Day 80: Perth, ON -> Ottawa, ON

Date: Thursday, August 3, 2023
Start: Perth, ON (Staying with friends)
End: Ottawa, ON (Staying with friends)
Distance: 79km

We woke up in beds.  At this rate we're never going to want to go back to tents.  And as I looked outside it was absolutely pouring rain.  I went downstairs to find Bill had already started breakfast but was missing an ingredient so we went to the grocery store while everyone else was still stirring.  Once we got back Bill finished off breakfast - a hearty omelette scramble - and we ate and chatted some more.

The goal for the day was Ottawa, and the forecast was calling for rain to start somewhere between noon and 2pm.  We wanted to get an early start as it was only about 80km to the city and we felt confident we could get there before the rain.

After breakfast we packed and loaded up the bikes.  Remember the pouring rain of the morning?  It was done now, and the sun was even trying to poke its head out.  We snapped a few last photos with Bill and Lyne for the record.

I said it before, but Bill and Lyne were like second parents for me as a child.  It was an incredible feeling to see them again, and I'm sorry I had to leave so soon.  I hope to see you both again and thank you so much for taking us in.  I love you both!

The main road from Perth to Ottawa is a highway: Highway 7.  But it is so busy and there are so many semi-trucks and the shoulder was an unknown quantity.  So we opted to skip it.  Bill had given us an alternate route on back roads that meant we could get into Ottawa while avoiding most of the traffic.  Also it went through smaller towns in the area and past some lakes.  We didn't even need to think about it.

We took Tennyson Road out of Perth.  It immediately became clear that the approaching storm was actually going to benefit us because we had a WILD tailwind pushing us along.  We were easily getting 25km/h and could reach 32km/h if we pedaled as a medium pace.  After about 2 hours and 15 minutes we had gone about 50km...which is the kind of pace that can get you 200km in a day!  But we didn't need to go that far.

We passed some of the lakes in the area between Perth and Ottawa, the most notable of which might have been Mississippi Lake.  We also passed through a number of the small towns of the Ottawa Valley, many of which area actually part of the City of Ottawa (which controls a HUGE area surrounding the city proper).  Ashton was one of the more picturesque ones.

After about 50km we hit the burbs of Ottawa and our pace had to slow as we figured out how to enter the city without taking any major roads and getting caught up in traffic.  We found a winding path that would eventually get us back to The Trans-Canada Trail which enters Ottawa on an old rail bed and was very pleasant to ride.  It also took us up to the Ottawa River where we jumped onto the Ottawa River Pathway.  From here I was familiar with where we were and we enjoyed the forests, pathways, and river as we rode into the city.  I took very few pictures of this part because I was just overjoyed to be back in a city that felt like home and enjoying the pathway.

Just before noon we reached the neighbourhood of Britannia in the city and stopped at a familiar spot on the pathway that had an ice cream shop, coffee shop, and - new to me - a bakery!  We got lunch at the bakery and enjoyed the break as we watched people go by on the pathway.

At some point it was time to get back on the bike to make sure we missed the rain!  We got back on the bikes and headed further into the city.  We stopped at one spot on the river with some stone art pieces that are done by a local artist.  As we continued the downtown came into view with Parliament sitting up on the hill, pretty as a picture.

We kept going and eventually turned into a neighbourhood just off of downtown.  Up a hill - because the day always manages to end with a climb - we reached our the house of our hosts for the next few days: Sarah and Tyler.

I've been stressing for days over how to introduce and do justice in words to Sarah and Tyler.

Sarah and Tyler are probably my closest friends at this point in my life.  Sarah and I were roommates for three years in our undergraduate degree after being Pages together in the House of Commons.  She is the most intelligent, driven, hard working, kind, socially conscious, worldly, and generous person I know.  She has always been one of my biggest supporters and cheerleaders and I think of her more as a sister than a friend.  She works a demanding job in government and at times when the world is too much with me and the anxiety about situations around the globe start to get to me, I remind myself that Sarah and people like her are out there managing things and I calm down.  I have never been able to figure out what I did to deserve such a wonderful friend, but I try to see her whenever I can.

Tyler was in our circle of friends in our undergraduate and a constant presence at our dinner parties and social events.  He's another of the most intelligent people I know with a mind for detail, technical data, and insight into the dynamics of systems.  I hear a lot of people in Ottawa pushing him to consider running as a councilor or starting a current issues podcast.  He also has a sharp wit and is always happy to keep someone in check with a gentle ribbing.

There was a time when I knew them as individuals, and at some they became a couple and it's difficult to remember a time before they were together.  I stayed with them in The Netherlands for almost a month last year, and they've welcomed me in whenever I've been around.  I know them so well that I stayed with Sarah's mom in British Columbia (twice!) and Tyler's parents in Alberta on this very trip.

They are consummate hosts, and we were treated likely royalty.  This fact shames me even more for the fact that Sarah is about 7 months pregnant and was waiting on me and refusing to let me help at times!  I love them both and am always so excited to see and spend time with them.

And so we rolled up to their place and were immediately greeted by Tyler who was standing outside taking pictures of our arrival!

We immediately put our bikes away, took our bags inside, showered, and changed.  Tyler finished his work day and we opted for a walk around the neighbourhood while we waited for Sarah to finish work.  We went up to Parliament Hill and took a picture with the building as the phones of everyone around started squawking.  Remember that storm we were trying to beat when we left in the morning?  It was about to arrive.

We started back for the house but it was too late.  Down came the rain, and despite our early departure and successful bike trip to avoid the rain...we'd walked right into it anyway.  We grabbed some Chinese takeout and went home to eat.  There we found Sarah who had arrived home to find us all gone (SORRY SARAH!) but still managed a happy reunion with a few hugs despite our being drenched.

We ate dinner and took it easy that night, spending our time reminiscing, catching up, and enjoying each others company.  When sleep came it was late.  I tried my best to get a blog post done, but the day had been too much and I immediately fell asleep.