Nova Scotia

Day 90. Windsor to Truro. 61 mi. 5,333 Mi TTD. 4,000 ft elevation. Weather: Pleasant with some tailwind.

Look closely at the image above. On the far right, you will see someone who looks almost like me in a bright yellow shirt. It’s not me. He’s going in the opposite direction, but we stopped and chatted. I was at about mile 45 for the day, so I was starting to be pretty tired. After chatting, I felt like I could go another 50 mi. I was headed to where they had been, and they were headed to where I’d been this morning. They were from Vancouver and had been riding from Montreal. The last thing he asked was where I was from, and then he said, “Welcome to Canada.” I responded. I’ve been very welcomed, and it’s been wonderful. He said he wanted to make sure. I love Canada!

There is something encouraging about seeing yourself in others. It wasn’t just accomplishing goal number two, but it was connecting. That’s because we were on the same page- Adventure bicycle touring. Maybe it’s just that I don’t feel quite as crazy when I see someone else doing something similar.

I know I’ve shown a picture like this before, but it’s surprising to be many miles from the ocean and still see the effects of the tide. These Brown River bottoms are essentially dead from the saltwater that floods them each time the tide rises. This was something I saw repeatedly today as I came towards the upper tip of the Bay of Fundy and the town of Truro. You can appreciate the size of the second river when you realize those little boats are all rubberized dinghies with motors. That area was nearer the ocean.

While I did bail out of my original plan to pedal to North Sydney, the Far East End of Nova Scotia, I’m still in Nova Scotia and will be until Friday. Now, instead of continuing East, I’m going to head north from the town of Picatou. Today was rolling hills and coastal plains. Apparently, there were more hills than I realized, as I logged 4,000 vertical feet.

Leaving by 6:45 this morning allowed me to arrive early. I was early enough, so I decided to finally do what you’re supposed to do in Nova Scotia: eat seafood. That’s my lobster panini and haddock chowder. It was very good. Unfortunately I arrived so early it was basically my lunch and by 7:00 tonight I was starving again or at least I was really hungry.

I want to cross the street from my hotel to get a Donair. That’s about the size of my thigh and is stuffed with beef, cheese, onions, tomatoes, and a garlicky, creamy sauce. It’s clearly not a date night meal. It is big enough to feed a family, which I didn’t realize when I purchased it. It was first invented in Halifax. I like the Donair a lot more than I like how they manage their trails.

All day I had essentially been on the side of narrow roads but with almost no traffic and people were very polite to pull around me. However, it’s never fun to ride on a road without a shoulder. As I neared the town of Truro, my app turned me off the road and onto the start of a nice-looking rail trail that headed into the town. It avoided a good 7 miles of road shoulder riding. Unbelievably, it was closed. I’m still trying to understand how closing a trail to bicycle travel next to a road full of cars with combustion engines and people smoking cigarettes makes for a safer province in terms of fires. Nova Scotia’s clearly its own special place.