As the four Maritime Provinces of Canada (Prince Edward Island, Nova Scotia, New Brunswick and Newfoundland and Labrador have commendably low COVID19 infection rates (PEI has no current cases) it was decided by mutual consent to open the borders between these Provinces and thereby allow short breaks, visits to relatives, shopping and other trips.
We registered online and received our authorization passes by return email. On Sunday morning we drove to the Confederation Bridge, paid our toll, and drove the 13 kilometers across to New Brunswick. Normally you roll off the bridge at cruising speeds and continue to your destination but this time a slight diversion took us past a small police presence where we waved through without even having to show our passes. Fair enough, we must have looked safe! The heat was intense - 32C and feeling like 38c with the humidity.
After a couple of hours driving we reached Moncton and stopped at Costco with a smart shopping list. Masks were recommended but not compulsory so we took a cart and navigated the almost empty zig-zag queueing system into the deliciously cool store. It's umpteen hundreds of thousands of square feet are piled high with industrial sized packs of everything imaginable. We stocked up on paper towels, bagels, cheese and various other items, in bulk.
A visit to Value Village and then we were heading back north. Before we reached the bridge we stopped for ice creams and when almost home we called ahead for a take out curry.
On Monday morning, a Public Holiday here, we set off for Stratford in the car with the bikes on board. Parking at Mount Herbert we picked up the Confederation Trail south and east and rode for 31 kilometers to Lake Verde and back. The humidity was high and the sky mostly overcast with a strong crosswind, there and back.
Somehow amid all that we found time to fit in three episodes of the Handmaid's Tale, Season 3, and two movies: Doctor Sleep and Joker.
