Distance: 100km
Elevation: 975m
The night had been chilly and somewhat noisy, since my neighbor Sunny liked to chat and listen to good but loud music until way past midnight.
With my tent set up in a shed, which I had approval for, I was the talk of the seasonal guests on the campground.
In the morning, Sunny finally made a move and came by to introduce himself find out who I was. He was half curious, half suspicious, I would say. He wanted to know if I had paid since in the last five years no one had ever staid here. Also, he wanted to take a picture of me and I was not quite sure if it was as a memory or to identify me later towards the police. It was hilarious.
When I got in the saddle, it was still chilly. I turned south and continued to approach Halifax. After a second breakfast in Milford, I turned southwest on small backroads to avoid the larger city.
The terrain was hilly but today I had sun and tailwind on my side. I could feel that my legs were tired though.
The roads had no shoulder and there were quite a few trucks passing by with insane speed. It was a little scary.
Around lunchtime I reached the southern coast of Nova Scotia. My mood lightened up in an instant. The coastal area with its bays and tiny islands was so beautiful.
I had a healthy lunch at a market cafe in Musquodoboit. The lady who was running it was from the Netherlands and had cycled to the North Cape some years ago. We chatted a little about our experiences.
In Europe we are used to plenty of shops and infrastructure at the coast. Not here. As I was approaching my campsite, there were no shops or gas stations within a 50km radius. Unfortunately, I had used my emergency supplies the evening before.
I stopped at a little diner by the road and had an early dinner – not because I was hungry but because there was food.
The last 20km to the campground did hurt in the legs but it was worth it.
The Norse Cove Campground was directly by the sea and I had a deck to set up my tent on a cliff overlooking the coastal waters.
Danny at the checkin mentioned a kayak tour he would offer next day. How cool!
I checked my planning and decided to stay here for a break day – provided I would find some food.
Both Danny and Werner, the South African owner of the site, shared some food supplies with me later. This was so nice.
When I was having a snack, a local squirrel got very curious. At first I thought “how cute” but soon thereafter I realized that this fellow was not shy and would steal my food under my eyes. This squirrel was not to be underestimated.
I made fire and enjoyed the sundown over the sea. What a beautiful spot.
I called my wife who was at the Baltic Sean in Poland together with her daughter Tabea and we had a little chat.
Then I sat by the fire for a while and listened to the sounds around me as the night broke.
All was well.