I had a really nice breakfast with Claude on Monday morning, he had been so incredibly welcoming and although he had to go to work he told me not to rush and it was no problem if I wanted to stay. I knew I was behind on the blog so I sat and updated that then I was dressed, packed and ready to go. However I just didn't feel ready to leave, I sat in the sun on the back step of his house and called Jenn who still worked in the building we had all shared. We had a great conversation and she asked me why I was rushing back to Ottawa!! To cut a long story short, I stayed, Claude ended up having the afternoon off and I got to spend some more precious time with him. I even spoke with Kriz, my old roommate (we had all previously worked at the same base) who is currently on basic training with the military. It was a damn near perfect day!!
The next morning I was on the road early, my destination Canal Lake, on the Severn Trent waterway system near Bolsover where Rod and Carmel who I had met in a cafe in the rain in Little Current, then again on the ferry had a cottage. They were heading out for dinner so I wanted to get there early afternoon so I could spend some time with them. I navigated my way through Barrie surprisingly easily, followed a back road close to the shore of Lake Simcoe past some huge and probably incredibly expensive houses and into Orillia. I went past the Ontario Provincial Police headquarters, made a quick stop at Tim Hortons and headed out of town. While stopped at a traffic light I noticed a little British shop and couldn't resist a look. I have to say the Wee British Shoppe is probably the best I have been in and I ended up with some Jaffa cakes, Jelly babies and fruit pastilles. Dave clearly knows his customers well and so was interested in where I was from, when I pointed to the bike outside and told him I was cycling across Canada he kept saying "no way, no way"!! and asked for a picture for his website!!
Unfortunately I had to ride into the wind for the last section. But Rod cycled out to meet me and whisked me down the dirt road to their cute cottage on the lake. I have never really been to a cottage, it seems to be mythical place where Ontarion's escape the city, normally near a lake. This one was amazing, full power, water etc. and I got to sleep in the guest cabin at the foot of the garden by the lake. We had some time to chat before they left, Carmel and Rod are originally from Northern Island, he is a family doctor and that has led to them work all over the world. They had left their kayak out for me so I went for an evening paddle to explore the lake. As it was mid-week it was really quiet and I even saw a graceful heron.
The date on this bridge was 1905.
Now I just had to remember which dock I left from!!
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