Distance: 131.8 km
Ride time: 7:08:37
Average: 18.5 km/h
Max speed: 50.8 km/h
Total: 42760 km
As the name Nova Scotia would suggest, there is a strong Scottish influence in this part of Canada – especially out here on Cape Breton where even some signs were now in Gaelic.
The weather had improved from yesterday, and I was enjoying a few rays of sun as I cycled along Bras d’Or Lake on my way to Sydney – no, not that Sydney, but the Nova Scotian North Sydney from where the ferry to Newfoundland leaves.
I had chosen the night ferry, thinking that I might as well spend the 8 hour crossing to get some sleep on board instead of staying in my tent. The ferry would be leaving at 11 pm, so I took it easy during the day, planning the breaks so that I would arrive in North Sydney at sunset.
As I rode into town I could see the ferry that would take me to Newfoundland – the final stage of this amazing ride through the Americas.
As I was waiting to board, I noticed another cyclist arriving at the terminal. Dan had been cycling from New Brunswick on his first bike tour, and we obviously had a lot of stories to exchange. We had both been too cheap to book a cabin for the night, but with the sleeping bag and mat I slept perfectly well on the floor as we made our way through the dark North Atlantic waters.
I’m very excited about what this final stage of America will bring. I will soon find out!
I’m going to be sad to see the end of the North American part of your trip! A great way to finish it off, though. Looks great!