Wolfville – X10loupe

So I got to Wolfville and, right enough met Bill in the centre of town where we head for Paddy’s Pub. The first cool thing about Canada that Bill makes me aware of is how secure the pace is. I leave the helmet the bag pack and the leather jacket sitting on the bike outside the pub and in the hour or so we spend drinking and chatting, nothing of any relevance happens to my stuff. This is a nicely quiet country.

Bill is retired and owns a house up north on the coast where he lives with his wife. He has a house in town that he rents out to the bustling student market of Acadia University. After a stop at that house where he’s due to meet a prospective tenant, we head north and get to his house where, after a bite to eat and a chat with him and his wife I get to my accommodation for the next couple of nights. Superb and with a view to match.

20160715_201837 — Nice view from the lounge.

20160715_201823 — And the bedroom is not far away.

On day two I offer some help to Bill who needs to shift a wardrobe to his sister’s place. It’s nice to bring a bit of the WorkAway ethics into the CouchSurfing network.

This only takes a couple of hours, including being taken out for breakfast which means that I have the whole afternoon to get on with other things and the other things turn out to be the first hike in Canada. Bill had told me it was possible to go to the top of Cape Split and the four hours round trip in the forest brings the great reward of the views at the end of the path.

20160715_144319 — And then the wood comes to a sudden end

20160715_144546 — In spectacular fashion

20160715_144758 — The thought of climbing down to the beach is crossing my mind, and quickly leaving.

20160715_144708 — It is after all rather scenic down there.

20160715_144942 — From the top you can see the large seagulls colony and, apparently, not that I saw them, some peregrine falcon.

20160715_145109 — You can also see how the tide moves the water out of the cape.

20160715_145059 — They assure the falcons are out there.

20160715_152012 — Trying to take some more interesting shots, with mixed results.

20160715_152501 — And the inevitable selfie.

20160715_170533 — Great walk, easy but a good entry to North American hiking.

20160715_170546 — And this is the walk in full detail

20160715_171441 — Riding back the views are stunning.

20160715_171559 — And I had managed to get some of the critical stickers on the bike.

Still early in the afternoon I do not stop at Bill’s place and keep going the two miles or so to Blomidon Provincial Park where I take a little walk on the beach. The tide is out and the scenery is rather spectacular. I walk all the way to the waterline and stand for a minute admiring the waves. The tide is coming in and I decide to take a one minute video just to show the speed at which the tide is coming forward. Amazing.

20160715_173618 — Super view of the beach

20160715_173802 — And off the cliff from the beach

As I get back to Bill’s I find him with his sister’s family sitting outsides and they call me over for a few beers and a taste of dulse, a local delicacy. As I keep saying, the best way to find out about what places are like is to stay with the locals.

20160715_182307 — Bill’s crowd having a leasurly afternoon.

DSCN4088 — The view in the morning upon leaving

20160716_102914 — Also along the way the tide is getting higher.

20160716_104031 — I saw this on the way in and I had to stop and take a picture. #badgrammar

I’m heading for Halifax again and will stay there till Monday when I will get the bike serviced before going up to to the much talked about Cabot Trail. Will see some new friends again and hopefully have a fun week end.