Day 55: St Catharine's to Toronto

120km/75m, 6hrs 15mins, 19.3kph/12mph, 313m/1018ft of climbing.

Cumulative distance 4164 kilometres/2586miles.

Finished! The weather forecasts looked dodgy so decided to get up early and do the whole distance back to Toronto in a single day to avoid the threatened rain. It was a great day on the bike, too, a simple route round the lakeshore all the way downtown. And being a Saturday there were lots of people out on their bikes, including roadies out training who gave me something to chase from time to time. Toronto felt vaguely like home; odd what spending eight weeks as an itinerant will do for you.

So, it's over. It may be premature to post my reflections on the whole trip, because it may take a while for me to get some perspective. But I'm delighted I did this, it has been a unique experience. I shall certainly do very lengthy tours again, their character is different from the shorter ones I'm used to, one settles into a different sort of pattern.

What have I learned, what would I do differently, what were the highlights? As I say, it may be premature to sum all that up. But there are some things I can say.

1. I got the daily distances just about right. The best part of 60 miles per day on average on a heavily-laden bike wouldn't be for everyone, but for me the actual cycling is as important as the destinations and the sight-seeing. The physical challenge and the state of mind it induces are a big part of the experience. And averaging between five and six hours on the bike struck a good balance between that challenge and keeping me fresh enough to enjoy both the cycling and the places I was visiting and riding through.

2. I could have taken less stuff. Even though I was out for eight weeks, I have with me clothes that I haven't worn. I had underestimated how frequently I would have opportunities to wash kit etc. as I went along.

3. As for highlights, I enjoyed every day. Some were tougher than others, and for the sheer pleasure of being on the bike it would be hard to beat the first day in New Brunswick. But the things that stand out in the memory are those that are most different from home, and they mainly revolve around the scale and emptiness of these places. Camping near Otter Lake, for example, with absolutely nobody else around.

Where next? Asia is quite big, isn't it?

Days 53 and 54: Rochester to St Catharine's.

Day 53: Rochester to Buffalo
115km/71m, 6hrs 52mins, 16.5kph/10.25mph, 412m/1340ft of climbing.

Very nice day today, headwinds still present so a bit slow but basically a nice ride all the way to downtown Buffalo. And downtown Buffalo was a bit of a surprise, because there seemed to be hardly anyone around. Thursday afternoon, hotel near the convention centre so in an area one might have expected to be busy, but streets largely deserted. Most odd. I did eventually find where everyone was, by going to the Pearl Street Grill and Brewery. It was heaving. Understandably so. I can't vouch for the food, but their beer is excellent.

Day 54: Buffalo to St Catharines
96km/60m, 5hrs 15mins, 18.3kph/11.5mph, 209m/679ft of climbing.

Across the Peace Bridge first thing this morning, back to Canada. Absolutely glorious day for cycling, clear blue sky, virtually no wind, warm rather than hot, lovely. And a nice ride along the Niagara Parkway, past the Falls. The Falls themselves are magnificent, the town best viewed from a distance. Pictures. Niagara on the Lake, however, is really nice, and the generosity of the climate here is attested by the numerous fruit stalls at the roadside.