It did stop eventually although it came back quite heavily a few times during the day. I've gone on a lot about the rain and then looking at the photos it mostly seems dry and bright - well explanation is simple, not a lot of point taking photos in the downpours and fog I've ridden through - this, for example was the "view" from quite a famous Viewpoint...
First deviation was over to an Island I hadn’t even heard of
or picked up in the map – St Joseph Island accessed up to 3 years ago by a ferry but now by a new bridge.
Just though I’d have a look and am
so glad I did. It is absolute paradise. My ignorance would have put it in Lake
Huron but it is apparently in St Mary’s River and at 99,000 acres it is the
second largest freshwater island in the world - Manitoulin Island, the largest
(which I didn’t get to) is just next door as it happens. It just has
everything, except people and traffic - rolling hills, pastel coloured wooden
clapper board houses, forests, fields, beaches, coves and harbours. I must, I
will, go back. Spent half hour or so talking to the harbour master and a guy
doing his garden near a church I visited both of whom, of course, sang the
islands praises. Trouble is none of this was in the planning so already a bit
behind schedule.
Visited the museum – Closed of course – but looked around
outside anyway. And there was a new slant - yes of course all the old houses, schoolrooms etc. which I won't try your patience with - but, now pieces of rock, sorry Puddingstone!
Admit I thought – yeah right – when it said
it isn’t found in any other places, but apparently it isn’t.
Puddingstone with
different constituents is found in a few, very few, specific places, but each has its own unique make up – this one contained pieces of jasper. Another example is Hertfordshire Puddingstone, found in
Herts, England funnily enough.
Will say one thing about the Curator though, he or she has a real eye for a treasure....
Back on the mainland I rode east to Sudbury and Parry Sound
where I would eventually turn South for the final leg.
What the Americans can do with Cadillacs the Canadians do in
a much more subdued form…
I came across a meeting at this round barn attended by
people from a community similar to the Amish – I admit I don’t know what they
were. Felt ok photographing some of their buggies but it didn’t seem right to
photograph them without asking permission and they all seemed to be
socialising.
This is the Mississagi. I know some rivers in Europe look as big but they of course empty into the sea.
I bumped into this group of paratrooper vets at a coffee
stop – yes a Tim Horton’s. Now these are guys that jumped out of aeroplanes to kill people and look how they are dressed - believe me now about the weather? Anyhow it was good to see Harley riders wearing more
protective clothing than I was. I
mentioned it to the black guy front left and his opinion of his west coast
counterparts can’t be repeated here.
In Blind River there is the Loggers Memorial, a life-size
bronze sculpture of 2 “rive drivers” walking on logs to clear a log jam which
is a tribute to the contribution loggers have made to Canada’s development.
A bit outside Blind River I had to swerve to avoid what at first I thought was a piece of shredded lorry tyre - the roads are littered with the stuff. But when I saw what it was I couldn’t then leave him in the road. I went back and had a sickening couple of
minutes as 3 or 4 cars shot past, him, 2 actually straddling him. I actually chased him and shot
off the road at a surprising speed and never once said thanks. It is a Snapping
Turtle - didn’t want to put Froggy near him this time as he didn’t look
particularly friendly - and he didn't give me chance - so no sense of scale but his shell was about a foot long.
Got to Sudbury and decided to call it a day as my
concentration going and feeling quite tired – had been through lousy weather
again and traffic had been much heavier than previously – really had to keep up
with it rather than pulling over and waving it past.
Mixed feelings as last full day if things go to plan – but I
sense fatigue setting in a bit and that is when the wheels come off - figuratively if nit literally.
Let’s see what the last day brings.
