Day 7 - Chance Cove PP - La Manche PP

Is my back tire flat?


(weather; our recurring view)

daily stats
weather: mist, fog, rain, fog, mist, rain, etc.
total riding time: 6 hrs 08 mins
avg speed: 12.9 (m) / 12.6 (b)
max speed: 50.0 (m) / 52.0 (b) *dammit. he beat me.
total *uphill* distance: 78.58 kms

# of flat tires: 1

just a miserable day all around. it was wet, soggy and all uphill.
a constant uphill.
and we were determined to have chowder for lunch in Ferryland.
even after bob had another flat tire.
so by the time we stopped for lunch at the Colony Cafe we were famished and cranky (okay, maybe the cranky part was just me).
but it was worth the wait. we had the most delicious chowder. it was so filling and warm.
perfect weather for a bowl of chowdah ("shau-dere? shau-dere? it's chowdah. say it right!")
and cod tongues, of course
(even though our server tried to convince us otherwise with her description of the texture of the uncooked gelatinous part of the tongues)


(cod tongues, a newfoundland tradition)

warm chowder and deep fried cod tongues, plus new book purchases (always helps mood) put us in better spirits to continue our journey to La Manche.
but it didn't help to make the wrong turn off the main road and end up going 8 kms out of the way on a muddy road at the end of the day.
when finally to come back we realized that if we had been able to see through the fog and mist, the actual entrance to the park was only about 500 m from where we had turned off the wrong way....
and to only realize that, after getting into the park via a long downhill on a paved road (yay!) the booth was closed and the office was back at the top of the hill...
(we didn't go back up that night)
and then to realize that because we didn't go back up, we had no quarters for the dryer to dry out our clothes...
and then again in the morning to realize that at the end of that wrong turnoff, when we hit the dead end, that was the park boundary and fire road into the campsites (but that was the next day and we were laughing about it by then)...

and so we set up camp in the rainy darkness, then went to use up what little quarters we could scrounge up and trade with from some crazy german camping expedition who arrived at the washrooms and laundry building in a mini van, whereupon 8 or 9 people piled out, in garbage bag ponchos with all 20 of their giant pots and pans to do dishes at the washroom sinks.
wet and dejected, we shared a moment of silence, eating sour cream and onion mini rice cakes for dinner in the laundry room, listening to the hum of the washing machine, and the occasional german conversation.