Red Bay-Ferry-Flowers Cove

August 18, 2016

We awakened early to catch our shuttle back to the Ferry. The 10:30 am departure time was too early to cycle that distance. We heard there was a mechanical problem on yesterday afternoon's ferry causing it to come in several hours late. If that would have happened to us days ago we would have unloaded on the Labrador side as darkness was falling with a very difficult ride to our B&B in the dark. Rhona had a total of 18 blackfly bites, an aching back and was cold when boarding the ferry. A hot breakfast helped a little.

Rhona's ferry picture makes it look like it was beached instead of docked.

We had only 13 miles to ride to our B&B but the last two were into a strong chilling headwind. Prevailing winds are supposed to be from the southwest (tailwinds for us) but so far the winds have been contrary.

This bleak landscape was photographed at Flowers Cove. Although we tried we could not cycle out to the house as it is on an island and was the lighthouse keeper's home.

We stayed at French Island B&B (709-456-2712) The owner, Maggie Chambers was a retired local educator so we had a lot in common. When we stopped at the local visitors center we asked the teenager if she knew Maggie, which of course she did as virtually everybody on the town had her as a teacher in school. Maggie told us they had polar bears prowl on her back patio the past several summers. While planning this tour I saw polar bears pictures on some of the tourism promotion websites but assumed they were pictures from far north in Labrador, not mainland Newfoundland. Cycle touring in remote areas where Polar Bears roam seems even more adventurous than our previous excursions in Grizzly Bear country in the United States.

We had minor bicycle mechanical problems as one tire went flat. We pushed it down the road to where we could change it in the lee of a bank. Also, one of the potholes jarred the magnet loose from our front wheel so the wireless computer/odometer no longer worked. While walking in town, Rhona wore her cycling jersey, wool sweater, windbreaker, raincoat, gloves and earbags (a type of earmuff) and felt even colder when we passed two local women on their exercise walks wearing tank tops. No pictures were taken of the women...

Today's ride: 30 miles (48 km)
Total: 350 miles (563 km)

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