August 1st, 2017, Day 72, Victoria-by-the-Sea to Charlottetown, PEI. 55 km

August 1st……already. What a whirl we’ve been on this summer! We have had hard times, cold, windy times, rain, blazing heat, hills, mountains, soggy feet, itchy bug bitten bodies, sore shoulders, leg cramps, and we’ve been so tired we’ve fallen asleep in seconds anywhere. It’s been phenomenal. Now we’re realizing that time is moving on and soon we’ll be back to real life. Ahh…. we are grateful that we have good things to go back to. 

I had expected lighthouses to be bigger than the one we camped beside last night. It was a real lighthouse, I was assured,  but now ships and boats  use GPS to find their way ashore safely. The alarm went off at 6:50. We had 40 minutes to do our morning Bible reading, pray, dress, pack up our tent and bikes and get to Bob’s house for coffee. We could see his house from our quiet stealth campsite.

Bob and Mary Lea Gray greeted us at their airy, comfortable cottage overlooking the water. Mary Lea and her sister, Betty, who was visiting from Montreal and joined us a little later, grew up on the Island. Like many people we’ve spoken to who once left the island, they returned. The island must have some kind of emotional magnetism that draws it’s own home again. Bob is an American from Pittsburgh, who worked all over the world in the finance industry. He is proud that he never missed an opportunity to live and experience other cultures, other parts of the world. He laughed as he told us that he was here because he’d married an island girl. Said that that was what happened to many men…  They have enjoyed cycling as well, to all parts of the island as well as in other parts of the world. 

We had breakfast; oatmeal with blueberries and bagels with cream cheese along with the promised coffee. Betty came down and we talked about Montreal and how much we love it there too. This was another jewel of an experience, another example of the goodness and kindness of strangers. I can’t express how my heart feels. I could cry. People have been incredibly, enormously, open and giving to us. Charlie and I are both feeling overwhelmed and feel like we ourselves have not been giving enough. We’ve been on the receiving end this whole time. Thank you, thank you, thank you, every single one of you!

Our short term destination today was Argyle Provincial Park, which was enroute to Charlottetown.     Along our route we crossed paths with Suzane and Marc. They live in West Vancouver but spend their summers in Charlottetown. Suzane grew up here. The two were having a perfect morning cycling a circular route and we stopped to chat. There was an instant connection and we were all laughing and talking. They invited us to stay at their place tomorrow night as we already have somewhere for tonight. “And we’ll make you dinner. Now, when you pass Cornwall, don’t forget to stop at Mary’s Cornwall Bakery. They make the best cinnamon buns on the island”. We found it! And we look forward to the fun we’ll have with them tomorrow night!

At Argyle Provincial Park the grass drops down an embankment to the red mud/sand beach. The tide was out and you could walk a long way before getting to the ocean, the  waves lapping gently against your ankles. I’ve wanted to walk alongside the ocean for a long time. We did. For about 3 hours we walked and poked around in the little tidal pools, collected shells and let the wind whip through our hair, the sun shine on our shoulders. It was warm with a refreshing ocean breeze.  Charlie tried out something he’d heard about. He borrowed the toilet plunger from the bathroom and “pumped” for clams. He didn’t find any but that plunger is very clean  now.  . Jol, Charlie’s brother who had business on the island joined us for a little picnic and after he left, Charlie found a grassy spot near our bikes and had a nap. (We made sure the grass snake that had been under my bike had moved on.) 

We rode to Charlottetown, stopping for dinner at a Chinese food buffet. How Charlie loves those! And he definitely got his money’s worth!  

Our refuge for the night was the home of a friend of Chantal’s friend, who had said they’d host us for a case of beer. Veronica and Adam have been together since they were 14 and 15 respectively and they are going strong. Adam is a plumber and Veronica has her Masters in Social Work and counsels young people. They have 1 year old twins, a girl, Vienna and a boy, Maverick. The babies go to bed at around 6:30 and sleep about 12 hours without a peep.  We asked her how that happened and she explained that she read a lot about it and employed a method where all “sleep props” are removed at bedtime. She said that if babies get used to being rocked to sleep or to having a soother, cuddling with a stuffed toy, or to whatever else, that when they awaken that’s what they want/need to get back to sleep. She said she learned that by removing all those things, the babies have to learn to sleep without them. The initial two weeks were brutish but it’s been smooth sailing ever since. Amazing! 

They have a lovely home with a divinely comfortable guest room. We showered, visited with them for a bit, then crashed. Another incredible day!

Thank you Adam and Veronica!