PEI Island Walk - June 6, 2023 Day 17 Gaspereaux to Murray River

Daily Information 

Distance:    20.4 Kms   [ 508.4 Kms]

Walking time:  3h 55m [94h 29m]

Doddling time:  19m  [10h 29m]

% Doddling time:  7.5% [9.8%]

Avg walking speed: 5.2 Kms/hr  [5.4 Kms/hr]

Elevation G/L meters: 29(23)  [1,485:(1,385)]

Total Daily Steps: 30,030 [760,030]

% of Walking Days Complete (24): 70.8%

% of Total Kms (estimate 703): 72.3% 

% of Shuttle Rides (estimate 17): 94.1%

% Come on get a Wiggle on Days (>40 km): 57.1% 

What a joy to be recording statistics again! Only a true nerd 🤓 like me can say this and truly mean it! Replanning…see below…means the total possible walking days should be 20…the total estimated kms 575…the total number of shuttle rides 18. % shown above use original estimated numbers.

I can’t express the joy I felt to be walking again…a very quiet road walking day. Cool and cloudy at 11C with very light rain the fast few kms…perfect! As far as walking went I felt solid…could have walked faster…could have walked longer…but I didn’t have to. The plan to cut the original 41 km long day in half was the right one. 😊

In terms of interesting events, people, animals…nada…zippo!

And now for your viewing pleasure I present…

Packa repair smile!

Before I get any wise comments let me assure you that there will be no further additions:

- no hair 

- no ears 

- no eyebrows and certainly 

- no Tilley hat

We are no longer in kindergarten…we must act like mature adults! 😉 I will have you know that my octogenarian friend Ken egged me on to do this after my earlier post where I said I was considering this 😂. Appreciate the poke Ken…I had so much fun doing it!

While in Dollarama to buy scissors for the Packa repair job I came across another must buy $1.75 item…thought the $3.00 alternative was too extravagant/formal looking…see below. You may ask why do I need a cheap yellow poncho when I have the Packa?

Have you seen earlier pictures of the Packa without the backpack? Would you go out to the grocery store, Tim Horton’s or strolling down the street of a town with more than 50 people looking like that? 😉😂 Well I have and this is SO much better I think! 😊 

I have mastered taking a full body picture using a mirror…another skill ✅ Hey I just realized that instead of scrolling like crazy sideways within the multitude of emoji’s that one can search for an emoji 😊

But this is Canada 🇨🇦 why did I not buy the red one? Also don’t think the socks match!

Ok how did I get to this point…where I may well have totally lost it?

After many draft plans finally one stuck…June 4…crackers & Gatorade, June 5 shuttle to Montague, June 6 shuttle to Gaspereaux to shorten planned stage from 41 kms to 20. Then if all works out complete the walk as originally planned 😂🤣 for the final 3 days 26, 20, 27 kms. That’s all the planning I have in me…it sure would be nice to complete a modified Island Walk on a positive note!

While decidedly different and a few kms shorter than the required 100 kms one needs to obtain a Compostela for Camino paths ending in Santiago de Compostela…I have decided/am pretending that completing this walk in this manner means I would earn an imaginary Island Walk Compostela. Now if I can just get this done where do they hand those Compostela’s out 😂🤣?

No need to comment any further on last few days…except a note for others. Pharmacist mentioned that if my issue was food poisoning taking Imodium was not the right thing to do…simply delayed getting well. Another thing I did not know…another thing I will probably forget!

On Sunday in Souris (pronounced as you would say mice in French) I did get outside for a real nice stroll along quite the boardwalk path. I even stopped to read (ok skim) the various placards along the way…quite interesting!

Sometime in the past two days had nice positive exchange with Paulo in Brazil on WhatsApp…he said something like « you know Guy you should not walk without me…I would have thought of mosquito repellent and bought it from Carlos” 😂

When we walked in 2014 Marc and I were stunned by the medicines Paulo had with him…all from Carlos. The little exchange came at a perfect time..humour always does!

Admittedly I can be a little too determined…well ok stubborn (Arbez inherited gene)…and letting go a goal like completing a long walk is tough.

However like anyone reading this…I have had my share of times when a plan must be changed. Long walks in particular have that inherent risk..in my situation…

- Day 17 On Via Jacobi Switzerland suffered a partially detached retina…emergency flight back to Canada. That was real scary…Dawn, her twin sister Heather were incredible under pressure as was the Insurance provider I had…forever thankful 🙏 Was able to complete the long walk to Finistère later in two long stages.

- Day 4 Camino Portuguese horrible blisters compounded by my stupidity in using Compeed bandages…train to Porto…Paulo and Dr. Olga were right there 🙏…spent 4 days on my back in Porto and then hobbled into Santiago de Compostela over the next 13 days

- Day 17 (is there a pattern here?) The Island Walk comes to a screeching halt likely due to the ever dreaded mosquito 🦟 and honestly my lack of understanding that PEI is a breeding ground for them…I missed the PEI mosquito memo…or was it a sandwich in the backpack (due to the packed lunch requirement) on a hot day?  I really hope to complete a Modified Island Walk into Charlottetown.

One thing for sure…I have no desire to return to PEI to simply complete the missing 128 kms…would gladly return as a tourist to explore the East end of the Island though! Some incredibly kind accommodation providers to visit!

In time problems that occur, while never forgotten, fade in importance to the kindness shown by family, friends or strangers when help was needed.

I also had mega time to reflect on how fortune smiled on me during this 4 day sabbatical…few examples:

- It isn’t tourist season yet…wherever I needed to spend an extra night the room was available…whenever I needed an early checkin…no problem…whenever I needed a little cheering up it was gladly given

- Saturday I arrived at Shanty Shack in Souris…not in great shape. Maybe 75 meters across the lane a new Pharmasave was there…walk in it’s their Grand Opening Day…pharmacist available who made all the difference! A day earlier…this would not have happened.

- Need transportation to Montague to have a chance with my plan…phone taxi Company who has two taxi’s. « Sure we are picking up a passenger in Souris where I am who needs to go to Charlottetown for a medical procedure…we will drive you to X…hand you off to our second car for the balance of the trip to Montague…oh and we’ll cut the price we would normally charge you! »

On the taxi ride I saw another field with beehive boxes so I asked the driver (taxi drivers know everything) if he knew whether the bees produced honey. No question in his mind “All bees used for pollination in these parts produce honey” So likely my guess in an earlier post was wrong! 

Interesting…assuming the blueberry plant owner does not own the bees…both parties benefit…wonder how the financial arrangements work?

Oh and the taxi driver has an interesting quirk…picture an old fashion flip phone. It rings…takes his right hand and flips it open with his right thumb. Then inexplicably he crosses that arm to listen using his left ear while holding the steering wheel with his left hand.

Meanwhile he is finding ways to signal Hi to vehicles in oncoming traffic…all the while drifting closer to the center line. Geez…sure glad he did not get many phone calls!

Back to Johnston Shore Inn, where Melanie and Dave were so delightful and helpful during my 2 day stay, I just have to include this salad…so so good! Also the fish!

Amazing salad!

Delicious

Two nights in Shanty Stay in Souris…nice and comfortable…

Each little unit is quite pleasant 

Photo taken from prone position on bed 

Monday on to Montague and Lane’s Riverhouse Inn which was quite fancy.

A view out the window of my room!

Tonight I am staying at Come from Away B&B in Murray River. Upper Floor has two bedrooms and a real nice lounge area…believe I have the floor to myself tonight 😊

Injury report…no blisters anywhere! I do however have a nicely coloured toe nail on the toe next to the big toe…whatever that one is called. The colour appeared during the 4 day siesta. It’s somewhat sensitive…has happened before however I am really surprised to see it as normally I associate this with difficult terrain and downhill climbs. Neither are present on the Island Walk…at some point I expect the toenail will bid me goodbye…hope it sticks around for at least 3 more days 🙏

After today Confederation walking mostly so…

That’s it for today…26 km to Surrey tomorrow which does not exist as a town…it’s a municipality. Once at waypoint 30 a shuttle ride forward to my last accommodation (2 nights) prior to Charlottetown at an Air B&B in Lake Verde.

Of course the following day I will need a shuttle back to Surrey waypoint 30 so that I can walk to the Air B&B in Lake Verde. Absolutely crazy 😜!

Finally some pictures from this quiet day!

Gaspereaux WP 28

Essentially the road walking for the day…very quiet

Heavy overnight rains! Lucky that was missed!

Most houses have metal roofs

Poorly maintained church # 1

Hurricane Fiona Damage Everywhere Again 

Old cemetery dating back to 1850s

Thought they were kinda cute!

Very poorly maintained church # 2

One final thing…over the years a number of you have made blog comments using the option at the bottom of each post. Thank you…they are always very much appreciated…however often the comments are made Anonymously (totally good). I do know that many Anonymous comments were made when you actually wanted to attach your name.

I am not sure this works for all the various computer wizardry options out there however here are a few screen shots of how I attach my name when replying to a comment.

When you click on Comment or Reply you get this screen

Click on down arrow by Anonymous and this pops up

Click on Name/URL and this pops up. Enter your Name…leave URL field blank and hit Continue

Enter Comment/Reply and hit Publish…hope this helps!