It looks like I may now have access to a Mac for occasional posting, so I will try and catch up on the last 2 weeks. To expedite things I will post text first and then go back (as I have time) to add photos. You may be amused by the technology I am using: I have taken a photo of the text I had prepared on the now-sick PC (which does not even recognize its USB ports, let alone connect to a wireless network) and will retype what I see on my display.
Day 51
Rest day in Ottawa was anything but - it rained all day, I got laundry done, caught up on blogging, changed tires, bought a new chain and some tubes, etc. And before I knew it it was back to 'work'.
Day 52
As a concession to those not from Ottawa, here is my requisite shot of Parliament that also captures the rush-hour traffic we had to contend with as we wended our way through construction zones out of downtown.
We ultimately retreated to some of the bike paths (technically "mixed use recreational pathways") the National Capital Commission is famous for,
then it was off through the eastern suburbs before meeting TdC 2007 riders Doug, Martin, and Milaine who offered us baked goods at the ferry crossing across the Ottawa river into Quebec.
One Way to Know You're in Quebec
Another Way To Tell
Both 'Ottawa Bob' and I had previously questioned the wisdom of a route that included highway 148 (in fact we both thought it would be almost suicidal), but it turned out to be quite enjoyable, with an ample shoulder,
and it gave people the chance to experience the Chateau Montebello (and its famed buffet, if they so chose).
Many kilometres, an ample cloudburst, and another ferry crossing later our route took us right past Marie-Andree's house, and she (having ridden ahead in the deluge the day before) greeted us with lemonade and cookies;
her friends later provided us with a fantastic pot-luck dinner at the campground. But I am dismayed to note that Hudson's roads remain mostly in the same deplorable state they were in when I rode through in 1994.
Day 53
Our route today took us past 3 rivers, each offering pleasant views. Leaving Hudson we first travelled along the Ottawa,
and then followed the St. Lawrence on the island of Montreal, past many areas where I misspent my youth.
I then made a detour to visit my 90-year-old mother before spending a bit of time in Old Montreal (where the rest of the gang had been exploring all afternoon).
What, you were expecting the usual tourist shot of Place Jacques Cartier or Marche Bonsecours?
Then it was across the Jacques Cartier bridge and on to the south shore and a voyage along the banks of the Richelieu to our campsite in Mont St. Hilaire, one of several volcanic nubs that rise up out of the flat terrain.
The tremors we felt later that night, however, were not seismic in origin but the result of trains passing close to our campground. Some folks complained they didn't sleep well, but trains don't bother me (in fact I rather like them).
Day 54
Yet another sunny, wind-assisted, short riding day! We started off with a gorgeous ramble in a cycling lane adjacent to the river that sadly ended (the lane, not the river) once past the access road to the freeway.
The road then was hit-and-miss, at times bucking like a wild horse - forcing my focus to be on the pavement rather than the passing scenery - and other times smooth. Fortunately I had placed my banana in a protective sheath and managed to avoid making a puree of my mid-morning snack. We crossed the river by ferry at Sorel-Tracy,
En attendant le bateau
and then enjoyed a wind-assisted ride through the countryside to the vicinity of Trois Rivieres, scampering across a railway bridge when the one we were supposed to take was found to be closed for (re)construction.
However, as our campsite was about 10km out of town (i.e. 20 km round-trip, with the return leg into a headwind), I chose not to explore the region further. A photographer from the local paper did, however, drop in to get our story.
Days 55, 56
We started the day in a cloud, picking up morning traffic as we headed through Trois Rivieres.
And we had made page 17!
We passed the old St.Maurice ironworks (a national historic site) still in the mist and not yet open for the day, but by the time we reached the cathedral at Notre Dame du Cap the skies were clear. The rest of the day was then just one very long ramble along the river past endless fields of corn.
As we near the sea, the ocean's effect on the river becomes noticeable
In Neuville (just outside Quebec) local resident Sylvie and fellow TdC 2009 rider Renee-Lise (the latter hailing from Montreal) treated us to some cooked up at a farm/stand that has been operating for 12 generations (since 1669. When Champlain wanted a cob, this must have been where he went).
We finally left the high shore and entered Quebec through Cap Rouge, but when the picturesque view presented itself I was descending at 56 km/hr and chose not to slam on the brakes and capture it. Grinding up the even steeper other side in heavy traffic precluded taking any photos there, either, so here is my lame shot taken from a subsequent highway overpass, suggesting we have arrived (and not doing justice to Quebec).
After a brief delay getting into our rooms at Universite Laval, we demolished the delivered pizzas and then set off to attend the nightly (and free!) Cirque du Soleil performance held downtown beneath the elevated expressways. It lasted over an hour and was quite impressive, making excellent use of an otherwise wasted public space.
Speaking of which, you can get very large bottles of beer here (compare the Bud to the Stella).
Day 57
Another day of free Air Miles, starting with a very civilized descent along a bike path to the ferry terminal,
with a similarly good route waiting on the other side.
When the pathways ended, the road was mostly good, although I did almost T-bone some knucklehead in Montmagny who remained totally oblivious as he turned in front of me, even as I shouted to get his attention. I dropped down to visit the river in Berthier-Sur-Mer,
checked out a motorcycle museum (which was a bit limited in scope and had some notable omissions, but was a nice local effort nonetheless), and (unwisely, as it turned out) chose to end the day on a (gravel) bike path rather than keep to the nicely-shouldered highway.
Getting to see the eel-traps was hardly sufficient consolation.
Day 58
It had to happen sooner or later: today was Not a Good Day. In addition to the cold wind and fog and 'quilted' (i.e. patched so much it was almost cobbled) road,
You can see the fog; you can't feel the wind (but look at the bent grass)
The fog returned with a vengeance later that day
I not only developed a slow leak whose source I couldn't locate on the road (I ultimately found it by submerging the tube in water and looking for bubbles) , but my pump broke, leaving me stranded until others came by to assist. We made it back to camp stopping several times to reinflate my tire, and as if that wasn't enough, that night's leftovers were thrown out before I was able to claim 'seconds'. Like I said, Not a Good Day. Despite the brewery stop. This river pretty much sums up the sentiment.
Day 59
Things didn't start so well the next day, either: I sproinged my back getting into the truck in the morning chill, and the pain only got worse as the day progressed. But the morning fog
slowly gave way to warmth, then wind, then wind and fog,
then wind and sunshine,
I'm casting a shadow!
then more wind and fog,
and even an RBT
until we finally turned south to get away from it (of course we didn't have that much choice: we were starting to run out of continent to the east). Before that, though, there was plenty of riverfront scenery.
After the turn there were windmills
climbs,
(plus another almost-collision as some doorknob reversed up a hill then stopped as an oncoming car approached, only moving forward to start a right turn just as I was coming up on the shoulder, which was the only path left available to me), and even a water slide.
And as the wind died we were left to consider what lay before us.
Day 60
The day emerged as decent, despite my still-sore back and a doubtful start that questioned the depiction of the route as "payback" for yesterday's effort against the wind. We started in dense fog that hid most of the hills (and rough roads) we had to climb - and also the stop sign at the intersection with a highway that suddenly appeared out of the mist.
As the sun ultimately appeared, I suffered through only marginally-better road conditions before ultimately choosing to return to the parallel highway route. We then enjoyed a beautiful descent along the banks of the Matapedia and Restigouche Rivers, which were as pretty as I had remembered from 16 years ago; my only lament was that this time there was no-one fly fishing (nor other riders nearby) to liven any photographs.
Across the bridge and we were into New Brunswick,
and a couple of late-day climbs brought us into our campsite at a ski-hill, my back showing some improvement for the effort, but still tender.
Day 61
The start of the day was foreboding, with overcast skies and then suddenly a cool wind, but it ultimately unfolded into glorious sunshine and good roads. After the requisite stop for the Big Salmon in Campbellton,
we parallelled the river (which was still brooding, but whose misty veil had a sharp demarcation)
along perfect roads leading us past more riparian views
to Dalhousie, and the only hill whose memory had stuck with me from 1994. This year it didn't seem so bad, perhaps because I knew it would be there. And then after a beachside picnic in Jacquet River,
Out of Quebec, a different style of church emerges
I limped in to our similarly-located campsite, content to take it easy on a short day.
But the going rate for a simple postcard here seems to be $1!!
Day 62
Today was another better day than anticipated - one that started rather 'moist', albeit still warm - but which ultimately (after several foggy and misty interludes) - gave way to only overcast skies with still-moderate temperatures.
The roads were exceptional, and the good news was that my gear cable broke only after I had done the hard climbing for the day.
Me and the jury-rigged repair
Closeup of the repair as the new cable gets threaded And we had lobster for dinner.
Day 63
A rest day spent installing a new gear cable and hunched over a computer - I am now finally caught up in my blog!
