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Day 49: August 16 Ottawa to Hudson  111 miles (178 km)    Climbing (meters): 650 up, 663 down
Picture: Crossing into the Province of Quebec: John, Tacia, Alan, Karin, Sue, Robert, Craig, Ron, and Jules

The day started slowly but picked up speed.  It was a tailwind day.

It took me a while to get up and organized this morning.  I had to pack everything back into my two baskets, haul it down to the truck, go find breakfast in the cafeteria, then get my bike and hit the road.  It took me an hour and a half to do all that.

With another lengthy set of directions, I headed toward downtown Ottawa to begin the ride.  Although I don't usually care for detailed instructions, I appreciated them today.  They pointed out the Prime Minister's residence at 24 Sussex, the National Mint, the US and French embassies, and the Governor General's home.  The route out of town, the Rockcliffe Parkway was scenic and uncongested.  As a matter of fact, only a handful of transports passed me all day.

About 12 miles (20 km) into the ride I came across John, Karin, Jules and Alan.  They were just coming out of a bike shop (I resisted, can you imagine?) and we joined up.  I'd ridden slowly leaving Ottawa but was cruising at 22-28 mph (35-45 kph) on the parkway.  As a group, we rode 19-22 mph (30-35 kph) consistently, only slowing a bit for construction and hills.  Tailwinds put us in a good mood.

Around the 31 mile mark (50 km), we joined up with Ron, Sue, Craig, Tacia, and Robert.  Carol, Dave and Kelly were also in the pack, but held back when we picked up the pace.

The route was typical for the past few days: back roads that followed a river.  It was also very flat.  The GPS said we'd climbed 650 meters for the day.  It certainly didn't feel like we climbed much.  Most of it must have been in and around Ottawa.

We stopped for lunch in Hawkesbury.  There was a pretty girl walking her bike on the other side of the street in the downtown area.  I was sent to ask her where we could find a good meal in town.  She recommended The Chateau and gave me directions.  When I reported back to the group I found that I had failed.  Anyone could have gotten a restaurant recommendation.  I was supposed to get her name and phone number, and should have asked her to lunch.  I'm out of practice.  I had a second chance as we rode to the restaurant because she was riding the same direction.  I raced ahead and asked if she was coming to join us.  She laughed and said no.  At least she smiled when she said goodbye.  I was redeemed.  For lunch I had spaghetti with smoked meat at Ron's suggestion.  It wasn't a light meal.

The big event for the day was crossing into the province of Quebec.  We spent more than 3 weeks in Ontario. We entered on day 26 and it's now day 49.  Entering with a big group was fun.  (John and I tied on the sprint for the sign.) Everyone assembled around the sign and pulled out their cameras.  It took us a good 15 minutes to take all the necessary photos and talk about how this was uncharted territory for many of us.  I was a little nervous about the language.  The only french I knew came from listening to Berlitz tapes that I listened to 7 or 8 years ago.

The pace in the afternoon wasn't quite as fast.  The wind was blowing from the west at around 19 mph (20 kph) and gusting to around 25 mph (40 kph).  We played tag with a couple of storm fronts.  The first two passed by on either side.  We let the third one pass over us (wetly) while we waited at a Dairy Queen.  As on the past few days, we didn't follow Bud's map entirely.  We decided to eliminate a couple of side trips (like crossing the river on a ferry then coming back on a bridge).  As Alan said, "We're not sightseeing at these speeds, so why waste the time and the wind."

Jeff and Eric rolled into camp late.  Jeff had fallen after being bumped by Eric while they were riding fast.  He ended up needing four stitches in a place that's going to make riding a bike uncomfortable for a while.

Day 50: August 17 Hudson to Mont St-Hilaire 84 miles (135 km)    Climbing (meters): 536 up, 536 down
Picture (upper right): The Place D'Arms in downtown Montreal
Picture (lower left): Bike path warning sign

Montreal is a pretty city.  It felt more european than north american. And though the day was cool, the city had a welcoming warmth to it.

I cycled with the same group as yesterday - Alan, Jules, Karin, and John.  The route was just as complex with lots of turns and a few bike paths.  Having a group to ride with meant that I had company if we got lost (and we did).  We headed generally northeast all day.  There was a strong wind blowing from the west (15 mph/25 kph).

We rode through quite a few small towns/suburbs on the way into the city, staying near the Ottawa river for most of the morning.  As we entered the outskirts of Montreal we took to the bike paths and followed the Lachine Canal and then the Montreal River.  The canal was built years ago as an alternate route around the rapids in the river.  The paths were in great condition and were well marked.  In construction zones they had marked detours.

We meandered into Vieux Montreal (Old Montreal) around lunchtime.  We found the Place D'Arms, the city center, to see where it all began.  Then we went down to the waterfront for a leisurely lunch in a cafe.  I tried to get a cash advance on my Visa card but couldn't since I didn't have two picture IDs with me (does anyone carry more than a driver's license?)

Except for the winds pushing us along, we had a slow, relaxing ride.  The traffic was heavy, but not horrible.  The stop signs everywhere were bothersome.  Most intersections with stop signs were 4-way (toutes directions) - so we ignored them except at big cross streets.  Jules told me that traffic violations are legal in the latin culture as long as a pretty woman is involved.  The officer will understand, he said.  I'll have to remember that.

It took a while to get out of the city.  When we finally did, the path took us along the Richelieu river.  The sky looked threatening during the late afternoon but there was no rain.

Neri and Big Bruce were the first ones into camp.  That's pretty impressive for a 70 year old (with girlfriends in every city. Yes, he pulled out his little black book before setting out in the morning).  We arrived in camp around 4:30. The first thing I heard was "You have packages."  Mom and Dad sent a couple of card games. (We used to play a lot of cards when we went camping as kids.)   The Myers sent a food package and pins of New Hampshire, so I can pass them out to the group.  Ann sent a pile of edible goodies, including brownies.  Penny in Seattle sent an unexpected package -- coffee, cookies, and cognac.  Penny, I've been advised by the group to propose to you.  I put some of the food out for general consumption and it was wiped out in no time.  I'm holding some back to stretch it out a few days. I won't wait too long, however, it's taking up shelf space and I don't have much to spare.

The last package was the shifter that came from Goodale's via Manitowaning, Ontario.  I'd been waiting for it since Nipigon back on Day 32. Right after dinner I went to work.  Alan, Ron, and Herb provided technical assistance.  It's great, you put your bike on the stand to work on it and a crowd gathers. It's one of our favorite group activities.  It took until dark to get everything disassembled and reassembled properly.  It would have been faster if I'd done it right the first time, but that never happens.  I left rewrapping the handlebars until morning when I could see again.

End notes for the day:  1) Jeff had a good ride, even with the stitches.  2) Adventure Bear ran away from home yesterday but returned today.  She came back with a baby bear.  We were a bit surprised since most of us believed that A.B. was male.  Rumors abound about which other mascot is the parent.  3) We went to sleep to the sound of train whistles again.  4) The sunset was spectacular.  The correlation to big cities and smog was noted.

Day 51: August 18 Mont St-Hilaire to Pointe du Lac  85 miles (137 km)    Climbing (meters): 344 up, 372 down
Picture (left): A typical Quebecois church with a silver steeple
Picture (right): A typical roadside cross

Bud's route map said this was going to be one of the most scenic days of the trip.  He was right.

I left camp late this morning.  I haven't been interested in getting out early recently.  The route went back into town before it turned eastward to follow the Richelieu river.  I had to fight the wind for the first 2 miles (4 km) before getting a tailwind that stayed with me the rest of the day.  The next 31 miles (50 km) was flat and beautiful.  The river was on the right.  Well kept homes were on the left.  Some of the homes were quite old.

I met up with my usual riding buddies (Alan, Jules, John and Karin) not too far out.  They were taking the slow, scenic tour because the day was sunny and the route easy.  I slowed down and joined them.  At Sorel we took a ferry across the St. Lawrence river.  We looked for cappuccino for John most of the day but never found it; the towns were all too small.  Lunch was in a little restaurant near a branch of the St. Lawrence.  The service was slow but the food was good.  I had poutine for the first time.  It's french fries with gravy and cheddar cheese curd.  Imagine, a way to add calories to french fries!  I thought they were pretty good.  The cognoscente rated them a 4 on a scale of 10.

We all left feeling happy and stuffed.  The last 25 miles (40 km) should have been slow and relaxed.  I told Alan I thought it would take us about 2 hours to finish the ride. I was wrong.  We did town sign sprints the entire way.  There's just something that happens when Jules, Jon, John, and I are together.  Karin sneaks into the race every so often, too.

It was my team's turn to cook dinner again.  It's hard to believe it's been six days since the last time.  Brook and Ron built a fire on the beach and we cooked hot dogs over it.  No one minded that many of them were burnt.  Every time one fell in, Jeff fished it out and said "This one's for Eric".

The evening closed with a pretty sunset, a bonfire on the beach, and a little scotch.  People are starting to talk more about re-entry to real life and what they're going to do next.

Day 52: August 19 Pointe du Lac to Quebec City  91 miles (147 km)    Climbing (meters): dead batteries, don't know
Picture: John's tattoo - a Canadian maple leaf

It was a slow day.  We made eggs, home fries, and cinnamon buns for breakfast in a real kitchen.  We had a big cabin for the night.  In addition to the kitchen, it had a half dozen bedrooms with bunk beds, showers, and a big common area.  Half the group opted to sleep indoors.  The rest of us pitched our tents outside on the pine needles.  I agree with Alan, there will be plenty of time to sleep indoors when the trip is done.

The problem with cooking inside was using normal size pots and pans.  We underestimated quantities and had to make quite a few batches.  It took a while to get everyone fed.

We had breakfast cleaned up and packed away by 9:00 a.m.  Jeff and I rode together today as usual.  We kept the pace slow and easy.  The day was sunny and warm.  The tailwind was there, but lighter than it had been.  (The weather recap is getting repetitive, isn't it?  Well, I'm pretty pleased about it.)

Trois-Rivieres was a nice town.  The downtown area had quaint shops and cafes.  We kept going since we had a long day and a late start.  The coffee shops were tempting, though.  Brook passed us a short way out of town.  We flagged her down to give her all the rain gear we'd brought.  We'd decided we weren't going to need it.  (Bad move.)

Jeff and I did a few sign sprints, but not the usual way.  We didn't do them all, so when one of us jumped it usually caught the other off guard.  Jeff jumped once and accidentally bumped his squeaky cow mascot with his knee.  That gave me a little advance warning, but he still beat me.

The food stops for the day weren't memorable. Finally, near the end of the day we met up with a big group of riders at a casse-croute (a roadside diner with a walk-up window).  Ron and Keith recommended the ice cream so we had to stay and have one.  The diner was right around the corner from a short but very steep hill.  It was the biggest one we'd seen in days.  Just as we began climbing, the rain started.  I stayed warm as long as we kept moving.  Jeff was cold from the ice cream.

Our destination was Laval University in Ste-Foy, a suburb of Quebec City.  It was the last time we were going to be indoors until we reach St. John's.

Quebec is biker friendly.  Since we've been in the province, we've had a marked bike trail and usually a separate bike lane.  There have been lots of bikers too, far more than in the other provinces.  My favorite sign is the one that says "partageones la route", share the road.

John, Karin, Eric, Dave and I wasted little time before heading into Quebec City.  Right after showering and having a few pieces of pieces of pizza as an appetizer, we took a taxi to Vieux Quebec, the old city, for dinner.  It was Saturday night so the sidewalks and restaurants were packed.  We found a nice french restaurant but had to wait an hour for a table. We went to the bar across the street for belgian beer.  I had a five course meal, wine and armagnac.  It was very good and not that expensive, after converting to US dollars.

Day 53: August 20 Quebec City  (rest day)
Picture (left): Vieux (old) Montreal, looking up at the Chateau Frontenac
Picture (right): Champlain Street, the oldest commercial district in North America

This was a town I wanted to explore.  I had lots of energy, unlike in Ottawa.  After a brief, mediocre breakfast at the University cafeteria, a group of us took the bus downtown.  Robert, who speaks french as his first language, was our tour guide.  (FYI, it's pronounced the french way Ro-bare.) We went straight to Vieux Quebec again.  It was loaded with tourists and the prices were high, but that's where the history was.  The city is fortified; it's walled.  We visited the Plains of Abraham where the French and British fought a decisive battle in the 1760s.  The British general, Wolfe, sent his troops up a cliff and attacked from an undefended side.  It established Canada as a British territory.  We also visited the oldest church in Canada, Ste Marie des Victoires, that was built in 1606.

It rained most of the day which slowed us down, but didn't stop us.  We had a second breakfast, lunch, and a few stops for ice cream and chocolate.  I ran out of steam around 4:00 p.m. and returned to do laundry.  I wanted to clean my bike and take a nap but ran out of time and energy.  Instead, I had dinner with some of the others in the University pub and then went to bed.

Picture: Robert, Ron, Sue and Alan taking a break from the rain

onward >>  Quebec and New Brunswick: Following rivers to the ocean

backward >>  Southern Ontario: The big cities

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