Cape Forchu once moreOne more day in Nova Scotia, and then a ride on The Cat... But first things first, breakfast! Twyla was up early baking as usual, presenting a breakfast of fruit salad, fresh brown bread to accompany morning eggs, and wonderful pumpkin muffins. Too much food for first thing in the morning, so the muffins came along on my bike for a mid-morning snack.
Sunny sky instead of fog
Sea water sparkles
I started my morning on foot, wandering through Yarmouth map in hand, following the official walking tour. There are some beautiful structures in town, old houses built in the mid- to late 1800s. Detailed (outdoor) woodwork, windows, widow's walks made the buildings drew my eyes and camera, and friendly residents of the town greeted me as I wandered.
Once I was done circling the center of town by foot, I headed back to the Guest-Lovitt House to rejoin my bicycle. The sky was gray when I started riding, and my two-wheeled goal for the day was to see the Cape Forchu Lighthouse in conditions other than fog. Heading to that lighthouse in fog was my first ride in Nova Scotia, and returning today was my last ride in Nova Scotia (of this trip, that is). The gray sky stayed in place almost until I reached the lighthouse, and then suddenly the sky changed from gray to blue. What a difference a bit of sunshine makes.
Riding, walking, visiting the Yarmouth County Museum, and then suddenly it was time to head for the ferry. As I stood with my bike waiting for the clock to roll around to boarding time, the owner of the Goodwin Hotel in Weymouth came up to chat. That was the place I stayed my second night in Nova Scotia. The bike made it pretty easy for her to remember me - although I have to admit that she had to remind me of where we had met - and she stopped by to say hello and to see how the rest of my trip went. Her daughter had surprised her with a birthday trip to Bar Harbor; it sounded like the surprise trip was well received. And it was fun to talk with her again.
As I was standing in the ferry lot looking at the cars lined up to board, it seemed like there weren't a large number of cars. Just out of curiosity, I asked the guy who appeared to be sorting vehicles by size. He said that today's load is relatively light, with only about 100 cars. The capacity of The Cat? Apparently it can swallow 250 cars and 14 buses or large trucks. I find that amazing.
Jeannine & Frank - the cyclists from Switzerland who I met in Shelburne - joined me in waiting to be waved aboard the ferry. We boarded together, and spent an enjoyable trip talking about cycling and traveling. The sky was still clear when we left Yarmouth, and we stood on the tail of the boat watching the swath of waves that followed the boat as we moved relatively slowly through the harbor. Once we passed Cape Forchu light and moved into open water, the speed of the boat increased and the air became more chilly. We headed inside and found a table to call our home for the voyage. The blue sky eventually disappeared in fog, and the fog stayed with us for quite a while. Just before we pulled in to Bar Harbor, the setting sun started to emerge from the fog, as did the outline of the hills of Mt. Desert Island.
Maine for two nights and a day... and my sights for tomorrow are focused on Acadia National Park.
