 back to the 1 to the bridge.
I tried to hitch hike just before the last gas station. That only lasted as long as I had snacks to eat as I thumbed at just the pickup trucks. Then I figured I’d inquire about the shuttle. Then I saw another touring cyclist. A solo fully loaded female with 6 bright red bags. From Germany. Began touring in Victoria (the big one) just came over the bridge. Told me to hurry to catch him before he goes back. I jumped away before I thought to take a photo.
I just caught the van. $8. Robbie was my driver. Bags off and into the van. Bike onto the trailer and strapped down. I could have easily ridden the bridge. Wide shoulder.
Back in NB there was another less loaded touring bike in the rack at the station. As I unpacked my bags off the van and back on my bike the cycle tourist came out in a hurry to get on the shuttle. Another solo female. Two in 15 min. And I did not get a photo of either. This lady did come over to me to say hello. It was her day number one of the tour. Robbie was making sure the loading was getting loaded and she was in the van quickly. Just before the driver jumped in for another traverse I asked for a photo. At least one person.
Water and info on the closest store in my direction from the V.C. A wee bit of wifi and I was off. Trying to make something of my day.
But really just back to the numbers. 16 to the 955( a cracky bumpy country road) to the 15 (wide shoulder high way) to the 133(like any state route that runs through towns)
Stopping before sun down in Cap-Pelé. A slow roll through to scout. Stopped at a biker bar and spoke to some guys in the lot. They pointed me to a nearby park I even just rode past. Chatted for a bit but the sun was setting. H2O at the Irving and a pasta diner then tent up.

I have not thought about the temp since being in Canada. Hope that stays the same as I head North.

There are some towns and cities I’ll be going through but the ride from Vic to Cap was very quiet(except bridge). Just one store. Not much traffic. No one really. It makes perfect sense that Eric wanted to stay in Victoria.

Oh shit how can I almost forget that I shaved my face. First time of the trip.

The Island Chocolate bar did not last long. Now I’ll try to go one week without any chocolate. After that I might try a week no coffee. Not as a test but sometimes it’s good to take a break to enjoy it a little more later. Or does that sound bad?

I think I’m going to make a list of things I carry on tour that get noticed.

Also a list of items I use to secure things to my bike.

Touring biker: Eric Martin

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Eric Martin and loaded bicycle in Victoria by the sea, PEI

Eric is one of six touring cyclists I’ve seen in the last 3 days. We had a few meals together and shared some stories. He was touring from Montreal and the day we met was the day he was supposed to have been back to where he started. His journey has been a good one. Carry on my friend.

Arms tired from holding bike straight

Day 29
I woke up early, 6am. The wind was so bad my tent was tipping up. I thought a bad storm was getting near and thinking to maybe stake it down and hope for the best. I even got out and grabbed the ground tarp under neath and turned the tent 90 degrees to be closer to the building and have a less exposed surface area.
Laid back down and though about a day in the tent. But looked out again and saw no sign of rain. So I changed my mind. I packed it up and went to get coffee. Sitting in Tim Hortons I figured I’d head toward the bridge. A couple old men sitting there said the weather called for a lot of sun and a lot more wind. 100km/hr around noon. I rode the 210 back to the 1 in stupid wind. Riding at about 9km per/hr at times. Seriously I was in my Z gear on a flat road it was so bad. I had trouble even holding the bike up and keeping it straight. But what was I gonna do, I had to get somewhere. I stopped for lunch at Busters Diner on the 1 near the 3. Good grilled cheese, hash browns and another coffee. More wind to Charlottetown. I wifi’d it up there and really just sat around eating all my snacks. Nobody really was talkative. I even asked about a camping store to buy stove fuel but was told Canadian Tire??
I looked on my iPod for a camp store. Found one for on my way out of town. I ran out of laziness so I started to move West. Stopping at a outdoor outlet for a bit on the way. I did see the Canadian Tire so I went in for a look. I had slept behind one once but never been in.

Dang man its like a giant K-mart of the North. And they had my stove fuel. Fuel is the only non edible thing I’ve bought on this trip. The fuel was not the only thing that I liked but I have photos of the other things.
Rode by the camping store, stopped in, chatted with a guy there about Arkel bags. They had a good selection. I had not seen them in person before. Didn’t buy anything.
Rode the coastal route toward the bridge. Long and windy with no real places along the way. My goal was Victoria by-the-sea. I was told friends of a friends owned a chocolate store there. But rolling in just after 7pm, they were closed. I was hungry and didn’t have dinner in my bags yet. Find store.
I go into a cafe on the same street. Walk in and it’s like a restaurant. No I don’t want a table for one. Sorry I just need to ask where is a store to buy bread, a grocery? The guy was not nice and just points. A girl there tried to help but just seemed to suggest a different store. So then the guy points in two direction real fast and says “there is a store that way and that way”. He was no help at all but I said thank you and walked out. The problem was there was nowhere else around to ask and I was zapped tired. I just sat in a chair near the front and closed my eyes for 10 min. When I opened them a cat was sitting next to my hand and a man was walking down the street. He said something to me so I asked for directions to the store. He gave me good and easy to understand directions.
Just then a lady opens the front door and hands me a roll in a napkin. She said “just something in case the store is closed” she walked back in as I said thank you. I said thanks to the man and grabbed my bike and walked away. I opened the napkin and there was a roll and a butter packet. Something about the stress of the the scenario, tired, not being helped and then a witness to all that going out of her way to do something, even a single dinner roll. It got to me.
I ate it and it was enough to get me the 2km to the store. On the way the sun light on this one church was just right. Kind of the photo I’d been waiting for.
Made it to the store and as I made the last turn toward the front door I saw 2 other touring cyclist. I said hello. And Eric responded. I said hello to the other one but he was quiet. I learned they were not really together. Just by chance. Then three, by chance, seems very rare to me.
Before long Eric and I were chatting and then the other was gone. I didn’t even get his name. Odd but Eric said he spoke very little English and that he started in Vancouver.
We went in to buy our food. After I asked where he was camping. He had me look across the street with him at a flower bed in some grass yard or something. I told him he should camp behind a church with me. He’d been on the road for two months and not yet thought to camp behind a church. But from his stories he meets many kind people along his journey. He is very likable.
We rode to the same church I had photoed and the back yard was a fine camp spot. We made dinner and shared stories. We talked about staying in touch with friends and through that I learned that he didn’t know what a PB & J was so I promised to make him one in the morning. The mosquitos were very bad so after dinner I went into my tent for the night. Tired. Only 110km but all in the head winds.
Tomorrow I’ll try again for some chocolate. Then see what I can do about getting over the bridge. Back in NB I hear there is a nice beach not far to the north. Maybe a swim. Not that I care as much as I did a week ago but still no showering. Smelly.

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On PEI

Day 28
I woke up to rain so I did my usual and slept in.
With not much sun I was barely motivated to get up but I was hungry and wanted something hot. The rain eased back long enough to go sit on the dock again and heat some water for oatmeal. Again talking to a couple of boaters about the day. I learned that the PEI ferry is free for everyone and everything. Only charging to get back. Same for the bridge. So after realizing this, and that the shower building is locked in the morning, I high-tailed it to the station before 11am to catch a boat. Quick stop at the market for second breakfast and again at the visitor center for a restroom and water fill up. Well water. High in iron. Not so good but I’ve drank water in a lot of places not so good.

On the ferry I mostly wifi’d it up in a cushioned seat next to a plug. Also keeping an eye on the weather channel of TV. The storm that was supposed to wreck NYC is on track for PEI. So they say.

Once on the island I had no idea where I wanted to go. So I sat and watch all the cars unload and then all the island cars load while I switched out my maps. Not till the end of the ferry road did I have three choices. I could have gone straight on the 315 and that would have me go straight thru the island toward Montague. And by a nothing (I’m certain) town named Brooklyn. West is the Trans Canada 1. Would quickly get me toward the bridge, maybe too quickly. Or East I could ride along the South coast to Cape Bear and Murray Harbour.
It wasn’t till the intersection I decided. Pedaling to the 4way I sort of thought a little “fuck it” and turned east on the 4. The long way around and opposite the bridge. And of course about 10 km along the way it begins to rain again.
The road was very quiet. I could see the water straight to my right over wheat fields and farm lands. The 4, as a road, was just like any country road in south-west Ohio. I thought that if Ohio was an island it could be the PEI of the Mid-West. But I’ve only seen a little bit so far. Staying straight the 4 became the 18. Not much else changed. The towns on the map were nothing more than a couple mail boxes. But the end of the road did take me to a cool light house. On the point, sitting on a cliff and I arrived just as the rain let up enough to take some photos and eat a lunch. I had the place all to myself. Quiet and pretty.
I followed the 18 around to the 348 to Murray River. Not anything there to make me stop.
Beyond that was a mandatory detour steering me away from the water. I had to take the 4 north. The 17 was out due to closed bridge.
So, inland on the 4 again I followed it a ways. Was gonna skip all the coast till Montague but out in the middle I hung a right on 317 and made my way back onto the 17. A few extra km’s to get to Montague but whatever.
Seemed like the numbers were my friends today. The rain was not. On and off like every 20 min. My rain jacket and rain pants hit all possible configurations today. On and off, back and forth.
In town I stopped at the first place I saw, an ESSO station for some water. One guy working there was helpful.
Outside, while I was taking some cover from the rain, he came out to chat. We talked about my impression of Canada, it’s very good, and he gave me some local info. I might have talked with him more because he was truly interested in what I am doing but I was very hungry (lucky for me this town has a store, two even!) and I felt like the gaps between rain showers where getting closer to being nothing but rain only so I left the ESSO.
My plan was buy food, find a camp spot, and make food.
That’s what I did. With some hot water from the ESSO I gave my stove gas a slight break, maybe I’ll have enough fuel for oatmeal tomorrow.
Pasta dinner. This time I tried something new, to beat the skeeters. Made dinner by just sticking my arm out the tent door to man the stove. It worked well enough.

The odd thing is that from about 10 min before I put up my tent to over an hour later there has been no rain. I like that but worry about tomorrow. Think I might spend the whole day tented up due to that storm coming this way.

As I get close to one month on the road I start to think of ways to travel even cheaper so I may do this longer. I’ll need to work again because on this schedule I’ll eat my way thru my budget before long. And that’s with me not paying to camp.

I don’t remember the last thing I bought that was not food or drink.

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To Ferry or Not To Ferry?

Day 27
Continuing on the 2 was a good road. Making good time for once in this part of the country. I feel like a never made any real stops, just snack breaks on the road side. There were towns where the map said they were also a first for NS. I did stop in Truro. Asked about good roads to get to the PEI ferry. And stopped at The Hub bike shop to double check the tourist info I got from the welcome center teenage girls. I doubted they bike on the road they told me to take. But the way they told me was backed up at the shop. And there they were nice enough to let me use their wifi password. The woman behind the counter was pretty and lots of smiles. There was sort of leads into a camping spot but I sometimes don’t want to be too much of a scrub when I should take the one in a million offers from attractive females. Stupid me. She even said she had a pump track in her yard. After I left I told myself she had to have a boyfriend so why fool myself.
Truro was surprisingly ok in the day time. But after a few photos of the 6 sections of the Berlin Wall on public display and on what might be permanent loan to the city from “some guy” (welcome center info for ya) I then stopped at the store for provisions. I bought pasta and a big bottle of water thinking I’d be camping in the sticks somewhere between Truro and Pictou. But today was an easy 128km and I made it to Pictou in time to ride around and make dinner before sun down. Watched the sunset over the water. Scored a second outdoor iPod charge on the dock while I made dinner at a table. A family unpacking from a boat trip chatted me up and gave me a grip of watermelon, some cookies and a couple cold beverages. Real nice people also chatted about camping and they pointed to a spot right near by, super close to the water and I’m guessing will get morning light. I’m tented up in that same spot right now.
As I was walking off the dock I found a place to dispose my garbage and inside the building there was the a couple things of interest (besides a restroom and water faucet). Inside there was a shower that seemed to be open for use. I plan on testing it out in the morning. And second, I noticed a schedule and fare sheet for the PEI ferry. $16 for me and another $20 for my bike. That’s a lot!

So now my thought is this. Maybe bike up the coast to the bridge (I hear it’s free to go to PEI and only has a fare to come back to NB) do a true loop on the island back to the bridge and then try to hitch back into NB to skip paying the toll.

One cool thing that happened to day was I met another fully loaded touring cyclist. He was on his way to Halifax and started in Vancouver. It was the last day of his trip. His name was Tyler Valiquette and his site is www.crossingcanada.ca we met at a funny ramp interchange thing in Shubenacadie aka “Shube”. We exchanged info and traded brief stories. Compared bikes and I helped guide him to the way I rode out of HFX for a nice ride along the lakes and river into Dartmouth. He said he was with a friend, who was somewhere else I didn’t recall, they had raised $10,000 to help end hunger. He was nice enough to let me take his photo.

Now that I think about it the riding to the bridge idea might add a half day or full day to my trip but on the good side it’ll eliminate Truro from being the only city I visit twice.

It’s getting to be close to one month in. About that time that I do a re-sort and ditch or mail some things back to lighten the load. I already know I could lose a couple pounds without even trying.

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Exiting Halifax Slowly

Day 26
I woke up to the sound of rain on my tent. So I went back to sleep.
Later I woke up to the sound of Collin saying good morning. He brought me a plate of eggs and veggies as he was off to work. In all my days of touring I’ve never had breakfast served to me as I lay in my tent.
A little later the rain moved away and Halifax was covered in sunshine. A truly beautiful day. On my way to downtown I saw a messenger I’d seen yesterday and said what’s up. Got to chatting with him for a min. His name was Philip and I took a few pictures of him on the street. Has 2 kids and said he’d get 90 runs in a day sometimes. That seems crazy to me. The most I ever did in NYC was 41.
I rode to the same cafe as yesterday for coffee and a muffin. Post a bunch of “tent tweets” from last night as I tried to sleep. Also catching up on my notes in my notebook. Watching my bike just on the other side of the window, two white guys on minimally loaded road bikes lean theirs near mine and walk in. I was at a booth alone. So I walk over and say if they would like to sit with me that would be fine. Really they were just asking the barista for some info but they did sit for a min. Then both ordered coffees. Their names were Michael and Joel and they were riding from Vancouver to Saint John, Newfoundland for ALS. I will have to look up their site als100daybiketour.blogspot.com they only had 14 days left on their tour. It’s so cool to see and talk to other tourist.
Said bye to the guys in Ideal Bikes. Too bad I’m sticking to this schedule of not staying in one place for more that 24 hours. But by the sounds of it, not much was going on tonight. I did see Christopher messengering and stopped him for a chat as well. We played pol0 together last night but I did not realize he was a messenger also. Got a couple photos and then he was back to the streets.
Walking around I saw the same recycler, scout, can-man, I’d met outside the bike shop yesterday. Talked with him a min. Gave me directions to a water fountain and bathroom. Finally got a bit of a wash/scrub in. So very dirty. Also thought to do laundry. Nah. Boring.
And walking around more (lots of girls to smile at in Halifax) I saw a homeless guy I talked to yesterday. We chatted more. Something about living off the bike. And having a three week beard and washing only in a sink for the last two, I guess we have stuff to talk about.
I thought I might meet a love in this city but my desire to carry on steered me away from her, if she is even there. I made tracks for the Angus L. Macdonald Bridge. Kind of one of those things. Very simple but now I can say I’ve biked over the bridge in Halifax. From there I went straight to Two If By Sea a coffee shop on Octerloney Street. Which conveniently becomes the 318 which becomes the 2 North. That will take me to Truro. Again. WTF.
On the road again I had a very pleasant stroll along a big river or maybe a string of lakes. Pretty. And basically flat.
I just did 42 km the whole day and that counts the walking around I did. Never even put on my road shoes. Still need to swap the wasted cleat for the new one also.
I thought about tenting up at a church in Grand Lake but opted out and pressed my luck to see what was up the road as it was getting dark. Riding at sunset is very beautiful at times. The sun setting over wooded lake areas along slightly curved 2-lanes. Its good. But not having a tent spot after sun down is not so good.
But up the road just 5 more min was an Irving 24 truck stop. Right where the state route 2 crosses over the 102 Highway (exit 7) from here north the highway will be West of me.
Tented up over on the side near an on-ramp. In the tall grass. Within a swarm of skeeters. The trick is to only unzip the lower length of the tent door. Not up the side were it’ll flap over and make a big opening for them to get in. With just the bottom open I sneak all my bags and such in, then I slither in real low to the ground. Of course I do a little de-bugging dance before I make my entry. Seeing 50 or more bugs blanketing the netting and trying to get in makes me thankful my tent is as good as it is.
The sound of many highway vehicles fills the air. Could be lots of jets up in the sky doing loops and flips and fly bys.
My bike is in the tall weeds keeping the mosquitos company.
I ate homemade banana bread(half a loaf) and cheese for dinner.
I think the sun will hit the tent in the morn. Hoping no rain. But seeing evacuation tweets about Red Hook, BK. Mandatory. Saying sat and sun will be the worst.

I have thought that if this trip continues past my return to NYC. I might make a little stamp with the PB&J URL and actually start telling people about it. Up to now there are only a handful of people I’ve mentioned it to.
Also need to permanently turn off all comments. On tour I like twitter and email only. No phone, hate texting, too many event invites I’m totally not going to make of facebook. And comments on a blog is just more time online. Reminds me of the debate I was having about doing any online presence. But with no phone, twitter is an easy was to let friends know I’m alive.
And doing a blog that effectively no one knows about makes it easy to have my mind think of it as a digital notebook and double that because all this is written in the Notes app on my iPod.
An equivalent would be changing cash money for chips at the casino.
It’s different when the medium is tipped to a less direct to online form.
The next step is to copy and paste in a cafe somewhere down the road. Where or when that is, I don’t know.
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Halifax

Day 25
I sort of tried but could not find the vantage point I had seen in an old photo. It was of the bridge. I still need to get a good look at the thing.
This morning I rode 25km into the city. I stopped at the first bike shop I saw and asked about bike pol0. No info. Was about to buy new SPD-SL cleats but at the check out after hearing the price I changed my mind. Figured I’d shop around. Roaming I found another smaller shop with younger less uniformed employees. No cleats but good pol0 info. Sent me to the shop that houses most of the players. Ideal Bikes. Got there and asked if they play pol0. His response was “Doug! I’m Michael”
Oh cool I found the spot. Met the dudes. Hung out a bit. Some local info. The shop was all used bikes and parts. So I didn’t figure to ask about road racing cleats. But I gave it a shot anyway. No. Chatting some more. And another guy, Mike, holds up a cleat and says “like this one?”. Perfect. And no charge. Looked for the pair in the bottoms of the bin he found the first but no. One was all I need anyway.
Rode around the point. Chilled. Didn’t do much just looked at the city. The little I could going as slow as I was. Back to the shop a little before pol0. Rode over on a pol0 bike. My touring bike was taking a nap in the shop while I played bike pol0 in the eastern most pol0 city in North America. Great group, court, and lights. Night games are nice but I had yet to eat dinner and it was way past the time I’d gone to bed for the last week. Didn’t care.
Michael, Mike, Collin, Christopher, Will, Roscoe, and one more I regretfully can’t recall his name.
Collin offered his back yard for a camp spot. So that’s where I’m camped. Made the last of my pasta from last night out my tent door and typed this up as well as a few loopy sounding tweets I’ll send tomorrow at the coffee shop next to Ideal Bikes.
Also went into MEC store here. No service to speak of wanted to ask about solar chargers. They had about 4 options. Did not bother to ask. Wasn’t buying. On my exit a girl getting off her bike to go in spoke to me a little after I said hi. We talked about touring. In there she introduced herself properly. I liked that. She wished me well on my travels.
They say a hurricane is on the way. Irene. For some tweets from today looks like NYC is getting some soon or now.

Eat like a King. Ride solo

Day 24
In the morning there was a teenager doing side work around the fire dept. As I was getting up we had a conversation. After he walked back to the FD i decided to bike down to The Deck to go to the restroom. He saw me from the bay doors and said I could go right there.
After, we both walked up to where he was doing some clearing and my tent was. He gave me a bottled water and a couple electrolyte powder packs. Blue stuff, drank one right away. He also told me to go a spot called The Diner for breakfast. It was on the way out for me and he said they had a bigger menu. When asked if they made good pancakes he said “i don’t know, I always get the burgers”. I should have known.
I rode there, 3.5km from where I started. I walk in and it’s just like an unfurnished house. Just tables in a side room I think was meant to be living room. I asked the waitress if I could plug in my phone? She said, with a pause, “sure I guess it’d be alright” but it sounded like “well arent you just a pain in the ass”. I looked at the menu for all of ten seconds and she asked me for my order. I looked and didn’t see pancakes. “no sorry, we dont do them”. I was polite as I could be but I knew I’d get a better meal and much better service back at The Deck. I didn’t mind back tracking, so i did. At The Deck I spent over an hour and $23 on breakfast. Meaning I talked with the cook and ate a lot. And two coffees plus one for the road. And plugged in my iPod. And took a photo of the two cooks, nice people. They invited me back.
Around about noon I took off to the road again feeling really good.
The rest of the 329 was incredible. Very nice views.
Made it back onto the 3 East way too soon. But only as long as it too to get to the 333. That would take me by Peggy’s Cove I’d heard about.
One thing is my cleat on my left shoe wore down to nothing. I put that foot down the most and pivot on my left to get my right leg over the saddle getting on the bike so it sees much more wear. Gotta get a new cleat set in Halifax. But I have a spare set sitting right there back in BK. Damn. Money I don’t want to spend.
Also need to get a water bottle. But like a spare fuel tank to hold the water more than to drink out of.
Also at the end of my ride, past the near servicelessness of the entire length of the 333, at least up to the road side church I’m camping at right now, uh, oh yeah I had to buy a full-size can of pasta sauce. I usually get a jar and use half and lid it up till the next night for the other half. Not so easy with a can. But the lucky part is that even though I’d completely run out of PB(a first on this tour) I still kept the jar, not wanting to litter and seeing no trash cans. I made pasta on the steps of the church. And as I usually do, I used bread to sponge the extra sauce off the pan after I eat. Well I took another slice and sponged out the last residue of PB out that jar and then poured the remaining pasta sauce into something I can tote around for a day. I’d almost poured it into my stainless coffee mug but would have been bummed to not have it for tomorrow in Halifax. I’m sure I’ll get a morning coffee there.
Did 101 km today and ate dinner and set up my tent before dark. Not bad for a 12:15 start.
Peggy’s Cove was pretty, on the way there a part of the 333 is so close to the Atlantic that I spit into it.
Also found wild black berries on the roadside just past there. Oh and I found wild raspberries on the last bit of the 329.
One good thing was I stopped at a bike/coffee shop on the 3. I was looking for cleats. None. But the guy let me have his Halifax map. I think it was his only one. Very generous. But it seems like he was never gonna need it for himself. I’m glad to have a map of town before I get to town.

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