Where do we go now?

Well that's the question really. Where to head next?

My initial answer was simple: try to get back to the UK. I planned my return journey a fair while ago, but that involved me trekking to Halifax, where my flight back to the UK was leaving from.

I had left plenty of time to get there, but the problem with travelling on Newfoundland is that places are quite far apart and not a huge amount of public transport. Now I hear you say, just hop on your bike already! But it's a hefty 80 mile ride to get to the ferry, my bike is incredibly knackered, and, to be honest, I know the hills I have to conquer to get there (I've already cycled over half of them) and I don't know if I fancy trying to tackle them again!!

So after asking around for lifts from the very few people I knew in St Johns, sadly none of them were heading out in that direction, so a new plan came into being: get to the highway and hitch hike!

The day dawned possibly as one of the wettest I've experienced here in Canada - a severe weather warning had been issued for that day and the previous evening for torrential rain and high winds - and I dragged myself out into the storm at a healthy 6am.

It took me an hour of peddling uphill to get to the highway, and then I started to stick my thumb out and start flagging down cars. It didn't take long before someone took pity - no one would wish people to be out cycling in this weather after all! - and the wonderful Ronnie helped me out with a ride to the Whitbourne junction, a good two thirds of the way there.

And then Brenda came into my life. She picked me up just after the junction, and was a great bundle of laughs and fantastic stories. She brought me into her home for bacon and eggs, took me to the local pub for a pint, and packed me off to the ferry with a bag stuffed full of food. AND (I feel it was fate running into her) I finally saw a moose on Newfoundland! It ran right out into the road in front of us, making us both jump and shriek 'IT'S A MOOSE!!!!' In the excitement of it all I managed to get a great photo....of the car's dashboard and the white van that scared the moose away - good to see my photography skills have improved over my time here, at least I attempted to take a picture this time!

Damn you white van man!!

Final pint in Newfoundland

The ferry was long: 15 hours spent on a boat to get back to the mainland is a fair amount of time to spend twiddling your thumbs. Though I wasn't short of people to talk to: hilariously, news was spreading about the girl from Manchester (the best place I decided to describe myself from, apparently everyone has heard of Manchester United...I should probably explain here that I grew up in a Liverpool supporting household, and wasn't particularly impressed when this was brought up.... Sorry I'm digressing!!) who had cycled across the country, so I had a few people come up to me to ask me about my travels. This included a lovely chap who had done a lot of walking holidays in the UK, and the intense biker named Dwight; he didn't really understand the importance of a personal bubble when meeting someone new, nevertheless an interesting guy, who had travelled a lot of the country on his motorcycle (not proper biking of course!) and understood the wonderful simplicity of living with very few possessions and feeling content with what little he had.

People watching 

The view from my window seat

But I spent the majority of my journey sitting and talking with the lovely Don and Sharon, who were from Newfoundland and heading to the mainland for a short holiday; no fixed arrangements, just seeing where the road would take them for a week or so, they were celebrating Sharon's completion and freedom from radiotherapy.

Getting to Halifax involved more hitchhiking, and I felt very lucky to be picked up by a pair of fellow tourers (who were travelling to a wedding that day - I really hope Mabel emails me her recipe for that chocolate date cake she gave me a slice of, it was simply divine!) and a fantastic drive down to Halifax with Brian, who was incredibly knowledgeable on local history, and the nation's favourite sport ice hockey, so we wiled away the drive easily.

So I've finally made it to my absolute, complete final destination! I've spent the last of my 'newly-meet' relatives Sara and Alan before I fly back to the UK in a few short days.

Sightseeing at Lunenburg

I've really enjoyed writing this blog - I was incredibly uncertain about it to begin with, and have been overwhelmed by the kind messages from people who have been following me on this journey.

I was struck by the Terry Fox quote that's engraved on his memorial in St Johns:

'I just wish people would realise that anything's possible if you try; dreams are made if you try'.

This was a wonderful thing to read at the end of my journey, and it confirmed a lot of what I've been learning on this trip - that you truly can do what you want if you try. A great deal of this trip was completely unknown for me - I sometimes think the only thing I actually knew was how to ride a bicycle! - and I'm proud to say that I feel like I've accomplished more than just a bicycle ride across a fairly large country. I hope you've enjoyed reading about this and the fascinating people and places as much as I've had fun divulging it all for you - I really have tried to make this more than a standard 'I'm cycling this far, listen to how much my legs hurt and the speed I averaged for the day' blog!

I think it's fair to say I've seen a decent chunk of Canada. However, I have decided that I am merely treating this trip as a reconnaissance; there is far more to see and do that I feel I have missed out on for the sake of reaching my destination on time. So it is definitely fair to say that I will most certainly be back!

And so, where to now? That, my friends, is a very good question - if you have any suggestions then please get in touch! My bike could do with a bit if a breather, but my mind is already plotting for the next adventure. Let's wait and see where the next few months of planning take me...but for now, it is most definitely time for a brew!