Dear reader, I’m travelling over 100 years after Karl returned from his trip around the world, and today marks my 100th Chronicle. Happy centenary post!
At this point in the Chronicles, I have travelled 8200km from Karl's home in Truro, Nova Scotia, west to Ontario, south into Illinois, north through Wisconsin, North Dakota and Manitoba, and then west to British Columbia. I have travelled through Ireland and Northern Europe, and the current Chronicles document my journey in Scotland.
So for this 100th Chronicle, let me catch you up. Here’s our story to date in 100 highlights, but first, if you are new to our adventure, here are 50 Highlights from 50 Chronicles
51. On August 14, 1899, Karl wheeled into North McGregor, Iowa, but Louise visited the Town of Marquette. Where’s that on the map? As it happened, the town changed its name in 1920.
52. Karl passed through Prairie du Chien, the town that was the place of work or home for those residents who were active in the fur trade. Today, on the other side of the river, there is a museum providing insight into the lives of the most prosperous fur-trading family.
53. Before leaving this northwest corner of Iowa, Louise explored Pikes Peak State Park, renowned for offering premier views of the mighty Mississippi River.
54. Travelling north along the Mississippi River, Karl and Louise arrived in Minneapolis, the former “Flour Milling Capital of the World”. Karl would have pedalled past the working mills while inhaling the aroma of freshly baked bread. Today, those mills have been converted into lofts, offices, museums, and restaurants, leaving Louise nostalgic for when something better just popped up.
55. In Fargo, North Dakota, you are North of Normal, and Louise imagined the conversation between Karl and a local using the Fargo dialect: “Uffda, it’s been quite a journey to get to Fargo. I have travelled 3900 km to date, doncha know? No yeah, you betcha it’s hard work, and it’s going to take me a long time. Oof, no, I can’t stay here any longer. I’m off to Grand Forks and then around the rest of the world.”
56. Louise visited the general store at Bonanzaville, the outdoor museum with historic buildings to provide an insight into life on the prairies of North Dakota in the 1900s. She learned that although the medicine may contain different ingredients, her first aid kit and Karls were comparable.
57. Arriving in the town of Medora felt like walking through a Clint Eastwood western movie set while sidetracked in Theodore Roosevelt National Park.
58. Seeing the Badlands was so spectacular that Louise stayed sidetracked in the National Park for a bit longer.
59. Meanwhile, when Karl left the Red River at Fargo, ND, he wrote: “I found nothing but a vast wheat field through which was a railway track and an old Hudson Bay Company's trail running parallel to the railway.” So did Louise and she wrote about Hudson Bay Trading Posts.
60. The Truro Daily Newspaper shared a letter from Karl’s journey from Fargo to Grand Forks, North Dakota where he asked some locals Can you spare a nickel?
61. We left the midwest in song, specifically, the “Red River Valley”, singing from this valley they say you are going as we travelled back to the Dominion of Canada.
62. Chronicle #62 ended our travels in the MidWest with what we saw on the way. Then we headed north to the Canadian Prairies.
63. When Karl arrived in Winnipeg, the capital city of Manitoba, it was one-eighteenth of its current area and known as the postage stamp province.
64. Texting in 1899 didn’t exist and the only way Karl could communicate expediently back then was via telegraph.
65. Thanks to the prosperity from grains, fur trapping, and the arrival of the railway, more than two million immigrants arrived in the Prairies to make a new life. Sadly, many who came to work were exploited and lived in poverty, or, lost their life due to unsafe working conditions. In recognition of this history, Louise went Behind the Scenes a Journey from Darkness to Light and visited the Canadian Museum for Human Rights.
66. Upon leaving Winnipeg, Karl and Louise continued west but only after Louise’s visit to neighbouring Saint-Boniface, Winnipeg’s francophone neighbourhood full of heart filled history.
67. Louise stopped to get a selfie with a giant CokeTM can before trespassing, exploring the Fort La Reine Museum on the outskirts of Portage La Prairie.
68. Karl proceeded into what was Assiniboia, North-West Territories and more familiar to Louise as Wolseley, Saskatchewan, find out more at: where’s that on the map?
69. Karl wrote a letter to his sister sharing that he had seen lots of prairie dogs and wolves as well as ducks, plover, snipe and Prairie Chickens.
70. Karl and Louise both stopped in Qu’Appelle, Saskatchewan. Karl was referenced in the ‘big green book’ that documented the history of the district and his visit there in 1899. Louise was thrilled to read about that and could almost feel Karl’s presence in this small town.
71. Upon arrival in Regina, Saskatchewan, Louise stopped for a tour and went Behind the Scenes at the Saskatchewan Legislative Building.
72. Vast yellow fields of wheat and barley on flat plains as far as the eye can see. Louise followed Karl through The Prairies, looking out at fields of gold stretching for days.
73. In Moosejaw, Karl encountered “10,000 mosquitoes”, and Louise encountered Mac the Moose!
74. Although Karl got lost and went Off Course with Crazie Pedro, Louise continued through to Medicine Hat.
75. On September 24, 1899, Karl wrote a letter to sister Mattie from Lethbridge, Alberta, on the Hotel Lethbridge stationary. Louise stopped to take some photographs of the Lethbridge trestle bridge. Built ten years after Karl passed by, the bridge continues to be the longest and highest of its type in the world.
76. Karl was chased by vicious-looking ranch cattle six times and once by a bunch of horses on the prairies around Fort MacLeod.
77. Louise got sidetracked where the prairies of Alberta meet the peaks of the Rocky Mountains in Waterton Lakes National Park.
78. Chronicle #79 ended our travels in the Prairies with what we saw on the way.
79. On July 13, 1901, Karl boarded the S.S. Princess Josephine, travelling 80 miles across the English Channel from Dover, England, to Ostend, Belgium. Louise met up with Karl on the Continent
80. Karl and Louise travelled In Bruges and Im Brugge
81. When Karl was in Belgium, pharmacists only used chocolate to make pills more palatable. Louise was spoiled for choice as today there are over 2,000 chocolatiers in Belgium each suggesting they have The Best Chocolate in Belgium
82. When Karl travelled around the world on his bicycle in 1899, it was simply the most practical and feasible way to travel. But in the Netherlands, this continues to be the trend. The local newspaper commented that Karl’s bike was Duly loaded to bear the burden of the Gentleman
83. Louise was thrilled she was able to report Meeting Wim
84. Wim was writing a book about a Dutch man who made two ‘grand tours’ on a bicycle between 1895 and 1898. His name was Albert Sutherland Royaards
85. While Louise was following Karl in the Netherlands, she received a message from a fellow Nova Scotian theorizing that he –– “happens” to have the bicycle that Karl rode around the world! Could it be that The Red Bird Returns?
86. Louise learned a lot about vintage bicycles and was able to confirm: It’s a Red Bird Alright! Although sadly, not Karl’s Red Bird.
87. Louise kept researching Red Bird bicycles and went Behind the Scenes at the Goold Bicycle Company to get her hands on a copy of the 1899 Brantford Red Bird catalogue
88. Karl arrived in Cologne, Germany and got into trouble with the police; he thought he was travelling Over the Rhine to a watery grave. Louise did not encounter the police and crossed a different bridge laden with love locks.
89. When Karl and Louise crossed over the Rhine River, their view upon arriving in Cologne was the same, with the central, dominant landmark being the Cologne Cathedral.
90. Louise went on a historical virtual reality time ride proclaiming: Move over Marty McFly, I’m going back to the past.
91. Upon entering France, Karl had already cycled 25,000 kilometers. Louise lamented that if Karl was travelling two years later, he likely could have been a contender in the Tour de France, and it’s Karl leading the race wearing a yellow jersey.
92. Karl encountered heavy rain approaching Paris, passing the ‘City of Lights’. Louise thinks Karl would have marvelled at the Eiffel Tower, which was constructed back when Karl started his journey in 1889.
93. Passing through Amiens, France, was an opportunity to credit the imagination of Jules Verne and Philias, the fictitious eccentric Englishman who set a wager to travel the world in 80 days. Jules lived in Amiens and is indirectly responsible for a legacy of world travellers, and this post was a homage to Globetrotters: Jules, Nellie, and Rosemary.
94. For this leg of the journey, Karl travels through the ‘Continent’ taking a mere 14 days to bike over 1000 kilometers. Louise also took 14 days to travel to those same places but got there on trains, documenting what we saw on the way.
95. Louise arrived in Scotland and started exploring Karl’s family history, confirming that although emigrating from Ireland, the Creelmans didn’t consider themselves “Irish”. Ulster-Scots, Scots-Irish, Potato, Potahto
96. The start of Karl and Louise’s travels through Scotland was an encounter with Sir Walter Scott in the Land of Scot
97. It’s unanimous: Edinboro’ a beautiful city indeed
98. Karl was quoted that the impetus of his travels was To have a look around and gain a bit of experience
99. Karl and Louise documented in their respective books they are about to leave Falkirk, Scotland.
There you have it, dear reader, 100 Chronicles to date, and we are merely a third of the way into our journey. Please join me next week when I’ll be highlighting the stories with 100 images to date.
In case you’ve missed them, click here for more Karl Chronicles
The Karl Journey is now registered as an official expedition with the Royal Geographical Society