Pretty laid back day today. Marion decided that she was just going to take the day off and just hang out, enjoy the sun, go for a walk and read a book (or several). Her walk turned out be a bit a marathon in that she totally underestimated the intensity of the hills. In the 28 plus temperatures and a humidity of mid nineties, she was somewhat soaked by the time she got back to the RV.
I on the other hand was gifted with a great opportunity to do some motorcycle exploring with Steve, who of course knows the area very well. After riding into Belleville and meeting Steve at his place we toured through the old Victorian core of Belleville down to the waterfront then through East Zwick’s Centennial Park and across Quinte Bay (part of Lake Ontario) on the Bay Bridge. It was really obvious that the water level was extremely high and a lot of properties were still flooded.
We rode through amazingly scenic places with exotic names likes Fenwood Gardens, Gilbert Mills, Smuggler’s Cove, and Yerexville. Everywhere I looked there were Victorian era houses, a much older area of Canada than anything in Alberta. I could only imagine the history and the stories these house must have seen through the generations they have stood. Our trip took us along shores where we could see massive ships, which seemed so out of place given how far we were from the actual ocean.
The further we rode, the more the road deteriorated. My Spidey sense came alive when I saw a sign that said “center line marking ends” (along with anything resembling a shoulder). Then without warning, in the depths of a shadow, the pavement suddenly turned to gravel. After we continued along at a somewhat reduced speed, we turned off onto a trail which brought us to our destination at the tip of the Prince Edward Point Bird Observatory.
Standing there looking at the endless water and the ships, it was again really hard to convince myself that this was a fresh water lake and NOT the ocean. Back on the bikes we rolled along the west shore through the twisty windy roads of Prince Edward back to the RV Park, but not before we made a stop near Cherry Valley for ice cream and Gellato. MMMMGood.
Time to ditch the Beemer and the riding gear. With Marion we jumped in the truck and headed back to Belleville where Patty joined Steve and the 4 of us went back to the water front where we had a wonderful meal on the only pier restaurant in Belleville. After the meal Steve and Patty took us on a tour of the old Victorian section of Belleville.
We really enjoyed the tour as they had researched the history of some of these homes which they shared with us. It appears that there was a lot of “old money” in Belleville. Now many of these old homes are becoming the playthings for the rich and maybe not so famous from Toronto as the old-timers sell off on move to Belleville.
What a terrific Canada Day. Thanks Steve, thanks Patty.
<><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><>