Another lovely day for riding and beautiful roads for bikes. We wound our way back out over the Seal Island Bridge and the Causeway and onto a magnificent combination of forest and coastal views. We felt like the day was full of ‘snapshots’ of all sorts and we feel a bit saturated with the beauty we have been moving through the last few days…and probably a bit tired from some big rides as well.



From the restaurant at breakfast we spotted this cruise ship coming into the inlet I imagine where Sharen and Ken’s had done the previous day



We had decided to go and have a look at the reception centre on the right with the large fiddle in front but once the ship docked we declined the opportunity and got on the road. Cape Breton is apparently known for their fiddlers and there is much playing of fiddles throughout the area. I figure they need fast fiddle music to dance to and stay warm in the depths of winter…but I could be wrong



Lunch at Sherbrooke Village a quirky little place which also had a pioneer type village museum but we figured we didn’t have such an exploration in us today and given we got in at 6pm tonight I’m glad we didn’t.



A really pretty house as we headed out of Sherbrooke Village



Typical snapshot glimpse of what we experienced today on the road



And another one. We saw many settlements with a combination of well-kept permanent homes, others which look like holiday homes and a good number in some spots abandoned as well as many ‘For Sale’ signs.



Nola following a typical school bus onto a mini version of the same sort of bridge as the Seal Island one on yesterday’s entry. We were talking to a trucker when we had a coffee this afternoon and he told us he had a truck and Pantech lift up and blow over on its side in a hurricane once. Not an experience I’d like.



We have seen small and large glimpses of quiet little streams and galloping rivers and everything in between as we have travelled today. This was the West River which Norm took the opportunity to take a shot of since I needed a break



And one of me – Norm is not to be trusted with a camera obviously. Not to worry, the nap did the trick and I felt much brighter to get in even with the Halifax traffic and bridge all of which felt pretty huge



The Halifax Bridge compliments of the internet.

Bits and Bobs:



Living in the State of Victoria we were compelled to take this one especially since we missed it a couple of days ago



Norm is not a great fan of celery so this sign appealed to him where we lunched today



This sign in the men’s loo also appealed to him



And this one appealed to me where we stopped for a coffee this afternoon. I’ve felt like that sometimes when I get to a loo

Last night’s Accommodation:



Holiday Inn Sydney Waterfront
300 Esplanade
Sydney, Nova Scotia B1P147

Lovely spacious room and nice and private. Seemed funny to be so quiet after a few B&B’s with less than soundproof walls. The restaurant was nice and staff helpful. There is also an onsite pub but we didn’t visit. Yet another comfortable bed and lovely hot shower. Parking out the front.

We started off our day with a yummy breakfast at our accommodation and heard lots of great tales about a former owner who was the right had man of Alexander Graham Bell and then we headed to the Alexander Graham Bell Museum and here was I who in my ignorance thought his inventiveness had been confined to the telephone! We also caught up with Sharen and Ken at the museum for a coffee as they had left their ship to tour the Museum. Really must explore our Bell family history, photos of Alexander at different ages reminded me so much of my Pop and his Dad as well as my brother Bryan.



The Bell girls…..and the sign says it all. Ha ha.



Celebrating the centenary of the first Canadian flight of the Silver Dart



And a sculpture of the Bell’s on the waterfront. I loved that they were totally devoted to each other

Happy to report the weather was much friendlier today and we didn’t have to add dri-az-a bone pants or other extra waterproof gear against the chill factor and the ride was awesome.

We followed the Cabot Trail around Cape Breton so saw scattered fishing villages and little settlements, magnificent mountains and plunging cliffs and valleys as we rode beside soaring birds riding the thermals beside us. The National Park part of the trip had some great viewpoints to take ion the awesomeness of the views. Truly breathtaking. Without doubt one of the most spectacular motorbike rides we have been on and the roads were great. Beautiful camber, hills and lots of corners and all but a couple of sections had an excellent surface. Ahhhh!!



Scattered communities like this (on the way to Cheticamp) were common



A detour off the main road found these fishing boats out of the water, an unexpected bonus



Early into the National Park this was the view…and the promise of awesome roads to come



White Point, an active fishing community though tiny (a tip from last night's host)



The Neil’s Harbour Chowder House (another tip from last night’s host) very quirky place and delicious lunch



Looking back to the village in Neil’s Harbour



A protected shore as we head south



Even a road cutting looks great



We had a ferry ride between Jersey Cove and Englishtown and the wind was giving the ferry a beating and it was struggling to straighten up to the shore which didn’t deter cars from driving off. Unbelievable! We didn’t have to wait long until it was our turn



Shortly after that we crossed an impressive bridge but couldn’t get a photo as there was roadwork happening so this one is compliments of the internet.

We were glad to get to our hotel as even though the kilometres were down a bit today the maximum speeds varied from 50 – 80 for the majority of the day so a lot slower travel than yesterday which had big stretches of 100 – 110kms so my knees were getting a bit stiff by the time we got in.

Bits and Bobs:



We found these growing wild along the side of the road heaps yesterday and more today. We call them Easter Daisies at home but they no doubt have a different name here

Last night’s Accommodation:



Broadwater Inn and Cottages
Route 205 East 975 Baddeck Bay Rd
Baddeck, Nova Scotia – B0E 1B0

(Our room was to the right of the main building and you can see our deck) A nicely maintained complex. Nice and cosy room attached to the main house. Plenty of room to spread out and nice and warm on a cold night. Breakfast included in the dining room in the main house which was a treat. Plenty of room to park and glimpses of the lake across the road and a relatively short trip back into the town proper for dinner. Helpful and friendly hosts. The bonus was the interaction at breakfast with our host and learning all sorts of great stuff re the history of the area and the involvement of Alexander Graham Bell, his colleagues and their families.

Well we had a lovely sunny day but the wind chill was pretty brutal. Fall really is coming and we had many layers on and the hand grip heaters cranked up well.



One of the last rural glimpses of Prince Edward Island. The soil is really red like the area Norm grew up in and the potatoes look terrific….in face we also saw a HUGE pumpkin out the front of a farmhouse yesterday and it literally spread out wider than a chep pallet…I kid you not!



A statue at the base of the Confederation Bridge on Prince Edward island called ‘The Quartermaster’ to honour the Marine and Rail personnel from across the Island who ensured safe passage for people and freight to and from the Island before the bridge was constructed



The Confederation Bridge from New Brunswick to Prince Edward Island (shot compliments of Wikipedia). By the way there is no charge to go to the Island but the charges on the bridge to return are as follows:
$44.50 – car
$17.75 – motorcycle
$7.25 – for every extra axle



Morning coffee in Amherst and here is an example of the local pink sandstone in some of their public buildings (the front one badly needs cleaning as you can see) then since Norm’s GPS gave up the ghost this morning we mucked about for nearly 2 hours trying to get a replacement with no luck. We finally rang the Bike people in Boston where we are getting the bikes serviced and they are arranging one to be there for him when we get there on the 23rd



A fuel stop in Truro where we had traffic lights to get into this huge site with fuel stop and restaurant, truck parking and for good measure a Freightliner Dealer’s workshop, so a work shot.



We were grateful to get to Baddeck and had a yummy dinner and now getting ready for bed so we’re ready for another big day tomorrow. This is a little lighthouse we passed on our way to our accommodation taken from the wharf when we went to dinner



And a wider shot in the moonlight on our return

We enjoyed a lot of time on the Trans Canadian Highway today and it was a terrific piece of infrastructure literally going up and down over a mountain range and beyond. Signs to say to expect winter conditions for big distances and many miles of snow markers each side of the roadway and signs to be aware there can be snow blowing across the road as well. Happy to say we didn’t experience any of that!

Bits and Bobs:

I missed the (one of) Midland Truck Depot on the way off PEI, this is a rreally very polished fleet we have seen throughout Canada. A light almost wedgewood green metallic livery with a white stripe. Probably more on the green side than grey and without doubt every one we have seen looks great. Good to see.



The last of our PEI signs. Haven’t seen this one anywhere else, I note that one of the sponsors of the sign is MADD (Mothers Against Drunk Drivers) Makes sense.

Last night’s Accommodation:



The Sonata Inn
3 Grafton Street
Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island, C1A1K3

A stately building beautifully maintained with lovely facilities. Large room, tea and coffee making facilities, guest laundry (we found after doing our washing by hand DOH!) roomy dining room and mezzanine sitting area with DVD library. Breakfast included (delicious) free parking and helpful staff. Sounded a bit freaky hearing so much noise from other suites but didn’t detract from the experience overall. Good value for money.

The day dawned sunny but was soon cloudy and rain forecast to come in from the south west by lunchtime so we headed north to explore the world of Lucy Maud Montgomery and ‘Ann of Green Gables’ the creation of Ms Montgomery.



The farmhouse which inspired the home of ‘Green Gables’ in the book



Ann’s room as described in the book



A couple of things which DO exist are the ‘Haunted Forest’ with a scary man obstructing the path or so he said



And ‘Lovers Lane’ with me looking towards my lover



The Ann of Green Gables Museum home of an Aunt and Uncle of Ms Montgomery. She is said to have stated that this was her favourite place on earth

We have just loved the country scenes throughout Prince Edward Island. The land is obviously productive and this is all framed in incredibly beautiful undulating country well treed and scattered with picturesque houses and farm buildings. Real picture book stuff. What a treat to these former farm kids to experience.



A combination of farmland and fishing scene on the way to Cavendish. We hoped the colourful buildings may have a coffee shop amongst them…no, all fisherman’s sheds and no coffee in sight



One for the grandkids. This was in Kingston and the sign said ‘Haunted House’



On our way to downtown Charlottetown for coffee and we discovered the Fire House with the 1929 fire truck out for a polish



St Dunstan’s Basilica. The first Catholic Bishop of the Diocese of Charlottetown founded St Andrews College the first post-secondary institution in the colony in 1831 which was re-located and re-opened in Charlottetown as St Dunstan’s College (later University). The University Board of Governors base is next door.



A lovely old walking street in the University area



Peake’s Wharf where we had a beautiful ‘Moos’ ice-cream



A bonded warehouse in the prohibition days



A lighthouse along the waterfront beyond what looks like a Governor’s residence (coat of arms and flags all over the place)



An example of some serious real-estate on the water’s edge. This wasn’t far from the Governor’s residence (see above) and the historic Beaconsfield House

Bits and Bobs:

Forgot to say yesterday once we were on the main highway that we were blown away by the huge numbers of 5th wheelers and caravans and Winnebago’s of all size and description heading west. Really must be considered the end of the summer holiday season



A sign to discourage drink driving we haven’t seen anywhere else. We have also seen some other interesting signs only on Prince Edward Island so if it’s dry when we leave tomorrow I’ll try and get them

Today’s weather was a huge improvement on yesterdays and it felt soooo good to feel the warmth of the sun. We had beautiful views of quaint farm buildings and fields as we headed out of Grand Falls and then sparse communities spread through the mountains where the farming gave way to logging activities and miles and miles of beautiful forest with much water lying about in streams ponds and lakes. It was a bit daunting heading for the mountain stretch to read the sign ‘Expect Winter conditions for the next 138 kms’. There was also no fuel for that stretch (and nothing other than forest also but it was a pretty ride. Thankfully we didn’t encounter any snow but a bit of mist and VERY cold weather with the grip heaters cranked right up and lots of layers of clothes.



A cute little Church on the side of the road, one of many we saw today

Would have loved to get a shot of the changing autumn leaves in the high country (they have obviously experienced icy conditions to start the change) but we had a lot of kms to make and there weren’t too many wide spots to pull off to park up. As we gradually descended to a lower altitude the temperature improved and yippee as the day progressed we could turn the grip heaters back to 3 instead of 5 all day yesterday and thinking they weren’t working. Lovely!



A road works maintenance yard. The salt storage shed is the pointed one on the right and the large storage shed has the vinyl / tarpaulin type material over a metal frame like a lot of new barns,



We were blown away by the Confederation Bridge between New Brunswick and Prince Edward Island. 13 kms long!!!!! Unbelievably impressive. It is apparently the longest span bridge which sits over ice. Doesn’t give much of an idea really and doesn’t really show the highest section for larger ships to pass underneath



A shot from under the bridge (2 lanes only) and the speed limit was 80kmh today according to the electronic sign so I imagine it can be reduced if needed. Also a number of traffic lights across to stop traffic if needed

Bits and Bobs:



The New Brunswick version of a weighbridge sign



Bus stop ahead. Have also seen them with a red light instead of amber and that is a school bus stop.



Finally got my ‘Moose” sign. There are several versions of these. Just a moose, a moose with ‘attention’ underneath, a colliding moose and car asking to avoid collisions and one the same as this but with flashing lights and a warning to reduce speed at night.



And finally a sign before many bridges warning of bridges icing up before the roadway

Last night’s Accommodation:



Hilltop Motel & Restaurant
131 Madawaska Road
Grand Falls (New Brunswick) E3Y1A7

A lovely warm welcome from the staff and a lovely warm comfortable room. Good facilities, comfortable bed and parking for the bikes. Great restaurant onsite where the food was good and service great also. Good value for money.

Well today was definitely on the side of endurance rather than enjoyment. The day started off pouring rain and with much water pooling on the roads and continued that way all of the day when it wasn’t hailing (and man did that sting the old shins through the merino long johns, draggen jeans and waterproofs) and then had some fog thrown in for good measure as we climbed higher as well as the rain and or hail up until the last 50 KM when it dried up briefly and then alternated light rain with dry patches. The fact that we had strong wind all day meant the road was largely dry for the last run into Grand Falls and the waterproofs were more or less dry.



We started the day with a ferry ride across the St Lawrence River. The Ferry attendant asked “did the GPS send you here?” and when we said “yes” he replied “they haven’t figured out there is a bridge up the river a bit, but the ferry saves you about 43 kms anyway” and with the way the weather looked we were grateful



A look back to the old city skyline of Quebec and the ship Sharen and Ken will climb on today and then travel (in the dry) to meet us in Boston. To the far right the steam / smoke is from a paper mill. We’ve seen quite a few in Canada and also a huge timber mill today as well.



Also because of the weather although we travelled through what was probably some of the most picturesque country we have seen on this trip our cameras were safely tucked away in the dry and even had they not been they wouldn’t have done justice to the first up intensive farming mixed with forest areas and then high country grasses water and marshland broken up by rocky crags and then tree covered hills disappearing into lakes. Ahh…what a shame. Anyway this is a brief shot where we stopped at a truck stop for lunch and sat for the first time at a diner style counter to eat so we didn’t drip all over their café floor. The soup was hot and welcome.



And here are the Grand Falls where two rivers merge and there is a barrier to hold back water depending on the season and how much is needed for power generation and how much damage can be done with the ice as it breaks up. Our Motel is on the top right hand edge of the view




And one from below the falls of the canyon walls with a bridge over connecting two sides of the town

Bits and Bobs:

Saw some great road signs today but will hopefully come across more of them another day when it is dry enough to stop and take a photo.

Last 2 night’s Accommodation:



Le Port-Royal Hotel & Suites
144 rue Saint-Pierre
Quebec City QC G1K8N8

Quirky little Hotel with a Pub and Restaurant attached and car parking out front. The original building was built in 1860 and was a market for 75 years specialising in coffee tea and chocolate and has undergone a number of transformations since. We are in the original hotel building and have a lovely stone wall facing onto the square with a killer view across the square to the old part of Quebec (as you have already seen). Staff is very helpful and friendly. Good facilities in the room including a cook top, microwave / inverter oven, fridge and sink. Nice spot to drop for a couple of days and on the doorstep of the old city.

Last nights Dinner:
The current restaurant at the Hotel (Le Quay 19) has been open for 3 months and was hopping last night. Their Chef won the Quebec Master Chef competition and the food was delicious, a reasonable cost and all the staff were friendly and attentive. Good value for money. They are currently showcasing a local artist (spectacular sailing paintings all for sale) and plan to change artists and paintings every 3 months. Nice touch.

The view of the square from our window last night



Dinner with Ken, Norm, Nola and Sharen in what is supposed to be one of the oldest houses in the old city which was very quaint inside, and the meal was beautiful as well. Decided to take a photo as we left but it was raining when we left.



Looking up the street to the funicular which pops up just outside of Sharen and Ken’s hotel – The Chateau Frontenac on the top left hand side of this shot



A view of the top of the Chateau Frontenac with a helicopter which was circling all day covering the Cyclist Grand Prix. Cadel Evans was riding but we didn’t manage to see him (we don’t think) in spite of witnessing many passes throughout the day



An early round of the Cyclist Grand Prix outside of the restaurant where we ate last night. It was very impressive and then when a tail ender was passing us two team cars both tried to overtake him and one bumped him and he fell heavily. He did well not to pick the bike up and throw it I thought



The restaurant today



The City Hall



A rear view of the Post Office which was a stunning building



Norm on the boardwalk outside the Chateau with the ship Sharen and Ken will board tomorrow



With the Cyclist Grand Prix on today there was no hop on hop off bus tours so we had to resort to walking. Oh dear, and who did we run into on our way back to the hotel? You guessed it Sharen and Ken so we started our afternoon off a little earlier then intended and here is a great mural we discovered in the fog last night, it tells the story of Quebec’s history



The only Mountie we have managed to catch up with so far



A nice spot for coffee in Our Lady of Victories Square(Notre dame Victories)



A quick shot inside the church before it closed. Apparently when the British were about to invade the French Colony of Quebec the locals packed the Church in panic and prayed they would survive. There was a massive thunderstorm and many ships of the British fleet sunk and they retreated. Pretty powerful this praying stuff!



Yet another attractive walking street in the old town below the walled city.



Yay!! When Sharen and Ken got back to their hotel who should they run into but Cadel Evans so of course an autograph was the order of the day

Bits and Bobs:



We have seen many different versions of this sign warning of falling snow. Don’t think I would like to be walking anywhere in these streets when the thaw sets in!

With predictions of thunderstorms strong winds and possibly hail we headed out ready for a day more on the side of endurance rather than enjoyment and within a few minutes were riding through road works with the road dug up and inundated with water. Not very friendly but we soldiered on and headed north east on the motorway and when it wasn’t raining it was pelting rain until we headed for Joliette for a coffee and we even glimpsed some patchy faint blue sky in the direction we were heading. We found some coffee and by the time we finished it had stopped raining and the sun was out

We had previously decided that the US and Canadian favourite pastime was to play golf given all the manicured courses we have come across ,both public and resort on this trip but today with all the many and varied Church’s, Cathedrals and Basilicas we have seen we think Church building is right up there as well.



Joliette Cathedral. With all the adjoining buildings this looks like a University / Seminary type arrangement but the road was ripped up so we couldn’t get all that close and didn’t really have time either



Joliette square with a water feature to the right. We had coffee at the end of this part of the square



Heading out of town Norm spotted a motorbike shop and I needed a bolt in the back of the Pillion backrest so we wheeled in there and got one and he discovered this Victory bike and the mini snowmobile which needless to say we haven’t seen in Australia



Sanctuary du Notre Dame Basilica du Cap at Cap-de-la-Madeleine. A relatively new building and very nice and HUGE! Had lunch at the restaurant



Inside the Basilica



The Visitation Champlain (I think) Church



Cute house not far from the church

Thankfully the weather stayed dry from lunch on but remained very humid and was hot when we got into Quebec as we negotiated one way lanes and barricades in place for a bike grand prix tomorrow



The yummy view from our hotel room and the tower to the left is the tower from the Seminary

Bits and Bobs:



A sign we don’t have at home – notice that there will be snowmobiles crossing ahead



And another one – a Weighbridge sign…love the old fashioned scales and weights. Cracks me up

Last night’s Accommodation:



Couldn't get back far enough to get the full 24 storeys in but we got two good bikes in so a bonus.

Intercontinental Montreal
360 St Antoine West (Ouest)
Montreal QC H2Y 3X4

Beautiful hotel, beautiful room (big), beautiful bed, fantastic and helpful staff, great restaurants and bar areas serving up delicious food and drinks and parking underneath and even the heating / cooling controls on the wall are connected to something and they alter the temperature as they are supposed to…what more can I say?

It’s been moving today to see and hear commentary about the 12th Anniversary of 9/11 and made us grateful for what we are free to experience both here and at home. Lest we forget.

We went on a hop on hop off tour this morning and didn’t enjoy it. The commentary sounded like someone reading from a phone book (the bit we could hear of it) but we enjoyed the company of some holidaying Canadians who are here to see the big ships which come in tomorrow…of course they do, we will be gone. That Murphy never rests. When we finally got off the bus and onto another for a short time found a brilliant guide. DOH, where was he when we needed him? The best bit about it was being on top of the bus and in the breeze as it has been a very hot and humid day. Severe thunderstorms predicted for tonight and tomorrow. Could be fun.



The lane behind our hotel…enclosed, looks awesome. Lots of shops here also and there are huge areas of shops underground in Montreal, 1,600 shops according to the guide



A cute sight from the bus, we saw several of these groups



And even cities have to receive brick deliveries…feel sorry for them with some of the skinny winding streets they have to negotiate in the old part of town



Liked the look of this silhouette sculpture of wolves



Also the awning with the Blues Brothers above this Jazz restaurant



We found bikes parked up in heaps of places throughout the city and even when they weren't in groups like this they were often in1's and 2's behind cars at intersections



This was a sculpture at the door of the Centre of Contemporary Art , looked like glass and turns out it was and apparently took 3 months to assemble here and will soon be removed to protect it from super cold weather. The exhibition it is part of has been so popular that it has been open 7 days a week. Very cool!



St Joseph’s Oratory (210m high) as we climbed the road to Mount Royal



A misty view from the top of Mount Royal over the Olympic Stadium and part of the city



Montreal’s Cathedral (a reduced scale mode of St Peters Basilica in Rome) and surrounds



Notre Dame Basilica (Montreal Version) looks a lot like the Paris one from the front



A quirky way to tour the city and I swear the front horse stood up straighter when I focused the camera

A bit of a dilemma this morning. Montreal had a forecast of 33c and humid but had been told if we stayed north of the St Lawrence River the road would be more curvy BUT there was a heavy cold front coming in from the north so instead we decided to cut and run and came into Montreal via the freeway / motorway / highway / parkway (whatever it is called here). We were in for a late lunch and got a tip from the bellboy who was rapt with our bikes of a great spot to go for yummy food. By the way the 33c hasn't eventuated and we had rain or drizzly mist and wet roads nearly all the way to Montreal. The roads only dried out when we were well along the city freeway and we still have low cloud with the tops of multi storey buildings disappearing into the mist.



Waiting for our table at ‘Olive + gourmando’ which was really hopping. We sat down at 2.30pm after waiting 10minutes for a table (seat about 50) and it was well worth waiting for DELICIOUS. People continued to queue for tables the whole time we were there and the lunch crowd gradually moved on to the afternoon coffee and cake crowd



We had just left the café when we saw this W Model Kenworth trying to see-saw his way around a corner and then shortly after we met him coming back to attack the street from a different angle and started pumping out something from somewhere. Certainly the right size motor for the job!



This building has been a hospital / hospice for a couple of hundred years. The partially demolished wall was to make way for St Pierre Street to the St Pierre River



An impressive couple of buildings at the end of St Pierre Street (goes down beside our hotel) onto the old dock area on the river. Across the river we found an ugly example of modern architecture (as well as a couple of other examples I won’t include here) and a massive silo arrangement with rusting metal and broken windows everywhere we looked.

Bits and Bobs:



An interesting ‘No Parking’ sign we found at the Ottawa Civilisation Museum – basically ‘Park here and you will visit court and the judge and their gavel will deal with you’



Have seen many of these throughout Canada, just missed one for Moose as well, and might find another one later on.



On our way to lunch Norm said “Oh I just had a terrible sinking feeling” when I asked what he was talking about he pointed to the sign above.



Spotted this on our way to lunch also. They were very small one way streets; perhaps it is to discourage racing through the streets….or excessive noise….who knows. Never seen one before.



On our table at lunch.

Last night’s Accommodation:



Minto Suite Hotel
185 Lyon Street North
Ottawa ON K1R 7Y4

The Hotel was a nice place to drop for a couple of nights. Comfortable space within the hotel and our room, lovely restaurant and facilities and the staff are great. Convenient with all we wanted to see. Small kitchen so possible to be self-contained if wanted. Couldn’t ask for more. Bikes are safely tucked away in the underground car park so happy about that and we were free to roam this great capital city of Canada. Taxi at the door all hours. Good value for money.

We also shared a lovely dinner in the adjacent Prime 360 Steakhouse with Sharen and Ken.