22nd July
Sault Ste. Marie to Thessalon.
We find Sheila's 'cottage by the sea' and are overcome by the generosity of the people we have met. A few days ago, we had never met Sylvana and her friends, and here we were sharing Sheila's lovely home. The cottage overlooks Lake Huron with a sandy beach in front. It would be lovely to spend a few days here but we are now a bit behind our schedule and must press on.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lake_Huron
Wednesday, 30 July 2008
Canadian-Scottish Hospitaliy at its Very Best
20th July
Montreal River to Saulte Ste. Marie.
Babs and Dick had offered us their home in this town so we decided to have a day off as we hadn't had one for eight days and were pretty tired. We had been in the house for about 5 minutes when the phone rang. It was Dave and Christine, Scottish friends, inviting us round for supper. (No wonder the gaps between the bloggs get longer and longer) Dave picked us up and when we arrived the Scottish music was in full flow. We had a great night and Dave told us stories about his days in Glasgow as a welder at the docks and why he had made a new life in Canada.
21st July
Dave came round to take us shopping and took us on a tour of the town - with a population of 75,000, and a big steel making plant, quite a change from the past few stops. We really enjoyed our stay in Bab's and Dick's house and our time with Dave and Christine. I spent time answering e-mails but eventually too late to catch up to date with the blog-sorry!
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sault_Ste._Marie,_Ontario
Montreal River to Saulte Ste. Marie.
Babs and Dick had offered us their home in this town so we decided to have a day off as we hadn't had one for eight days and were pretty tired. We had been in the house for about 5 minutes when the phone rang. It was Dave and Christine, Scottish friends, inviting us round for supper. (No wonder the gaps between the bloggs get longer and longer) Dave picked us up and when we arrived the Scottish music was in full flow. We had a great night and Dave told us stories about his days in Glasgow as a welder at the docks and why he had made a new life in Canada.
21st July
Dave came round to take us shopping and took us on a tour of the town - with a population of 75,000, and a big steel making plant, quite a change from the past few stops. We really enjoyed our stay in Bab's and Dick's house and our time with Dave and Christine. I spent time answering e-mails but eventually too late to catch up to date with the blog-sorry!
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sault_Ste._Marie,_Ontario
Surprise Encounter
19th July
Wawa to Montreal River
Big cycling day (100km), big hills, camped at night. During the day a Moose with it's little baby crossed the road right in front of us. The camera was not at the ready for a photograph unfortunately and the locals don't hang about - better luck next time.
Wawa to Montreal River
Big cycling day (100km), big hills, camped at night. During the day a Moose with it's little baby crossed the road right in front of us. The camera was not at the ready for a photograph unfortunately and the locals don't hang about - better luck next time.
A Glimpse Into Canada's Industrial Past
17th July
Wawa.
We were back in the boat in the morning to carry on the ride. We had hoped to go further than Wawa but mist settled in and the cycling became dangerous. We decided to spend the night in Wawa, a town with a rich history of mining, forestry and fur trading but which now depends for its survival on tourism coming from the Trans Canada Highway. At The Tourist Office we met Sylvana a keen touring cyclist. I mentioned a camp site or very cheap motel for overnight accommodation to which she replied "Well why don't you girls come and stay in my house to-night" Can this get any better!!! The house was built by her husband with help from friends and is the most magnificent log cabin I have ever seen. Every log was brought down to the Lake(overlooks Lake Superior) by hand and it took four years to build. Friends arrived for drinks. They were all interested in the bike ride and Shirley offered her holiday home in Thessalon where we would be arriving in a couple of days. As I have already said, so often, it just goes on and on with kindness. It was so great to stay with Sylvana and to meet her friends but you always know that, in the morning, the bike is calling and you have to pack and head off for another day's mixture of pain from saddle sores and pleasure to know that you have covered well over half of Canada.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wawa,_Ontario
Wawa.
We were back in the boat in the morning to carry on the ride. We had hoped to go further than Wawa but mist settled in and the cycling became dangerous. We decided to spend the night in Wawa, a town with a rich history of mining, forestry and fur trading but which now depends for its survival on tourism coming from the Trans Canada Highway. At The Tourist Office we met Sylvana a keen touring cyclist. I mentioned a camp site or very cheap motel for overnight accommodation to which she replied "Well why don't you girls come and stay in my house to-night" Can this get any better!!! The house was built by her husband with help from friends and is the most magnificent log cabin I have ever seen. Every log was brought down to the Lake(overlooks Lake Superior) by hand and it took four years to build. Friends arrived for drinks. They were all interested in the bike ride and Shirley offered her holiday home in Thessalon where we would be arriving in a couple of days. As I have already said, so often, it just goes on and on with kindness. It was so great to stay with Sylvana and to meet her friends but you always know that, in the morning, the bike is calling and you have to pack and head off for another day's mixture of pain from saddle sores and pleasure to know that you have covered well over half of Canada.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wawa,_Ontario
Dream Hide-Away by the Lake
16th July
White River to Wawa
We were cycling to-wards Wawa when a truck drew up across the highway. A blonde figure ran across and stopped me "Are you Penny or Mave" - Penny was way ahead as usual. I thought perhaps another reporter but no, this was Barbara a relation of a friend of penny's in Kincraig. They had been trying to contact us for a while, but with no signal from the blackberry all had been in vain. Penny had left a message on her answering machine at her home so she knew we were on that road, somewhere. A great stroke of luck - five minutes she would have missed us altogether. She said to me "About turn and go back to Halfway House. We'll catch Penny and meet you there". Dick (husband) and Babs would take us to their hide-away. We drove for a while then Dick left us to fetch the boat. We raced across the lake to their cabin and what a truly wonderful place we found. We had a great night with them, ate their food, drank their wine and regaled them with our stories!
White River to Wawa
We were cycling to-wards Wawa when a truck drew up across the highway. A blonde figure ran across and stopped me "Are you Penny or Mave" - Penny was way ahead as usual. I thought perhaps another reporter but no, this was Barbara a relation of a friend of penny's in Kincraig. They had been trying to contact us for a while, but with no signal from the blackberry all had been in vain. Penny had left a message on her answering machine at her home so she knew we were on that road, somewhere. A great stroke of luck - five minutes she would have missed us altogether. She said to me "About turn and go back to Halfway House. We'll catch Penny and meet you there". Dick (husband) and Babs would take us to their hide-away. We drove for a while then Dick left us to fetch the boat. We raced across the lake to their cabin and what a truly wonderful place we found. We had a great night with them, ate their food, drank their wine and regaled them with our stories!
Joys of Campling
15th July
Schreiber to White River.
Heavy rain during the night left the tent very wet to cap it all. It is so difficult in the morning when you don't have the time to dry the tent and it has to be packed up, soaking wet. You can imagine what we must have looked like, no filming needless to say. Much more to say about the logistics of it all but too tired now; you'll all have to wait for the book.........
Schreiber to White River.
Heavy rain during the night left the tent very wet to cap it all. It is so difficult in the morning when you don't have the time to dry the tent and it has to be packed up, soaking wet. You can imagine what we must have looked like, no filming needless to say. Much more to say about the logistics of it all but too tired now; you'll all have to wait for the book.........
Dreaded Black Fly & Other Ills
14th July
Nipigon to Schreiber.
Janice said in her book that the hills were big and they were. I was showing signs of wear and tear. My right shoulder was killing me and I was suffering from saddle sores. The black fly that we had been plagued by had left big lumps all over my neck, round my ears and my legs. I was a mess. We would cover up with our head gear, cover our arms and legs to avoid being attacked whilst putting up the tents. We met some cyclists at the camp site but it was impossible to have a sociable beer with them as the black fly would have eaten us alive. We camped that night near the railway town of Schreiber (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Schreiber,_Ontario). In my tent that night the little b-----s had managed to get in so half the night was spent slashing them to death. Oh, the joys of a long distance cyclist!!
Nipigon to Schreiber.
Janice said in her book that the hills were big and they were. I was showing signs of wear and tear. My right shoulder was killing me and I was suffering from saddle sores. The black fly that we had been plagued by had left big lumps all over my neck, round my ears and my legs. I was a mess. We would cover up with our head gear, cover our arms and legs to avoid being attacked whilst putting up the tents. We met some cyclists at the camp site but it was impossible to have a sociable beer with them as the black fly would have eaten us alive. We camped that night near the railway town of Schreiber (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Schreiber,_Ontario). In my tent that night the little b-----s had managed to get in so half the night was spent slashing them to death. Oh, the joys of a long distance cyclist!!
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