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St. Sylvester's Church
This church was built in 1877 and sit on the shores of Lake Nipigon.NOVA SCOTIA DAY 3 & 4 (May 24 & 25, 2010)
I am going to combine the next two days of travel because I was just putting miles on to get to my destination. Don’t get me wrong, the ride is awesome and the scenery is spectacular, however, the last two days the weather was great, the bike was operating at top speed and I just decided to push on past my evening check points. I have been averaging around 450 to 500 miles per day.
On the way from Thunder Bay to Nipigon I had to put on my rain suit to stay dry. Not a heavy rain but one that is irritating and just enough to get you soaking wet. As you probably know, I am not a “fair weather” rider and actually welcome the challenge of the elements.
Along this particular section of highway I came across three moose eating their morning meal as well as a black bear. I turned around to get a picture of the bear but that was enough to scare her away from the highway. Along with a red fox, skunk, and road kill (moose) I fell pretty lucky. Lucky
Lake Nipigon
It was quiet with a little bit of fog that created this unique photo. that it wasn’t me that hit the moose.
One note if you are traveling in Canada, plan ahead and let your credit card company know you will be vacationing outside the United States. I did but the company put the wrong date that I would be in Canada. So needless to say, my cards were denied until I could make contact with them to get it straightened out. Very frustrating when you plan ahead. Had Canadian cash.
By the time I got to Cochrane the temperature was pushing the 90s. So time to start peeling away the layers. I have a camelback water hydration system that has proved very valuable on this trip. I can drink on the run!
Almost every town that I pass through has a mascot somewhere along the main stretch. In Cochrane it was the polar bear. Others have the walleye, moose, or whatever animal they can build and display along the highway.
The highway that I took was Highway 11, which is part of the Trans-Canada Highway system that stretches east to west across the Canadian Provinces.
The Trans-Canada Highway is a federal-provincial highway system that joins the ten provinces
Moose grazing in the morning
I know it's hard to see them but they were taking their time and having an early morning breakfast of whatever moose eat. of Canada. It is one of the world's longest national highways, with the main route spanning 4,990 miles. The system was approved by the Trans-Canada Highway Act of 1948, construction commenced in 1950, officially opened in 1962, and was completed in 1971. But our Interstate System beat there’s hands down.
I spent my third night on the road in Kirkland Lake, Ontario.
On Tuesday, May 25 I crossed over the border into Quebec. Now I felt like I was in France. Signs were in French with little English. Most seem to be bi-lingual.
French is spoken in Quebec because historically it was a French settlement. This goes back to the colonial days. As Quebec joined other provinces to form the country Canada, it retained its linguistic freedom and continued to this day.
Quebec French does have differences from Parisian French, most noticeably pronunciation differences. In addition, there are many words used in Quebec, which are still used today but sound archaic in international French. One example is the word 'char' for car, however literally 'char' translates to 'chariot'.
I was going to stop and do a little sightseeing in Montreal but once I got there
Cochrane Polar Bear Mascot
You will see all kinds of unique animals at almost every little village you pass through. Cochrane is known for it's Polar Bear Express railroad and a polar bear in the zoo. I changed my mind. With a population of 3.6 million the traffic was bumper to bumper and stretched along for miles. My BMW does not do well in stop and go traffic. It would have taken me literally 3-4 hours just to get downtown. That’s another trip down the road!
As you can tell, not much to the last two days. Sometimes you just have to drive and drive and drive to get to where you want to go.
I think I better stop writing, because I’m getting tired and I’m sure some of my words and grammar don’t make any sense.
My next blog will be very interesting as I start up the St. Lawrence Seaway and take a ferry into New Brunswick.
Hard to believe I’ve been gone four days and have close to 2,000 miles on the Beemer.
Have a great day everyone.
Rob
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Heidi
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granddaughters' request
The girls have requested that you have more pictures of you in them. They get super excited to read the blog and don't understand why you aren't in all the pictures. Hard to explain to a 4 and 2 year old that you are traveling ALONE. I really love the pictures, though. Maybe when Riley gets in middle school...she may want to trek with you. Think about it.