Retirement Rides: "Land and Marine Tour"; have come full circle, by bike and boats back to home

I arrived, safe and sound back home and was greeted lovingly at just past 1:00 yesterday. And what a difference the conditions for the ride on the stretch from Hawkesbury to Orléans from when I rode it in the reverse order back on Monday, July 25, the first day of the trip. That morning I was trying to outrace a big storm and it was dark, cold and raining heavily; yesterday it was sunny and hot, 34.5 degrees to be exact.

When you're riding a motorcycle the weather is a big deal. For most of this year's trip the weather was good. While there were a few showers, some cool temperatures particularly in the mornings, and fog on and near large bodies of water, there was nothing to delay my progress through Ontario, Québec, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia and Newfoundland.

The highlights of the trip are many. Let me start with the people. First there's Jane at home who acts as my off-site consultant/navigator/connection to family and the world in general while I'm on the trip. On our regular phone calls from the bike she shares my discoveries with enthusiasm and encourages me to move on safely and enjoy my trip. Then there are friends, old, ones like Peter and Jane who so graciously provided lodging, food, and most importantly companionship and intellectual stimulation in Annapolis Royal, and new ones, Line (pronounced Lynn) and Paul, the bikers from Boucherville with whom I had dinner in Port-Aux-Basques, and Ricardo, the explorer tourist guide biker from Bologna who rode with me from Have-St-Pierre to Sept-Iles and who shared some of his past adventures as we waited for our bikes to be put in a container in Blanc-Sablon and later at a coffee shop in Sept-Iles. And then there are the pure strangers who ask where I'm from and where I'm going, like the guy at the motel in North-Sydney who gave me a shammy to wipe the dew off my motorcycle, and who asked about my trip as I did so, There are also the waitresses in restaurants who take my orders and deliver my meals, or the clerks in the hotels and motels who cheerfully book me into my room and provide information on local sights,

As for the sights, again this year there are way too many to list. We live in such an amazing country. The geography is so vast and varied. There is always something beautiful to discover around the next corner or over the next rise. In my mind there's no better way to experience the sights, sounds and smells of the land than on a motorcycle. My Beemer is beyond doubt the best touring motorcycle ever built. It is a sturdy, comfortable,and maintenance free vehicle that takes me along into the ever changing scenery. How different the feeling is then observing it from behind a windshield. It's hard to explain it but I wish each person could live such an experience at some point in his or her life.

I enjoyed riding on some very some amazing roads on this trip and have mentioned many of them in previous posts. But some, like the route around Lac Timiscouata, the winding and definitely secondary Route 105 from Grand Falls to Woodstock New Brunswick, Route 1 along the Bay of Fundy coast from Digby to Grand Pré, Route 8 that crosses Nova Scotia from Annapolis Royal to Liverpool on the Atlantic Ocean coast, and route 155 south of La Tuque along the Saint-Maurice river, are worth a special mention.

On none of my previous trip have I spent so much time not riding while covering long distances. The crossings from Saint John to Digby, North Sydney to Part-Aux-Basques, and St-Barbe to Blanc Sablon broke up the voyage beautifully. Each was a pleasant and essential interlude and added much to the enjoyment of the trip.. The 2 day journey on the Bella Desgagné sailing down the North Shore of Québec was a remarkable lifetime experience. It really is the only way to see this part of Canada and I would recommend it highly to anyone with a sense of discovery.

I've tried to take you along for the ride and I hope that you have shared some of my joy. I am truly blessed to be able to take these annual motorcycle trips. They give me a chance to discover and appreciate different parts of North America and to see, and sometimes meet and speak, albeit ever so briefly, to the people who live there. I am also often reminded of who and what I have back home; and for my loved ones, friends, and my bed, I am tremendously grateful.

For those of you who care about statistics, here are a few:

Days away: 17
Days riding: 14

Accomodations:
Hotels/motels: 10 nights
Student accomodations: 2 nights
Private residence: 2 nights
Ship: 2 nights

Ships:
Fundy Rose - Saint John to Digby
Highlanders - North Sydney to Port-Aux -Basq1ues
Apollo - St-Barbe to Blanc-Sablon
Bella Desgasné - Blanc Sablon to Havre-St-Pierre

Total kilometres riden: 4,803
Gas: 225.14 L - $259.90 - 4.69L/100K
Oil: 3/4 L

And here is a final selection of pictures:

Art along the Fleuve Saint-Laurent