We enjoyed a breakfast of fruit tarts washed down with fresh lemonade left over the night before by Liz. Back on the canal, the day was hot and dry, and a stream of dust lay in the wake of each bike. Soon we all had a thick, light grey coating. We rode along disused canal way most of the day, the water thick and covered in algae, leaves had fallen on top and dried in the sun. Above us, the autumn colours creep in further each day.
After a long, relaxed break at a pizza hut, we stayed on the canal all afternoon to Rome, with a few short road sections. We stopped at a museum on the canal to ask about accommodation and fill our water. Here we met a family on a picnic who invited us to sit down and share some lemonade and watermelon. We filled our water and were about to leave, when the family came over, formed a circle and asked to pray for us on our journey. A nice sentiment. Then the museum owners came over, and things took a distinct Confederate turn. One, wearing a beater, had confederate tattoos covering his arms, and admitted wit pride that a large confederate flag down the road was his. One man from the family stated "If I had a choice, I would have gone for the South too." We nodded along and left.
On route we encountered an elderly man, in his eighties, who looked a little disoriented. His bike lay against a crash barrier next to him. He asked us to stop and whether we had some aspirin. He had succumbed to the heat and fallen off his bike, and was worried about his heart. This was the first time I used my emergency supply of dispersible aspirin in anger. We also gave him a bottle full of water and some electrolytes, and waited until his friend came to pick him up. He had been through the wars, suffering a concussion with 15 stitches in his head a couple of months prior after a ladder slipped out beneath him.
Finding a place to camp was difficult, as the camping area was closed for construction. We passed Fort Stanwix, a star fort from the war of independence. We had heard that to locks were okay to camp at, and aimed for Lock 20. As we had been taking it easy, it was 6pm at this point, with an hours cycling to go. But we were not too tired, mentally or physically, thanks to the relaxed canal path riding. On route, I received an email and an offer of a place to stay the night in Utica. On route we passed a man who asked if we had come from Buffalo. When I replied "Seattle!" He took a double take, repeated me a couple of times, and proceeded to have the best reaction we have had yet to our venture.
Cameron had just finished touring America and Mexico a week ago, and kindly put us up in the garden. His housemates were very friendly, Antony, a musician, and Matt, who owns a bagel shop nearby and offered us his child's bedroom (the kids were away) and fresh bagels for the morning. No tent tonight! Cameron cooked us a very welcome dinner, and provided a couple can of the local lager to wash it down.
A good nights kip in a bed then, dreaming of fresh bagels and an easy day along the canal in the morning.
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