Day 9 Halifax, NS to North Cape, NS

I know you’re probably sick of hearing about the rain but I’m going to say it any way… It rained the whole day today which officially made it the wettest day of the trip. With that being said, the Cabot Trail was still an unforgettable ride!

I was sad to be leaving the apartment today. Firstly, because just look at that view and secondly, because our time with Grace went way too fast.

We’ve found a new quirk with Suzie which is that she spits a little oil. This is not a problem as it is very minimal and all Boulevards seem to do this, however it did mean I had to give her a top up. So to begin our day we started off with a trip to Canadian Tire.

Once Suzie was all sorted, our big ride started off with a bit of back tracking. It was very much the same as the previous day, only this time we had the exact change we needed to cross the bridge.

After joining the motorway, we realised the bikes were low on fuel so we agreed to fill up at the next fuel stop. I put Suzie on reserve feeling confident in the fact she managed to make it 40kms on reserve only a week ago. Of course I didn’t take into account that this was on very steady back roads going 60 – 70 kms maximum. On the highway I was using a lot more power and therefore a lot more fuel… I’m sure you can see where this is going right?

I started losing power and swiftly pulled to hard shoulder with my hazards on. I squashed my panicking, inner Emily down, calmly dismantled and filled up with fuel from the jerry can. Even though it was an awful place to break down and I was inwardly screaming, I was so thankful for that jerry can!

We had a few breaks in the rain, one being just before the trail so we managed to snap a quick photo. Although the rain was a bit annoying, the ride was still a lot of fun and I’ve learned so much as a motorcyclist. I’m now very comfortable and confident riding in the rain – which I should be after all the practice I’ve had!

When we started to climb the Cabot trail, we entered a big cloud and couldn’t see further than 10 metres ahead. Because of this, there’s no photos to show, but the parts we could see were stunning.

Half way through the trail, we stumbled on a hostel in North Bretton and decided this was a much better option than camping!

The church is over 100 years old and was converted into an eco friendly hostel by a really lovely couple called Patricia and Bricin. A lot of the materials used to refurbish the church are repurposed and recycled giving it character and charm, much like the owners!

We parked the bikes and peeled out our water proof gear. We were totally soaked through and squelched our way to the main entrance. Feeling a bit worse for wear, we were dreading hearing those awful three words… “Sorry, we’re full.”

Patricia opened the door holding a small kitten and gave us a welcoming smile. She told us in a soft voice to make ourselves at home and of course we could stay. She even gave us a cupboard to unload everything off the bike to dry. I was so relieved and thankful I could of hugged her, of course being soaked to the bone wouldn’t of been the most pleasant experience for her, so I kept my arms to myself.

This is hands down the best thing about the hostel. Our boots were so wet, we had to pour the water out of them before using this.

Once showered and changed, we left the hostel to eat at a restaurant close by. On our way out we met Bricin. He was so friendly and energetic, he drove up in a limo and I thought to myself, these two couldn’t get any quirkier or more interesting.

For dinner I had a lovely big bowl of mussels and Mitch had a steak with chips. (I kindly helped him with the chips.)

Usually for me, being socially awkward and shy, hostels are my worst nightmare. However this one I really felt at home in. If anyone is exploring this area and needs somewhere to stay, this place was wonderful. It’s peaceful, respectful of other’s space and Patricia is so compassionate and caring it was like having a mum on the trail (even if we are around the same age).

As always thank you so much for reading. If you enjoyed this post please let me know by leaving a like, comment or buying me a coffee. Also make sure you subscribe so you don’t miss the next post!