Normal Play Resumes 30.6.09

The weather network is full of sadists...how can anyone stand there and tell millions of viewers that its going to be the same old same old with a smile on their face!!!!

Sadly they're right and its as dull as dishwater outside. However it's time to get out explore and I decide to visit Prince Edward Island (P.E.I.) today giving me the chance to cross the Confederation Bridge. The pics are not brilliant quality, even the camera was struggling with the poor light. Or it was my rubbish photography, probably the latter...

I wizz out of town and through Memramcook and Sackville and take the 16 to the bridge. There's nothing more boring than sticking to main roads when you don't have to.


You don't see many of these on a Sunday ride to Barmouth do you Mick?











Through Baie Vert you really could be in the middle of nowhere. On through Port Elgin and Melrose until we eventually get to the bridge.








The curved bridge is 12.9 kilometre (8 miles) long and is the longest in the world crossing ice-covered water. It took 4 years to build at a cost of one billion dollars and will cost 17 bucks to cross with the bike today. It remains the longest bridge in the world over ice covered water crossing the Northumberland Strait.


What you can't see in the picture is the fact that the bridge continues to curve to the left and includes even higher spans.




















The island is split into 3 counties, Kings, Queens and Prince. I head east and get off the main drag as soon as possible. As a newbie you quickly find that roads on the island are not always what they seem. A trip down to the nearest cove teaches you that just because there is tarmac on the approach to the bend does not necessarily mean there will be tarmc at the end. Hitting the foot of sand that awaited me soon taught me to be wary and to ease off the gas.














P.E.I. is potato country. Every single field is full of them for mile after mile. Undoubtedly the rich red soil is perfect for growing.

Lighthouse at Victoria by the Sea

Sadly the weather fails to improve and the sky gets slowly darker. By the time I getto Charlottetown I head north along 15 toward Backley Beach. I keep west on the coast road across Oyster Bed bridge through the Rustico villages (I think there were 5 of them all sharing the same town name).

As usual the freeloader is doing absolutely nothing other than chillin'

By the time I cross into Prince's county it's starting to rain so the camera goes away. Cavendish looks like the vacation capital of the island and looks ready set up for the holiday season, when it arrives.

This is rush hour on P.E.I. and as you can see it's going to chuck it down.

From here I head back south throug Stanley Bridge and Springfield back toward the bridge where I'm duly relieved of my 17 bucks, and it's back into New Brunswick.

Instead of taking the main route home I keep to the coast road. Through Murray Corner and the provincial park is fab. Absloutley empty of traffic and wonderful scenery. Little Shemoque, LeBlanc Shemoque and towards Cap Pele.

I'm so hungry by now I could eat this...

By the time I get into Moncton it's raining hard once again. Despite the crappy weather P.E.I. is a great place to visit. It takes about 10 minutes to et into the island mentality. Nobody seems to be in a rush, nobody speeds, everyone waves.
If this was a beer it would come super chilled...

Every one is complaining about the weather. Its the wettest coldest start to summer here in years. It's not just local either. There is a depressioj sitting over eastern Canada that's 1500 miles long and wide and is refusing to go anywhere.

I'm seriously hoping it does.

Mileage today about 200 mls.