Day 82 - Belfast, PEI to New Glasgow, NS

August 3 (Monday)

Start Time: 6:30 am

Stop Time: 11:00 am

KM Travelled: 50.7 km (plus ferry ride)

Elevation: +332/ - 309 m

Special Stuff: Chats with energetic young people

I thought I'd have a slow start to my day, but I realize that in order to catch the 8:30 am ferry, I need to get on the road by about 6:30 am. I only realized this as I was thinking about my day this morning. I'm glad I sorted through my panniers last night - it's a pretty quick and easy set up and departure this morning.

I bike the 25 km to the Wood Islands ferry terminal. It feels great to be on the bike again. To get to the ferry terminal on time, I ride with focus determination and enjoying the last few hills of the PEI section of my ride across Canada. I get to the terminal with time to spare. A couple in an older version Volkswagen campervan say they are glad to see I made it - apparently this was a topic of discussion in their van when they passed me many kilometers back.

While waiting for the ferry, I meet a energetic, chatty red-haired young man who is taking his mountain bike across to Nova Scotia to meet up with some friends. His family has a dairy farm in PEI and they milk their 150 dairy cows all by robot! The cows decides when they want to be milked and the robots do the milking. No more early mornings for dairy farmers! Amazing. He also tells me about hurricane Fiona and the damage it caused for farmers - some losing barns, silos and cows. PEI has its challenges, like the rest of the world.

The young fellow also shares about a very popular biking experience in PEI - the Magdalen Islands. (An internet search shows that these islands are actually part of Quebec.) (I think heard about these islands from a chat with another biker along the side of the road.) This is something to check out if/ when we visit PEI again.

The ferry crossing is relaxing and uneventful.

I get off the ferry in Caribou, and I am now in the province of Nova Scotia! I enjoy the short ride into New Glasgow. I see a few points of interest:

• A lawn that could very likely qualify for the largest lawn in Canada.

• Crombie House - Sobey Art Foundation - unfortunately it is closed today (this is a private art collection that I have heard about), maybe we can check it out on the way back.

I feel like I'm sauntering my way over to the North Sydney ferry...which is okay. Tonight I'm staying in a motel but on the ride today, I decide that I'd get in a few more days of tent camping in between here and St. John's. These may well be the last nights of tent camping that I will ever do in my lifetime.