Wandering Retirees

Saturday, July 20th

Lovely day

Heading to NS by way of the ferry from Bar Harbor to Yarmouth. A breezy 3-hour tour. (Couldn’t resist.)

Loading was easy and kind of fun. Strapped our bikes to the deck so they remain stable at sea.

A bit of camaraderie among the riders who all park together. Riders from all over NA, including a fellow returning to NS from a tour of the southeast US. He proudly stated that he has visited 26 US states so far and intends to see all of them. Neat!

Arrived and unstrapped our bikes. I waited for our turn and headed to the pier. Connie and all other passengers were given a lift on a very fancy cart. This makes riding sometimes slick decks a little easier.

Forgot my phone on board. Ugh! Had to clear customs then ask for help. The ferry’s crew and the border staff were really kind and offered their help once all passengers had come ashore. We were asked to wait in an office on the Canadian side of the fence with two Ferry Company CSR’s, Sasha and Jackie who couldn’t have been kinder. In our conversation, Jackie offered that she is a rider, too. Her beauty is a 1981 Vespa scooter that still runs like a top. She even has an image tattooed on her bicep. Pretty impressive, if you ask me.

After a half hour of so, there was an announcement over the walk-in-talkies that my phone was found. Dale, the supervisor and a couple of the staff came to return it on their way out for the day. We are so grateful and they were really pleased to help out. Smiles and good feelings all around.

Oh, Man, I was lucky.

We finished our day having seafood at … Rudders Sea Food. I had lobster and Connie had fish and chips. Scrumptious and fresh. The restaurant was packed and had Worth the ride!

Speaking of which, we rode all of 12 miles today.

Sunday, July21st – on to Halifax

Logging 250 miles we made up our riding averages today. Leaving Yarmouth, we wound more or less along the southern coast, mostly on Rtes 3 and 103. Great riding through so many lovely little towns.

At lunch time we stopped in Lunenberg, a coastal village that boasts being is one of only two urban communities in North America designated as a UNESCO World Heritage site. Seventy percent of the original colonial buildings from the 18th and 19th centuries are still standing and in use. We stopped in a little cafe that served “Donairs”. What are they, you ask? They are a mix between a Döner Kebab (spiced lamb on pita with veggies and a yogurt sause) and Gyros (which are familiar to many Americans. I won’t say more, except that they are delicious and you should try one.

From Lunenberg, we continued on to Peggy’s Cove, site of a beautiful lighthouse on a rocky promontory. We had a coffee and a gander at the stark beauty of this part of the coast. (There might be a picture or two available.)

While there, we met Allen who lives in Halifax and rides a big Harley. We soon found ourselves wrapped in a wonderful conversation about just about everything. Allen is a 27 year vet of the Canadian military who served two tours in Afghanistan (Kandahar), the Middle East and Syria, among others. He follows American politics and actions closely, as do so many Canadians because Americas actions have profound effects beyond our borders. His perspective is eye opening, thoughtful and worth hearing. And kind. No great debates were settled, but we were glad we met.

From Peggy’s Cove we wound our way to Halifax and the luxurious Halifax Hotel where we will spend two nights. The family concierge and hard bargainer got us a suite for a song. We shall wallow in splendor while touring the capital of Nova Scotia.