Heading into Canada

This morning was wonderful. I woke up at 5:30 and chatted with Dave for a while, then we got ready and left. He and Kathy were so generous, they helped me figure out my route, gave me food and advice for the road, and were generally some of the sweetest people I've ever met! I am so happy to have had the privilege of meeting them, as they are also very interesting people who have done bike tours for over thirty years. 

Dave and his friend Dan rode with me for 6 miles but turned back when it started raining. It was so nice to ride with them for a while. 

A little bit later, I had a pretty bad fall going over train tracks. Luckily I had unclipped my feet from the pedals (thanks for that advice, Dave!) so it wasn't as bad as it could have been. I cried a bit and tried to decide what to do, but I realized there actually was nothing I could do, so I got on my bike and kept going. I consoled myself with a muffin and tea :)

My spirits were generally low as I continued encountering problems, first losing my rear view mirror, then realizing my planned route was not good at all and discovering this city is not bike-friendly at all. I also have all sorts of painful cuts and bruises and my knee is still giving me trouble, which doesn't help my mood...

I'm not such a huge fan of Niagara Falls because it's a big tourist trap, so I'm looking forward to getting away from the touristy part. Although I did find some more beautiful parts of the city.

Unfortunately, getting away means going into Canada, where I don't think I will be able to post to my blog daily anymore. I will certainly try, but that means finding cafés or libraries!

Anyway, it could be six days before you hear from me again. Thanks for reading, I'll be back soon!