Sunday, 27 August 2023

Truro to Antigonish, Nova Scotia

I am back on the bike for what should be my final "across Canada" stage. My last stage in 2022 was Truro-Halifax. I am not starting in Halifax this year, but rather Truro--so the Truro-Halifax piece ends up being somewhat superfluous. 

I flew into the Halifax airport on Friday evening with my bike in a box, and I rented a car to drive to Truro. I checked into a nondescript motel and unpacked the bike. All looked to be in good shape as I put it together. My hope was to ride abut 60 kilometres to New Glasgow yesterday, after I had returned the car and bussed back to Truro. But, the weather had other ideas. 


More specifically, a rather drastic sounding rainfall warning made me change my mind and spend another night in the motel. 


I drove the car back to the airport around noon, managed a quick visit to the aviation museum, and then caught the bus back to Truro, just down the street from my motel. I spent the rest of the afternoon and evening watching TV, reading, and playing games on my phone as the rain came down outside. 

With yesterday a loss, I was originally hopeful I could do 160 kilometres today as I set out. The morning was damp, but nothing particularly bad.


As I reached New Glasgow or so, however, things changed. Rain became heavy, visibility poor, and with water and humidity covering my eyeglasses I had to take them off to see!


So, while sheltering and resting under an overpass, I opted to book a hotel in Antigonish and call the day at 114 kilometres. I arrived just before 14:30, so plenty of time to dry off, do some laundry, and get the shoes aired out. 


It has been grey and dark ever since I got to Nova Scotia, so I was amazed to look outside around 19:00 and see the sun! I had not planned to go out, but it looked so lovely I could not resist! I walked into the town of Antigonish . . .


. . . through the campus of Saint Francis Xavier University . . .


. . . and eventually to Candid Brewing, where I was able to enjoy a beer and a bit of a Celtic jam session going on!

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