The house at the end of the road
As we waited for someone to clear our parking spot, the realization that our trek of over 6600 km in 26 days had ended set in. Home, where the grass grows green and tall, and the warnings about the danger of dogbite mark her territory. Home, where we now have to unpack the van and repack the house. The savoury odour of home. Too late/lazy to unpack things tonight, I’ll just put the last of the food in the kitchen and then try to convince my back that life on a real mattress is good.
The departure from Halifax via one of the bridges had us on the main highway north in a matter of minutes. Much easier than finding our way out with the usual methods. We stopped for gas on yet another reserve, almost losing the door to a car which found a speedpath between the two rows of pumps. Glad my slow reflexes were doing their usual. After that, the only bit of excitement was waiting for our change at the toll booth on the TCH.
What’s the deal on that, anyhow? Yes, I realize that there is an alternate route (the map does not agree with the road signs), but isn’t the national highway supposed to have been funded by me, already? Since when does a PPP arrangement trump the taxpayer? Oh, right; governments are permitted to take funds from whatever pocket they find most convenient.
Stopped for lunch at Ponderosa, which means we’ve found an alternative to Big Macs when starting and finishing vacation. The salad has to be good for me, even if the soup is uninspired and the seating is more suited to a cafeteria. Soon I’ll be eligible for their senior price schedule, and will appreciate cheap condiment collections.
The promise of four lanes from the Maritimes to Toronto still requires some cash injection from Quebec. When you hit the border, it’s clear that the idea of good roads doesn’t apply on a road that serves the neighbours.
But enough complaining about bad roads and poor weather. What do I expect when it’s my dime? In passing, we could have gone to Vancouver via Winnipeg, Regina and Edmonton, and put less wear on the tires. The downside is that we wouldn’t be back at the house at the end of the road.
