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First and foremost:
HAPPY 42ND ANNIVERSARY LES AND CAROL! CONGRATULATIONS! Thank you for sharing your special evening with us xxx
Despite the odds with the weather over the last few days, we made it to the Atlantic Ocean tonight! We are not quite to St. John's yet or the easternmost point of Canada and North America, Cape Spear. We will save that celebration for tomorrow. We are privileged to be in a quaint, scenic little town called Bonavista about 280 kms north of St. John's (where we hope to be tomorrow). We are so thrilled to be here and can't quite believe we have made it to the east coast.
Bonavista's neighbouring village Little Catalina is where our nephew Darryl's beautiful wife Leah was born and lived prior to moving to Red Deer AB and meeting Darryl, and is where they christened their firstborn, Addison, yesterday that we sadly missed due to a record 58cm of snow in Gander over the last two days. We were bound and determined to get here today. Leaving early this morning from Grand Falls-Windsor, we rode to Gander in 1 degree weather, on fairly dry roads, and through our first light snow shower
of the day. We took regular breaks each hour simply in order to thaw out frozen toes that Minus 40 socks guaranteed for life cannot keep warm. First tea of the day was at Tim's in Gander, right on the highway, no snow tires for side roads required. The news was apparently correct - the snow banks in Gander were 4 feet high and most side roads covered. Those along the highway revealed moose tracks (no, we still haven't seen one).
Second stop an hour later, having also ridden through our 2nd snowfall, was at a roadside diner I spotted on the left side of the highway. I notified Ian through the mike that I was turning left into the first entrance, got half away across the highway and quickly blurted Abort! Abort! The driveway hadn't been cleared of snow so change of plans - let's try the next diner wherever it may be. But someone must have known we were coming because there was a second entrance that had been partially cleared with enough room to park two bikes, but like most things on the bike, by the time we spotted it, we had already ridden past it.
So U-turn #1 of the day. In keeping with Newfoundland tradition to pour gravy on everything edible, Ian's lunch today was a hot turkey sandwich smothered in the rich, creamy, no fat, no calories brown stuff. I had pea soup - which came with a dumpling in the middle! Now that was truly a highlight today - I haven't had a dumpling in a bowl of wetness since I lived in England ;-)
So now it was time to start counting down the miles to reaching our family - we had only 160 kms to go, with the last 100 kms off the TCH and on side route 230. At one point, the temperature got up to a balmy 5 degrees, but was very shortlived before dropping back down to 2 or 3 for the ride along the eastern coast. And, the wind reminded us that it was still around, gusting at us viciously for the last 20 kms. The cold finally got to us one last time and we stopped for the last coffee of the ride at Two Whales coffee house in an incredibly scenic town called Trinity. The barista was a friendly gentleman from West Yorkshire
and his lattes better than any Starbucks drink I've had. The winding road into Bonavista was dry but riddled with gravel, and we picked our line through it llike boating around crab traps. I love the houses in this province - they literally are all clapboard, very colourful, and even though the unforgiving winters here strip off alot of the paint, they remain tidy little homesteads, with tidy, manicured yards. We passed by a couple of people brave enough to be outside today and they either offered a wave or a large wink and welcoming nod of the head.
The last 3 weeks have been so filled with experiences that we feel utterly overwhelmed at times and tonight we each needed a pinch to believe we were really here. At times you feel disconnected from the trip, but once we start reminiscing about where we've been over the last three weeks, it comes together but still so much to take in.
We rolled into Les and Carol's cottage driveway around 4 pm, honked our wee horns and sat there. Cold. Lonely. Made a phone call while sitting on the bike and then we heard those famous screams that
Carol has mastered - we love her - and out they ran to greet us, open arms, tears flowing, giving long, strong hugs. We couldn't have asked for a better ending to three weeks of challenges getting here! Darryl and Leah and her mum Donna joined us half an hour later when Addi was up from her nap, and the day was complete. What a doll - she happily sat on Ian's knee and ate rice cake tidbits, in between laughing at herself in the mirror on the wall. Les and Carol gave us a tour of the area, running up to the lighthouse, the dungeon, and around Bonavista. A fish and chips dinner at Skippers followed by a visit with everyone at Donna's completed this amazing day. now to bed in Egyptian sheets in this tastefully decorated cottage. LIFE IS GOOD!
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JOAN MUMBY
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You made it!! Congratulations.
My dear Helen and Ian, How did you get through Gander, after a 58 cm snowfall? The city must have terrific snow clearing equipment. I was completely stunned, when I read your blog this morning.You must have guardian angels on your shoulders. Honestly, to me, it seems that you did the impossible. You will have something to talk about for the rest of your life. To say, Congratulations,sounds so inadequate for what you have done. If you had taken this trip a month later, you could have taken a ferry back to Sydney from St John's on June 20. That is the ferry that Norma planned to take, when we were in Sydney in 1988, but it had stopped running for the season at the time we were Yothere. She was so frustrated, but she said that, no way was she going to take that gruelling road route from the other ferry terminal - and now I know why... You did it, and I am so thankful that you are safe and sound. Love you, Mum