Clad in wooden shoes
Port-Royal reconstruction
Next stop Digby Gut
Morning seems to come very quickly each day, in spite of the fact that sleep comes early each night. I opened my eyes slowly (and yes, I did hit the snooze on my alarm) to find another gray day. That seems to be the norm here; maybe the sun will appear, but I'll be surprised if it does. It's a bit nippy out too, and it seems like extra layers will be warranted.
Rather than sitting solo at a small table at breakfast, I joined George at his large but empty (except for him) table. He's from Toronto but grew up here in Annapolis Royal. We were also joined by a couple from Virginia. It was another morning of good breakfast conversation along with an excellent breakfast. Belgian waffles topped with fresh strawberries and blueberries gave me a good burst of energy to start the day.
As is my usual habit, I browsed through the welcome pamphlet for the inn, and I just loved this piece of history:
"The Hillsdale House was built in about 1860 by Susan Forbes Foster of Clifton House, on land that had been the exercising ground for the garrison. She operated Hillsdale as a first-rate inn. The property included a large barn with glassed-in henhouse, a piggery, an icehouse and a large orchard. In 1872, Miss Foster married widower Edwin Ryerson in the double parlor of the house. Evidently, she was a thorough businesswoman; before the wedding, Ryerson was required to sign an elaborate pre-nuptial agreement in which Foster retained complete control over her property."That fact that a pre-nuptial agreement like this one - with the property retained by the woman - was signed so long ago definitely surprised me. Obviously Susan Forbes Foster Ryerson is long gone now, but this inn is quite a legacy.
Time to face that somewhat cool (but still dry) weather on my bike....
I started with a stop - of course - at Cheri's Convenience to pick up Powerade (not my favorite, but the blue Powerade is a good substitute for my usual Gatorade) and spent some time chatting with Cheri. I am still amazed at how much time I can spend talking with perfect strangers on these trips. That's something that definitely makes my days interesting.
Dark gray skies and fog over North Mountain made my route decision for me. Two miles to the east, and then my bike turned west to head towards my day's destination of Victoria Beach. And no, it's not a beach, just a town with a beach name. I warmed up quickly on this rather chilly morning, and I sent a request to the weather wizard to keep the roads dry.
My first stop - other than my normal stops along the road for photographs - was at Port-Royal Habitation, which is a reconstruction of a small French settlement that was started in 1605. This apparently was one of the earliest European settlements on this continent. According to the local visitor's guide, the area was settled "two years before Jamestown, Virginia, three years before the founding of Quebec, and fifteen years before the Pilgrims landed at Plymouth, Massachusetts". Of interest - short but tall bunk beds with no visible means of getting in to the upper bunks, bedding on the floor in the attic in front of open windows, lines of wooden shoes in several of the living areas. The staff at the site were all dressed in period clothes - including wooden shoes. Well, really, wooden clogs. As soon as I noticed the shoes, I had to ask if they were comfortable - and the men I asked claimed that they were. I wonder if that was the truth or if that was an official statement.
Enough history for me, time to head back down the road. I continued my ride over rolling terrain, heading to the end of the spit of land. My cameras stayed hidden for a bit, insisting on staying under cover during a brief rainy period. Riding, looking, absorbing. The road stayed next to the water for a good portion of the ride, but eventually veered a little more inland. Ah, entering Victoria Beach. The road continues to unwind in front of my wheels, just a little more ground to cover. But before the end of the road, Crimson Sails appeared, and it was time to stop for lunch. Most of my mid-day food on this trip has been energy bars and occasionally fruit, but Crimson Sails is a roadside stand that was recommended to me by both Paul & Val (the owners of the inn that's my current home away from home) and by Russ & Cheryl (who I met in a park during yesterday's ride). The place had standard roadside stand fare - which wouldn't have put it on my list of potential lunch spots. But - it is run by a woman from the Ukraine who also features some Russian & Ukranian food. My lunch? Potato & cheese perogies topped with both butter and sour cream made my stomach very happy. That was a lunch to bike on!
Now, on to the end of the road. The wind was relatively strong all day, and as I reached Digby Gut it felt like a strong swirling force. I walked out on a dock to get a good view of the relatively narrow opening between two skinny strips of land. I attempted to capture some photos of a massive flight of gulls, and enjoyed the play of light on the water. As I walked back to my bike - which was happily resting leaning up against a dockside building - a couple in a car stopped to ask me where they were. It was actually a pretty funny question given that the people asking the question live in Kentville, Nova Scotia - which is a bit east of here - and the person they were asking (me!) doesn't live anywhere near here. I suppose it helps that as a visitor, I'm always wandering around with maps tucked in my bag. I really didn't need to look at the map to tell them that they were at Digby Gut, but I did need the map to show them where they were. They joined me in walking up what we thought was a very steep road leading up to one of those little short lighthouses. Once we got up to the level of the light we realized that it wasn't a road but someone's driveway. Funny.
The end of the road meant that it was time for me to begin my return journey. You would think that riding the same road twice in a single day would be boring, but that really isn't the case. Different things pop out at me when I'm traveling in the opposite direction. I saw someone's version of yard art as I was heading east that was hidden by trees and plans as I headed west. It was two bicycles, painted green, and mounted on a center bicycle wheel. A rather odd display that was essentially in someone's yard - but one of my cameras insisted that we stop for a picture.
A little further down the road, an approaching car stopped. And yes - it was Russ & Cheryl, stopping to say hello, to see how my ride was going, to ask where I ended up staying in Annapolis Royal. What fun - to meet people along the road and then to see them again on another day. Just another sign of the magic of touring...
A day of changing weather ended with brilliant blue skies decorated with some puffy white clouds. That was a far cry from this morning's cold gray start. I started the day in my normal biking attire plus a sleeveless long underwear tank, arm warmers, leg warmers, and a wind vest. At one point the sky was adorned with two streaks of clear blue between dark gray clouds, but the blue disappeared again very quickly. After my stop at Port Royal the mist that was coating my glasses changed to a little bit of light rain, so I swapped the vest for my rain jacket. The rain didn't stay very long, but my jacket stayed on for quite a while since it was still quite cool out. It was a swirling wind kind of day, and as I pedaled into it on the way back, those extra layers hopped back into the single pannier I was carrying. Ah, back to summer riding attire...
I didn't start riding until quite late today, and with my frequent stops and dawdling along the road, it was 4:30 before Hillsdale House loomed on the horizon. My first task - as usual after riding through wet conditions - was to clean and relube my bike. The rain was really light, so the bike was just a bit dusty, not too bad. Clean bike, now it's time for a clean Denise. And time for food too.
And my decision is made - I'm staying here tonight and tomorrow night too, so I'll have another day to explore this area before I move on.
