July 5, 2012
Saint Leonard - Woodstock
Today I got to start out with my Tim Horton's breakfast, and a good phone chat with mom. The day already started great! I left Saint Leonard's at 10am and followed highway 144 to Grand Falls, and then hopped onto highway 2, the Transcanada. I really enjoyed highway 2. I understand more experienced bikers liking the quieter back highways, but I like knowing that if I need it, help is near. And it would be hard to snatch me when there is other traffic! So I felt safe. Not to mention the incredible, newly paved shoulders!!!! Incredible!
As I biked along I could see the change from French to English. The signs went from French, to French on top English on the bottom, to English on top and French on the bottom, to English! Town names went from Saint Leonard and Saint Andre, to Woodstock, Bristol and Hartland. It felt good, but I will miss French! And Quebec!
This morning I also got interviewed by Mcleans magazine! Aaron was doing an article on all the people biking, walking and running across Canada for fundraisers. It was really exciting! There are 4 brothers that are right behind me, and they gave Aaron my information. Too cool!
Some random things I wanted to mention where the beautiful flowers on the side of the road. They are little white and yellow daisies, I think? I'm not too good with that kind of thing but I love them so much!! To completely contrast with how much love I have for the daisies, I am really sick of bugs. Flies are back a little bit, and I can't handle it! They are no where near as bad as before but I can not wait to lock myself in my bugless house!!!!
A couple facts about the area that I had learned, is that Floranceville-Bristol is the french fry capital of the world. They have a potato museum! I laughed at that. Also Woodstock was the first town in New Brunswick. Pretty cool.
I pulled into Woodstock at 6:30pm and had dinner at Pizza Hut, and went to my campground. I was so happy to get such a big day done in such little time! Thank you tail wind. There I met Michael and Larry. They are biking from Kingston to St. Johns, Newfoundland! Larry gave me a little bird that he bought at a little market that day. I also met Lisa and Dave and we chatted for a while. Then I went and watched a movie. It was a good day.
Kieren:
ReplyDeleteI am still following your blog and I am just so impressed with your progress. It is fantastic to see that you are in the Maritimes – home of some of Canada’s greatest music. I hope you get a chance to fall into some of it. It is so neat to hear about the people you are meeting and the experiences you have. When I was your age – and that was too many years ago to mention – I spent a few summers working on lake freighters and one trip took us to Ste. Anne Des Monts on the south shore of the St. Lawrence. (You turned off to NB before you got there.) Anyway I got invited to a local house party there and it was the most amazing time. It was in a little house that was basically all kitchen/living room and it had a big wood stove that they used for heat and cooking. There were two small bedrooms off the main room. The toilet was outside. Anyway, it was a whole evening of music. There was a snare drum, and electric guitar with a small amp and a squeezebox. But they played and sang and danced all night. It was amazing. The songs were all in French so luckily I had an excuse to not sing along. This has nothing to do with you, but looking at Google Earth to follow you just brought this to mind.
I am guessing that you are going to be crossing the Confederation Bridge to get to PEI. I am hoping you have a good crossing because it is one of Canada’s greatest structures – not to be missed. Will you be dipping down to Fredericton to see the Reversing Falls?
Back to Housman’s poem for the young soldier:
‘Is my girl happy,
That I thought hard to leave,
And has she tired of weeping
As she lies down at eve?’
Ay, she lies down lightly,
She lies not down to weep:
Your girl is well contented.
Be still, my lad, and sleep.
Keep on Peddling. Bringing awareness of Prostate Cancer is a most noble achievement.
Kevin Higgins
PCCN-Cranbrook