Breakfast time at Cap Pele
Confederation Bridge
Beautiful PEI
Charlottetown PEI Aug 12
Today, 118km, Total 1686km
I have realized in that in the last two and a half weeks, I have seen more of the real Canada than I did in the last forty years. The variety of cultures, landscapes and of course language really comes home when you see it at ground-level like this. There is so much more to this country than I realized.
We started out this morning following the coastal route along the shore of Northumberland Straight. The plan was to take an easy day, and we just pedalled easily into a moderate cross headwind, admiring the scenery. Eventually, we rounded a point, and we could see the arches of the Confederation bridge crossing the open water to the distant Prince Edward Island. As we got closer, our route joined the main Highway 11 to the bridge approach.
Bikes are not allowed on the bridge, so we had to wait for a special shuttle and load our bikes onto a trailer. The shuttle is a 12 seater bus, and we were accompanied by some families going across as pedestrians for the day.
At the north end of the bridge there is a complex of refreshment and souvenir stores. The first thing we noticed was the large number of Japanese tour groups making the pilgrimage to the shrine of Anne of Green Gables. This novel, set in rural PEI, has for some reason captured the imaginations of the Japanese and has become a major torist attraction.
We went into the tourist information office for help in planning our route across the island. After discussing the highway options, Pete mentioned that he had heard of a dedicated bike route system on the island. The clerk immediately produced a trail map - why he would not do this automatically when he sees a couple of bike tourists, I can't imagine. We could easily have missed this major resource.
The Confederation Trail system follows the line of an abandoned railway system that runs from end to end of the island. It is immacculately maintained, with a fine crushed gravel surface, a little slower than asphalt, but a great ride. The trail winds through beautiful pastoral scenery, prosperous farms with livestock, mixed crops and of course potatoes. Very reminiscent of the southern English countryside.
Although we had planned a short ride, it was easy to keep going. at about 5pm, we were getting hungry, and lo and behold we passed a trailside bakery in a village called Hunter River. The smell of fresh baking was like a magnet, and we refreshed ourselves and decided to press on to Charlottetown.
Just before the city, we met a young bike tourist, who told us that we could stay in the residence at University of PEI, right next to the trail as it entered the city. Perfect.
So how to end this perfect day? Pete had met a guy in Edmonton who recommended Gahan's pub, a microbrewery in the city, so we walked the 2 km downtown to check it out. Charlottetown is a very pretty city, and even on a weeknight there is a variety of free entertainment on the streets, with stages set up on the sidewalk for musical groups.
Gahans was a hit, great beer, great food, and we spent a couple of hours swapping stories with the locals. By the time we walked back to the residence, it was after midnight, but we decided that we would work on our blogs. Pete was more successful in this than me, as I was snoring before I hit the first keystroke, and he rescued my computer before it crashed to the ground from my knees.
So this morning I have caught up, and we are heading out for a breakfast sub.
Best wishes,
Barney
PS: Pete's blog at http://www.transcanada09.blogspot.com
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