After a truly awesome lunch provided by the generous and thoughtful Silver Bean Cafe (I ate a giant black bean, sweet potato and avocado burrito - sayyyyyy "Oh mannnn that was incredible!" and you'll be close to the little ecstatic mumblings that managed to escape my mouth between bites), and a quick photo shoot -
we got back on our bikes and headed east out of Cobourg. I've ridden this stretch many times and I love it! Why? Because there's something very magical about riding next to water . . . it's hard to explain but it has something of the past about it . . . . ahhh well whatever, I love it and I'll leave it at that!
The countryside south-east of Cobourg is an interesting mix of massive relatively new houses and wide open old fields. Quiet little villages that have probably been subsumed under the name of one town were quickly passed through, some with gorgeous old homes that have surely seen so much in their time.
We went past one house and Michael's eyes were drawn to a wooden rocking horse with a "Free" sign on it. Michael cannot pass up anything by the roadside that has value and can be transported on his bicycle. This was no exception. He hauled the rocking horse up onto his handle bars and rode with it a handful of kilometres into Colborne where he met Andrea and strapped the wooden horse to the roof of her car. It was like a mascot for the ride from that point on!
We're always looking for and interested in alternate routes, so periodic check ins with the handily placed waterfront trail maps took place . . .
I'm good with whatever route we take, especially when we pass through beautiful countryside . . .
filled with cute little barns . . . 
and roads that run straight and smooth allowing for conversations. 
Soon, we entered that beautiful sweet spot of riding bikes where water and the beauty of your surroundings are the only fuel you need . . . 
We rode past the entrance to Presquile Provincial Park which we would be camping at in two day's time. These are the wetlands just east of the Park . . .
It wasn't long before we came to the World-famous Randomly Exploding Bridge!
We agreed that we would cross one at a time . . . here's Handsome Dan about to take his chances . . . 
Later on Dan learned about the dangers of remaining clipped in to his pedals while travelling at slow speed on soft grass . . .
After a bit more riding across some long sweeping hills and at one point down a sort of maintained rail-trail . . .
we arrived at the Loyalist Parkway where after a long day of riding - over 140 kilometres - pit stops were necessary . . .
and before we knew it, we made it to Norman Hardie's Winery. I'll tell you all about THAT tomorrow!!!!
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