Day 5 - July 4 - "Knights of the Open Road"

(once again a very iffy Internet connection - now three days of photos waiting for a stronger connection to "upload" to the blog... but text - with some patience - I can get entered)

After joining hundreds of thousands of other Canadians in having 1st of the morning coffee at Tim Hortons, we set off eastbound from Dryden with the morning sun low in the sky ahead of us.

The first half hour was magical - riding at the back of the foursome, with the other three silouetted against the sun, I could see shimmering bits of reflection off their chrome, and a gloss of light upon the roadway, with the damp smells of morning forests (and the occasional skunk) in the air.

Lots of time for contemplation: realizing that for all the talk of passing scenery, the focus is really on the road ahead, what Jim referred to the other day as the "ribbon of highway" (stealing that term, I think, from "This Land is Your Land"). The road ahead, and at times, one or two or three of the other guys and their machines. So this morning, all three: Bob in the lead on his GoldWing, being steady Bob that he is; followed by George on his BMW K1200 LT, who conveys a certain sense of country squire-like elegance which belies his years of tough work managing railroad maintenance; followed by Jim on his Harley Davidson Road King, who rides as if he was born with a Harley attached to him as some sort of congenital appurtenance. The road, and good company.

Stop after 100 kms at Ignace to top up gas, then another 250 kms to Thunder Bay, arriving mid-day.

Head east for another 40 kms to arrive at Sue and Jack McCartney's beautiful cottage on the shore of Lake Superior... a sign at the turn-off from the community gravel road welcoming the "Knights of the Open Road".

We'd wondered about a name for the group. George's wife, Sherri, suggested "Spare Parts", which had a certain appeal. We wouldn't have suggested anything so grand for ourselves as "Knights of the Open Road", but having been thus dubbed by Lord Jack and Lady Sue, who are we to resist the honour? So Knights of the Open Road it is.

Sadly (for us, not for Jack), Jack is off at an annual fishing extravaganza, but Sue provides a true McCartney welcome, and has prepared a feast (fit for "Knights") for "lunch" - bacon covered curry-drenched prawns to start, then barbecued filets, wonderful crunchy fresh vegetables, and salad (commodities that are in short supply at roadside lunch joints). We are joined for lunch and a visit by Jack's colleague Terry and his wife, Madeleine. More great company.

Sue convinces us that it really would make more sense to call it a day in terms of riding, and have a glass of wine (or 2) with the feast, and spend the night at their quite wonderful home that they euphemistically refer to as the "cottage". Well, we can make up extra kms tomorrow if we - as Jim says - "book it".

In due course we have a sauna, then run and jump in Lake Superior - a little cold to be sure, but a great way to work out the kinks of riding.

All in all, a great day: a wonderful ride through the morning, and a remarkable time as benificiaries of the grace and generosity of Sue (and Jack, even in his absence). A very special day in the "once in a lifetime experience".

Tomorrow along the shore of Lake Superior (Terry tells us it would be a travesty to miss the beauty of that part of the country by taking the slightly shorter but infinitely less scenic northern Highway 11), through Sault Ste Marie to Thessalon (about 750 kms). I didn't know we had a Thessalon in Canada - a wonderful sense of the Greek and the biblical to add to the odyssey of the Knights of the Open Road.