In the morning Alex popped past Charlotte to wake me up (they are early risers it seems) and we discussed travel plans.
Both of us were heading towards Newfoundland, but our intended trips around Nova Scotia were a little different.
I had to race to Glace Bay, way off to the east to pick up some packages that were being held for me at the local post office. Canada’s flex delivery requires you to pick up any parcels you send to a post office within 15 calendar days, and I was already 13 days in and couldn’t take the risk having them returned to sender.
Alex and Heidi were going to take a more circuitous and slower route, particularly driving along some or much of The Cabot trail.
We exchanged phone numbers and agreed to meet up at the ferry to Newfoundland later in the week.
I took off on the straight-out drive to Glace Bay, wanting to get there in time to pick up my items before the post office closed in the afternoon.
We only made one stop – to cook lunch, and found a beautiful cut out with great views of the water and greenery
I pulled into Glace Bay around 3 pm, in plenty of time and made my way to the post office. However when I enquired about my parcels they were nowhere to be found. I showed the tracking numbers, emails and the such and still no luck. The lady went out back, was gone a good 10 mins and came back with a little shake of her head.
WTF?
Then, and only then, she mentioned that maybe they were up at the OTHER post office, just a short walk up the road!
Now I’m not one to cast aspersions on Canada Post, but Glace Bay has a population of around 20,000, so it does seem unnecessary to have 2 post offices in the same street, no more than 100m apart to adequately provide postal services.
Sure enough my packages were at the other place – problem avoided!
Glace Bay is not the place you want to stay overnight, so Charlotte and I headed to the nearest Walmart which was in – SYDNEY! (from where the ferry to Newfoundland leaves, and where I was meeting Alex and Heidi in a few days).
Who would have thought I would be on the road for 8 months and just stumble across my adopted hometown (can’t take the Melbourne out of the boy)
After a long days driving it was an early night for Charlotte and me, with a promise to explore Sydney and its surrounds tomorrow
