Today was a more leisurely day. I wanted to get to mass in Pittsford mid morning so we left the hotel around 9 and started our way back to the trail from downtown Rochester. The air was cool but comfortable and we stayed dry all day.
Making our way towards Pittsford, we came across a crew meet taking place on the canal. These were high school teams that gathered for a two-day event. Sadly, I couldn’t hang around to watch. I’ve always enjoyed watching the rowing of these sleek boats. One of my minor regrets from college days is that some members of the U of R’s crew team invited me to join them my freshman year and I never took them up on at least checking it out.
When we reached Pittsford, I went off to St. Louis Catholic Church while JB, Billy, and Zubby decided they would watch the crew for a while then head to Fairport a few miles away while I was at mass.
The church is about 100 yards from a small house that my wife and I rented when we were first married many years ago. I swung by that old house and recalled memories of good times living there. We didn’t have any money back then, so a big night on the town was getting an ice cream cone and walking the canal park. We still reflect on that as being some of our happiest times.
Mass at St. Louis was nice. I always feel awkward in my cycling clothes going to mass, so I sat in the very back. There were some families with small children in the last few rows and I enjoyed the distraction of some laughing toddlers.
After mass I made quick time toward Fairport and met up with the rest of the gang. They were at a diner in town and were finishing up their food when I arrived. I ordered a club sandwich and it was fantastic – fresh turkey, not lunch meat, and well prepared.
The weather was very nice all day. We had headwind much of the time, but no complaints about the conditions. We made a few stops at some locks to take advantage of a very leisurely day.
At one of the locks, Billy pulled out his drone to do some pics and videos. I couldn’t justify the money for one of these drones, but it is a neat toy.
We finished up our trip into Newark and are staying at the Vintage Gardens B&B. It is comfortable and the hosts have put together a nice place with beautiful gardens on the property.
After a nice warm shower, we walked around Newark and got some dinner before turning back for the evening. Tomorrow’s destination is Syracuse, about 65 miles away. The weather forecast is calling for rain most of the day, so it might feel a little longer. We’ll see. I’ll keep the raincoat at the ready!
Stats for today: 40 miles. No problems. No fries with meals.
Peace,
— Dcn. Matt
Deacon Matt's Blog 