Stratford. Ontario to Guelph, Ontario 49.1 miles

Riding through Stratford along the Avon River first thing in the morning was magnificent.

I am pretty sure my county health department inspector told me he came to Stratford with his wife each year for its annual Shakespeare Festival. Another fun fact: Stratford was the childhood home of Justin Bieber.

I’m kind of crazy about visiting bakeries if you haven’t noticed and this morning was no exception. I am a baker, if you didn’t know, and I somehow came across a bakery in Guelph, Ontario on social media over 10 years ago and have been following them ever since. In that time I have devoured the pictures they posted of their products and have come to admire them for their dedication to craft and community. So besides not really wanting to ride my bike through Ohio particularly, Pole Star Hearth Bakery was responsible for getting me to Guelph, Ontario. And today was the day I would finally get a chance to try their wares. I should have called ahead and seen if I could have gotten a tour of their production area. I also should have made an order ahead of time. I realized they don’t take “day of” orders a little late so that had me up early and heading down the road so I could get there as early as possible so I could have the best chance of getting what I wanted. I peddled the 49 miles there before 11:30 am. They opened at 10:00 and still had a line out the door. I bought a t-shirt and way more than I could possibly eat. Luckily I was going to a Warmshowers host’s house tonight and could get some help.

I went to the farmers market and then a park to eat lunch. I think I ate something besides marvelous baked goods. A guy at the farmers market asked me if I was riding my bike across the Continent and was staying with Maddie and Adam (my hosts) tonight. It turned out he had rented their house while they were on an 11 month international bike tour and knew they were hosting someone. I guess I didn’t blend in.

Maddie and Adam are great humans. I was impressed they managed to be masters of their destiny last year. They quit their jobs, rented their house, planned and took that 11 month bike tour. On their tour, they visited New Zealand, Tasmania, Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand, Cambodia, Vietnam, Japan, South Korea, and Spain! This is their blog about their tour:

Madam pedals world tour 2024

Maddie and Adam made an excellent dinner that we enjoyed on their lovely backyard patio.

I was their first Warmshowers guest. They had used Warmshowers on their tour and wanted to pass on the magic to other people on tour. I was lucky enough to enjoy some of that magic, thanks Maddie and Adam!