August 2, 2017, Day 73, around Charlottetown , 20km

Veronica and Adam are up extra early every morning. They have to get themselves ready before awakening their year old twins. They were up! We heard the occasional loud squawk and the thumping of tiny feet but no crying, no real fuss. Quickly, we stripped the bed, dressed, packed, and carried our bags upstairs. We wanted to leave as soon as possible and cause no interruption to their routine. We expressed our gratitude and rode off. But I do have to say, whether it’s nature or nurture, those kids are incredibly well behaved!

What a morning! There was no need for a sweater right from the get-go, although it was fresh when we were riding. The morning was curtained with fog and we could only see 3 or 4 car lengths ahead of us. The sun was trying to pierce through the mist and was covered in a heavy haze. It would soon burn off but it leant a mysterious appeal to the fields about us. I risked losing Charlie to take a few pictures.  

Breakfast was assembled and eaten down at the waterfront. A maintenance man stopped to chat. He had noticed us the evening before at the Chinese Buffet, Now he was excited to run into us again. He talked about his wife, his  kids, (2 and 1 on the way), his work, the townhouse he rents and how he manages to make his money stretch working only seasonally.  Many people really struggle to get by. We recognize that and respect them for their efforts, and at the same time are appreciative of how fortunate, how blessed we are.

It was still early and none of the shops in downtown Charlottetown were open. I wanted to wander a bit today; just look in all the little shops, see what they had.

We headed to Tim’s, located a little more centrally. I had my coffee, Charlie some OJ and we blogged. A man and his grandson stopped by and the elder told us about his cross Canada biking trip two years ago. He also reported that he’d benefited from a great number of astounding and unexpected acts of kindness and generosity , he agreed that truck drivers are the best, and that Ontario  was not a great place to ride a bike. We seem to be like magnets these days; anyone who has ever been on or thought of taking a bike trip comes over to tell us about their journeys. That also includes people that have had other adventures, like hiking the West Coast Trail or something similar. I love to meet them and hear their stories. Dave, “The Wandering Canuck. com” who we met in Manitoba and who is walking across Canada calls all these people “my tribe”. I know how he feels now.

We left Tim’s fully fuelled and ambled  down the street. Finally I asked Charlie if he could go find something to do. I wanted to look around the shops unhindered. We made arrangements to meet 3 hours later.

Freedom! I was in and out of little places as I pleased. I ate a Cows ice  cream cone, and  took pictures. It was fun but I ended up going to the wharf and finding Charlie early. We rode around a bit, then went to the very busy “Chip Shack”. We’d heard that they made the best French fries and lobster rolls in town. It’s just a tiny little place on the water’s edge with a long, long lineup.   We ordered a lobster roll with chips to split. I’m a little leery of lobster. I’ve had it before but I wasn’t  sure just how much I like it. I like it sorta, kinda, I think.  But given the choice between lobster and Alberta beef,  the beef wins hoofs down, every time.

Suzane and Mark were ready for us when we showed up at their home around 5:30, armed with a bottle of Argentinian Wine from A valley in Salta, a north western province of Argentina. We had actually been to this valley! That’s why I picked this wine. It had nothing to do with its colour or clarity, whether it’s “nose” was fruity or oakey or even if it was good! I didn’t know. But I knew we’d been to where it was born!

Yesterday after  Mark and Suzane had invited us to stay, Charlie said “We’re going to have fun with them!” And we sure did!   They were animated conversationalists, with lots of stories to tell, often interrupting each other and bickering in that fun way some people who have known each other for a long time do. Not in a derogatory manner, but in a kidding, lighthearted way. They met in grade 9 when he had to repeat the grade. She sat behind him and remembers how he used to toss his hair. She’d have nothing to do with him, despite his repeated attempts to capture her attention.  Suzane had a part time job and was always happy to see a particular man. He became her favourite customer. One night she went to a party at Mark’s house, just as a friend, just as a friend, and who should open the door but her favourite customer, Mark’s dad. Now she says she only married Mark because of his dad! We had dinner, drank the wine and talked like old friends. They have 4 kids all grown up and living independently, are semi-retired, exchanging their old jobs, (she as a day care provider, he as an engineer) for new responsibilities, renting out 2 Vancouver  and 1 Charlottetown homes with AirB&B. Hopefully we will get to host them when they next travel through Calgary. I want to hear more stories!