May 15th: The ambling hills
Bring on the good weather! Today was one of the first days I have been able to ride entirely in shorts and t-shirt. The wind continues to blow in my face and bring a chill to the day, but when I am biking it is wonderful and warm. Because of the wind I still need to bundle up when I take my breaks though, and because of that I almost never want to stop because I know I will get cold.
The terrain has changed yet again and I find myself traveling though some very hilly areas. The hills aren’t to long but they are steep and they just keep coming. Oddly I find myself preferring the hill to the dead flat that I have had for the last few weeks. Climbing gives me a wonderful sense of accomplishment when I reach the top and having visible goals breaks up the landscape and makes the day go faster.
The highlight of today was stopping off in a small cottage town called Rossport. I was feeling very tired because my knees have been acting up again, so I wanted to take a nice long break. We drove about 2 km off the highway and stopped for lunch at The Willow Café. I would guess that it is a converted cottage, and it is an absolutely lovely place to stop for a visit. The food was surprisingly good as well, and the deserts should be known world wide for not only their beautiful presentation, but also or their mammoth size. I can’t vouch for the favor as I wasn’t in the mood, but our fellow patrons were defiantly satisfied.
On top of the wonderful food and pleasant atmosphere, the café was home to an impressive collection of artists showing their work. A local painter, Douglas Hunt, had a number of watercolors that were very well done, and there was a photographer who had a number of stunning macro and winter prints, unfortunately I can’t remember her name because her work is wonderful.
The day finished off with a short sprint the last 20 km into Terrace Bay, were we had a nice evening walk through the Aguasabon Gorge, home to yet another stunning waterfall and lovely river valley.
Activity Tip: In our media driven world we are constantly subjected to unobtainable body images and we are put under extreme pressure to live up to these unreasonable standards. Active living and healthy eating will lead to a healthy body and mind, and help you to feel good about yourself.
Sincerely,
Tyler