Wow, we only have one day left!!! I was worried about today. On this trip I've been known as an optimist, rarely able to resist a smile, but I was not very optimistic about today's ride. We had to bike about 140km and take a ferry for about 27km (1h 15min) with about 1000m climbing. This meant a long day was ahead. This morning before loading all the gear bags we had to load some bike boxes that had been picked up for us to pack our bikes in. We got on the road by 7:30. Sara and I rode in near silence for the first 35km (I was kind of grumpy from some not so great nights sleep). The way out of Charlottetown was hilly but just rolling hills, nothing too steep. It was beautiful. We had a rest stop at 35km and it was in the parking lot of a potato farm. 5 of the cyclists had purchased PEI jerseys in Charlottetown and were posing for pictures and being goofs (Len, Ian and Reuben!). I was surprised at the amount of people still at the rest stop, considering we had to be at the ferry by 10:45. We continued on not taking too many pictures. We arrived at the ferry terminal at 10:35 and therefore had no time to waste. We loaded the ferry on the main deck, leaning our bikes against the walls, 3 bikes thick. Once upstairs, Sara and I ate our lunch and then got COWS ice cream (on the ferry!!!). The ride passed by really quick. After the ferry we began the second half. It was about 64km to the ferry and about 74after. I was really hoping that I wouldn't be too stiff after the ferry ride. I wasn't, in fact I seemed to have more energy. We knew there were going to be some big climbs but we didn't know what grade they would be. We started a very gradual climb, and were hoping that that was as steep as it was going to get. Unfortunately there were bigger hills, that were steeper. Thankfully not much, but at first it was hard to get going. Then after the next rest stop I got an energy boost and I felt like I was going really fast. I left Sara and Bonita in the dust a few times. I quickly caught up to people and pass them but then I would stop to wait up for Sara and Bonita. It became like playing leapfrog. At one point I passed Peter and Marja on their tandem and took a photo, they always match in their outfits. When we had finished the majority of the climbing and were on some quiet roads that were mostly flat or slightly downhill. I was feeling giddy, and so I practiced my hands free biking. I am getting really good at it, the key is looking ahead in the distance where you want to head. We began our descent with some amazing downhills, I had great big smiles on my face. On one of the smaller hills, I had just gotten to the bottom of the hill and was rounding the corner when I saw Sara behind me turning around I stopped. I though maybe someone behind her had gotten a flat, turns out, her bike bag fell off when she hit a bump. I ended the days ride with a great mood, very excited to be done, but bittersweet because it means leaving my new family. We had entered the outskirts of Truro, and were on some rolling hills, we knew the church was after a little climb (according to the elevation chart). We turned one of the last corners on the cue sheet and looked up, up, up at a big hill. It started off gradual, flattened out for a few meters then climbed rather steeply at the end. At the part where it flattened out we could see one of our riders, so we hoped that we didn't have to climb that last steep section; ...no such luck. He was talking to a lady and her daughter. We stopped and Bonita gave the little girl one of our sea to sea promotional bike stickers. We struggled up this big hill, only to find that we had to turn right and go down the hill!!! Halfway down was the John Calvin CRC where we are staying. I got off my bike, and was briefly interviewed by the same retired reporter who had been in Ontario. He had Sara and I pose while he took a lot of photos. Then I ran up into the gear truck to see if we could sleep inside... yes we could!!! We found a room that still had space for us and claimed our spot. We grabbed our shower bag and caught our last shuttle to the showers for the tour. They were very nice showers. We were told tomorrow would be very chaotic, so we were advised to pack our laundry baskets today. I took all my stuff to a pew in the sanctuary and began organizing, throwing out all the things that I wouldn't need anymore. Dinner was at 6 and it was a huge selection; a feast really. There was roast beef, turkey, lasagna, mashed potatoes, homemade coleslaw, salads and then banana cream pie , coconut cream pie or pudding for dessert. It was scrumptious. The peloton didn't start until 7. There was more goodbye speeches. Doug, from my service team, spoke and shared his story of how God worked with timing when his wife got sick with a rare lung disease 22 years ago and then when she passed away in December of 2016. He had me in tears. Others spoke, more tears were shed. It was good to have these goodbyes but the evening started to get very dragged out and we hadn't even discussed the next days route. Earlier I had laid out tent out to dry, and now it was almost 8 and getting dark. In a short gap of speeches, I ran outside and grabbed our tent and put it in the lobby. I made it back in time to hear about tomorrow's route and to hear Ed's goodbyes. After peloton finished, after 8:30 we went back to pack up our tent and finish packing our duffle bags. It felt very strange to be emptying the two laundry baskets that we have lived out of for 9 weeks. Everything fit thankfully. We started hugging each other, getting contact info, taking pictures. It was very emotional. I didn't set up my air mattress because it has a slow leak and I found a couch, and took the cushions from it for my bed. I didn't have the energy to blog so I wrote notes so I could blog later.
138.6km
6h 14min
1041m elevation
22.2km/h