Deja Vu all Over Again: Day 82 - New Glasgow to Antigonish NS, the Costal Route - And Then We Pedalled...... Cross Canada 2015

August 23, 2015

Deja Vu all Over Again: Day 82 - New Glasgow to Antigonish NS, the Costal Route

We set off this morning on a very quiet road heading east from New Glasgow. It was overcast but warm. The air was thick. It wasn't raining but you could feel the moisture in the air as you road through it. The forest around us was green and lush, the road was winding past streams and up and down over small hills. The road signs and village names were bilingual, English and Gaelic. The churches, and there were lots of them, were plain and dour, their cemetaries filled with Frasers, McDonalds, MacPhearsons ..... and a few McLeods! There was a Battle of Culloden memorial!

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We could have been back on the west coast of Scotland, where we had lived for a number of years. But we weren't. We were in Scotland 2.0 (started long before there was any concept of 2.0!) and the riding, scenery and people were great.

It's called New Scotland for a reason.... Looking down on Arisaig harbour along the highway 245 costal route

If our goal today was just to get to Antigonish, we would have trundled down the TCH along a good shoulder for about 55 km. it would have been quick. It would have been relatively safe. It would have been noisy. And it would have been boring. That was not our goal.

Our goal was to get to Antigonish in the most interesting way possible. That meant taking McLelland Brook Road out to the coast to join onto the, what else, Coast Road (aka hwy 245) for 88 km through beautiful valleys, along the coastline of the Northumberland Striaght, through interesting but very small communities filled with friendly people. Oh, and we had to share this with a handful of other very courteous people in cars. I think we accomplished our goal.

Our first inkling this was going to be a really good day came right at the start. McLelland Brook Road started just outside our hotel. It wound along beside, what else, McLelland Brook, for about 10 km down to the sea side. Some of the best early morning riding we've had on this entire trip. That's where we joined onto the Coast Road and it had signs calling it The Artisan Route. Ten km along this we came to the very small community of Merigomish where there was a Sunday market starting at 10 am. It was 10:05. In we went. They had fresh clam chowder and blueberry cake, all made by the fine ladies of Merigomish. Why not call it eleven's like we used to do in Scotland? Soup and cake consumed we continued on to Arisaig harbour where there was a new distillery, Steinhart, and it was open for tours and tastings. Why not? Then into the harbour where we checked out the rebuilt lighthouse and saw the Dockside Cafe. Who can resist that? We couldn't.

We eventually made it into Antigonish and checked into the Keppoch Inn (which our new tour director, Mark's partner Debbie who is back in Ottawa, booked for us). When we were checking in, the owner, Garry, offered to drive us out to the restaurant we wanted to go to. Once again, why not? Even better he offered to pick us up and gave us a tour of the St Francis Xavier University campus. Thanks Garry, it was so generous of you to do this for us!

All in, a great day. Nova Scotia's all right by us!

The community hall at Merigomish where the market was starting

Some of the most beautiful vegetables I've ever seen on offer at the Merigomish market

Some really good chowder and blueberry cake too!

The very small community of Merigomish has an impressive list of Alumni... Including the guy who started the Klondike gold rush!

You know you're in a small town when winning $317.50 gets you a sign on the highway! Way to go Goldie!

We saw a detour and 'road closed' sign a few km's back. You can usually get around these on a bike...

Not this time though! Retreat and take a detour for a few extra km's on dirt roads

The lighthouse at Arisaig Harbour ... Originally from 1895 but rebuilt in 2007 by local volunteers

View from Arisaig harbour to The Frenchmans Barn rock. Apparently a French ship went aground here mistaking the rock for a building. The Scots won't let them forget it!

A Scot's church country. Basic and unpretentious, and this is a Catholic Church!

Farmland rolling into Antigonish. I can't resist taking pictures of cows and wind turbines together

Song of the day:

Do It Again by Steely Dan

A classic and roughly fitting with the Deja Vu theme of being back in Scotland ( at least the title, so what if the rest of it is about a low life gambling in Vegas)

Historical Monument of the day:

Lots to pick from but I like Robert Henderson, the chap from Big Island at Merigomish who found the first gold in the Klondike and started all that silliness back in 1896

Today's ride: 88 km (55 miles)
Total: 7,573 km (4,703 miles)

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