Rimouski to Shediac

We left Rimouski and set off on Highway 132, heading east and then south towards Campbellton. It rained all day. As I have mentioned before one of the issues of pedalling recumbent is that you are more open to the elements as you lie back - there is no way to put your head down and hunch over the handlebars as on a conventional bike. As a result I had a cold river of water running inside my three layers of clothing, down my chest and out the bottom of my jacket. As I cycled along I felt like I was a geographical feature.  Susan braved it out as she cycled in her shorts but that's mainly because she overheats with her two jackets on to keep out the rain. All in all it's quite a bit uncomfortable when it's raining hard. 

As we have cycled across Canada we have experienced snow, the beginning of the Spring through to the summer heat and humidity.  Though it's still hot most days we can feel the beginning of Autumn. Thank goodness we are home before Winter. 

On this part of the cycle the signposts were kind of familiar. 

It was like being in an alternate universe where Scotland has been taken over by the French. 

As we continued cycling south through Val Brillant, Campbellton, Beresford and Miramichi we camped at some very average campsites but with great locations. 

To date we have camped for 32 nights (yes I do keep a record). It's a lot less than we had originally planned but we like the comfort of the motels and, generally, the standard of campsites in Canada has  been poor (in our experience).

This part of New Brunswick is an area of Canada that is proudly Acadian and the flags (essentially the French flag with a star on it) are everywhere.  Also the huge stone churches we saw in every small town or village in Quebec have been replaced by the wooden churches of New Brunswick.  We paused for lunch on the steps of such a church one afternoon.

Eventually, after several days cycling we reached Shediac, self proclaimed Lobster Capital of the world. Just to prove their point they have the biggest lobster in the world on display.

 

We are having a day off in Shediac and so far we have eaten mountains of lobster, deep fried clams, scallops and prawns. Outstanding. 

Finally, as we don't fly home until the 22nd September we have now adjusted our trip across our last province, Newfoundland.  Originally, we were taking a ferry to Argentia and a two day cycle to the end at St John's.  Now we are taking the ferry to Port Aux Basques, an extra 700km or so across hills with almost guaranteed wind and rain. I think Susan is quite happy with the choice though I won't be able to confirm that until she starts talking to me again :)

From The Pacific To The Atlantic

Since leaving sight the North Pacific in April we had our first sight of the North Atalntic from Chaleur Bay near Bathurst. 

New Brunswick

After two days cycling in the rain, we arrived at New Brunswick, our next Canadian province.

 

Pedal Heaven - Quebec to Rimouski

Leaving our hotel in Quebec we cycled 10km along a dedicated cycle path along the shore of the St Lawrence in the morning sun. Fantastic.

 

Then it was the Quebec - Levis ferry with a load of other cyclists talking a whole load about cycling. When we started talking gear ratios, Susan made her escape to a quieter part of the ship.

 

View of Quebec from the ferry.

When we hit the shore, we found our old friend La Route Verte. Oh how Quebec spoils us cyclists!

 

Even when we had to connect to Highway 132 we had a paved hard shoulder and signs for 4% of motorists who need to be told. 

 

I don't know why the poster portrayed the cyclist as a sausage with ears. I think the artist was perhaps one of the 4% I was talking about!

Then it was back onto a coastal trail.

 

For two days, with stops at L'islet (93km) and Rivière du Loupe (111km) we cycled over relatively flat landscape.  We spent too much time stopping and looking and not enough cycling so it was starting to get dark when we had a biscuit pit stop. But who can grumble when the views were like this.

 

On our third day, we left Rivière du Loupe and began to pick up hill after hill (the end of the Appalachians) as we continued on Highway 132 and cycled towards Rimouski.  Unfortunately, we had to leave La Route Verte as it became gravel and twisty - no place for our tandem. 

From Rimouski we will now head around the coast towards Shediac. We are not taking the most direct cycle route across this part of Canada but we have never been about the shortest route. Sometimes we wish we were but when we have had such great days cycling in Quebec we don't regret it for a minute. Vive le Quebec. 

6,222 km to date. 

Footnote:  after 4 months in Canada I think it's time for Susan to go home soon - when we had a minor problem with a mudguard she called it a 'fender'! 

It's Not All Biscuits And Beer

We eat an awful lot of biscuits, drink beer and every day it's good to be cycling in the fresh air through the ever changing Canadian countryside. However, it's hard. Very hard. Cycling day after day pulling a heavy load over hill after hill is challenging. 

Here is a pic I took of Susan at lunchtime today.  Just off Highway 132 we found an abandoned crazy golf with a bench in the middle to eat our lunch. We had been looking for a suitable spot for an hour but there was just highway and fields. 

 

We had started the day cycling well but both of us felt quite flat by about 11am. By lunchtime Susan is so utterly and completely tired that she doesn't even want to sit on the bench.  Days like this are not uncommon but it's usually me lying down and crying but we don't need to go into that here. 

When I returned after taking the photo she demanded 'I want one of these shots'. Now don't think we are on any anabolic steroids - one look at our bodies will tell you otherwise. She was talking about the energy gel sachets we carry.  

Now I'm in charge of the gel distribution and Susan calls me the 'gel monitor'. That's a term from school - remember the milk monitor? Now this was not a time to refuse her as she looked at me like that girl 'Carrie' in the horror movie. Well I'm the kind of guy who is scared of horror movies so Susan got her wish. Actually it wasn't really a wish was it? 

So after some food and a strawberry gel we set off again because no matter what you feel like in the morning or at lunchtime you have to get to the end of the day.  Today, the end of the day was another 54km! 

Now these gel shots are little miracles in a packet. They get you started and then you need a positive mind to drive your tired body and legs. Every day is a physical challenge but what every long distance cyclist will know is that the physical challenge is only a part of the equation. I believe the psychological challenge is more important. If you are not in the right frame of mind it's a real struggle whilst a strong positive attutude can drive you even when your body feels like the plug has been pulled. Every day has it's ups and downs. We pedal better in the afternoon than in the morning and some of our strongest pedalling has been when we were most tired. Put your head in the right place and your feet will follow.

So we pushed on and when we got to the motel (the last two previous nights were camping), Susan allocated the pills because she is the 'pill monitor'. She asks what bits are sore and then I get the appropriate coloured pill.  I'm not always happy as sometimes I want a blue pill and she gives me a red one (note: she kind of keeps the blue ones to herself!). 

So as I sit with another beer and Susan is having another biscuit I can only reflect that there's a lot more to this cycling lark than that. 

Sights Of Quebec

Quebec is a lovely city that plays on it's French heritage and on the weekend we were there the New France Festival was in full swing.  It was a bit of a Disneyesque French pastiche in places and I kept looking for Minnie dressed as Joan of Arc and Mickey as Napoleon Bonepart but we had a great weekend mingling with the other billion tourists enjoying the sights and sounds of Quebec. 

Meet Dan and Donna Barski

On the day we cycled towards Neuville we met Dan and Donna Barski from New York State. They were returning from a holiday in the Canadian wilderness in their canoe.

 

So what's the story? Well Dan and Donna are also trans Canadian cyclists having completed their journey in 1980. 

As I sit here communicating by internet it's hard to imagine that Dan and Donna had to use the telephone to phone home to update on their progress.  Actually, it's not that hard to imagine because I can remember it too.  Yes it's hard to believe I'm that old and no I don't remember the telegraph! 

They have left cycling behind and are now both committed canoeists, travelling by car and living in a caravan. They have swapped sore legs for sore arms and shoulders. Is there any physical activity you can do without getting sore? 

We said our goodbyes and they left us with some presents - chocolate almonds, a copy of their bicycle diary that we have found very interesting reading and a DVD. Thanks and happy canoeing. 

Montreal to Quebec City

Leaving Montreal we followed the directions on the GPS north eastwards out of the city and this was a mistake. We followed a busy road alongside the Autoroute Felixstowe Leclerc and it wasn't a place for a bicycle. Heavy traffic and heavy trucks going somewhere fast. Eventually, we made it across the Prairies River and onto Rue Notre Dame and everything was relatively peaceful again. 

Over the next four days the cycling was just wonderful as we made our way along the north side of the St Lawrence River following La Route Verte which is a network of bicycle routes throughout Quebec. Whilst the signage on the road isn't all that it could be and the information from the Tourist Information Centres non-existant, if you manage to connect to the network and follow it then you are rewarded by some of the best cycling around. As an added bonus there are no hills, to speak of, in this part of Canada. It's a dream!

La Route Verte Highway 5 that we were following also followed the 'Chemin Du Roy' which is the King's Highway.  This is the oldest road in Canada linking Montreal, Trois Rivieres and Quebec from 1737. 

And this is the sign we all love to see on our roads, don't we? It says 'bloody cyclists this way' :)

 

Taking our time, we cycled through some lovely Quebec countryside in sunshine. After the many gruelling days we have had on the bike, this was like a cycling holiday. We feasted on strawberries, raspberries and blueberries from the countless farm stalls at the side of the road and when we stopped for a picnic there were no flies. Can you believe it?  Honest, there were no black flies, bull dog flies or even mosquitos. We could actually have our lunch sitting still without waving. 

Susan having lunch by the banks of the St Lawrence with her hands by her side. 

In this area of Canada there are churches by the bucket load. Every small village has an oversized church with a silver painted tin roof. These churches are a quintessential part of the Quebec countryside. 

 

Cycling an average of only 75km a day, we stopped overnight in Berthierville, Trois Rivieres and Neuville. There was no reason to rush through this part of our journey.   As we neared Neuville, the weather threatened to hit us with another thunderstorm but thankfully it kept its distance this time and allowed us to get to our campsite dry. 

 

Our cycle into Quebec was an easy 30km. We were actually smiling that morning over breakfast and it was only 20km later that we had 'poutine' for lunch at a popular snack bar situated under a magnificent cast iron railway bridge.

We reached Quebec City and will stay here over the weekend. It's time to do some carbohydrate loading. Susan calls it beer drinking but I prefer it's medical definition. 

5,914km to date.

Montreal

Montreal is a nice city with a bit of an identity crisis - it's Canadian, it's American but would love to be French.

 

Ottawa to Montreal

We left Ottawa and cycled to the south of the Ottawa River towards Montreal. I was uncomfortable as this was not in the Plan - my Plan. You see, I have detailed every day of cycling in a spreadsheet - each day is a stage with the route pre programmed into the Garmin GPS.  It is quite a bit OCD but it works.  Respect the Plan. 

Now Susan is less of a 'planner' and more of a free spirit. She often says we shouldn't be bound by the Plan and I agree that we should perhaps be more flexible.  However, the undeniable righteousness of the Plan means that different ideas are wrong. So our cycling maxim is 'follow the Plan for the Plan knows best'. 

On this day we were on the east side of Ottawa and to follow the Plan would mean a 10km cycle back to the centre of the city to cross to the north side of the Ottawa River. We decided to continue east against word of the Plan. Yes I was weak and as we cycled along Susan remarked 'it's the pragmatic decision'. I was choking as I agreed with her.  

As it turned out we had a good day's cycle along relatively flat roads in the sun.  The countryside was lovely.  However, after 100km, in the late afternoon, the skies opened as we arrived at the campsite at the Voyageur Provincial Park.  We were soaked and told the campsite was full - it was the August bank holiday weekend.  I wasn't surprised because this campsite was not in the Plan.

When I told the girl on reception we were not cycling any further she agreed to put us in the overflow field. Oh she had the last laugh. The overflow field had been booked by the Peruvian Sporting Club. Last thing you would expect is hundreds of Peruvians in a Canadian campsite but that's what happens when you don't follow the Plan. Oh and believe me when I say the Peruvians know how to have a good time, especially when they have a karaoke machine and a boom box with 100 greatest Peruvian hits. 

Thankfully, we had a few beers to help us sleep.

'Everything is better with a Creemore Springs Premium Lager'. 

In the morning we left before the Peruvians were awake and followed the GPS to a highway that didn't allow bicycles. That's what happens when you allow a GPS to go 'off Plan'. So we cycled westwards, back the way we came, to find a bridge to cross over to the north side of the river, adding another 40km to,our journey.  So when people ask about which way we crossed Canada I can now say we travelled east and west!  That's what happens when you don't follow the Plan. 

Eventually we reached the suburbs of Montreal.  The GPS was in charge as we cycled through one shady district after another. Traffic light after traffic light hindered any progress. Thousands of traffic lights and if you are cycling and can't catch the right sequence you get stopped at every one. Even the 'ladies of the night' left me alone when they saw how knackered I was sitting on the bike. Obviously they didn't carry portable resuscitation machines.

At 7.30pm we pulled into a Tim Hortons  for a break and something to eat.  As we parked the bike we noticed a group of guys that looked like extras from some American cop show.  As Susan ordered I remained outside to look after the bike. 'Use you're police experience' Susan said.  'Don't be daft' I replied. 'This is not the time for a three year crime reduction plan with a performance matrix to demonstrate deliverable results'. 

Instead I made eye contact with the ring leader.  I could tell he was the ring leader as he had an impressive spiders web tattooed all over his head. I tried to look tough and dangerous.  This was quite difficult as I ate my panini, drinking a latte, whilst wearing a luminous yellow t-shirt and spandex shorts with a cycle helmet that looked like a plastic mushroom on my head.

Thankfully, they kept their distance and I didn't have to demonstrate my Karate Kid techniques (wax on, wax off). I'm sure, however, they kept away  because we were still damp from the rainstorm the previous day and they could smell us. On this last point I'm serious!

Eventually, after 130km we reached a hotel. Of course we didn't have a room booked and we had all sorts of problems. That's what happens when you don't follow the Plan! 

Bonjour Quebec

After cycling for an eternity through Ontario, the widest Canadian Province, we have now reached Quebec, the largest Province. Time for a photo.

 

French is the official language which traces it's origins back to a French colony that was handed to the British after the 7 years war way back in 1763. So it's bonjour Quebec and for the next few weeks it's biere I will be drinking. Oh and in case there are any smart Alec's reading - I know what's missing :)

Kingston to Ottawa

Leaving Kingston we cycled 100km northwards to Smiths Falls followed by 79km to Ottawa. For two days the sun and thunderstorms swapped places every few hours. We had been told by another Canadian cyclist that we will see a lot more rain from Eastern Ontario and so far that has been true.

 

The rain doesn't last long but when it rains it's proper rain. None of that misty stuff we usually experience in Scotland. There are few places to shelter on the road and we obviously avoid trees when there is lightning. Anyway, we have found sheltering under trees is good for two minutes - thereafter you're better sheltering under a sieve.

'Come in she said I'll give you shelter from the storm'

We reached Ottawa and to celebrate reaching the capital city I treated Susan to a great night out sitting at the bar on bar stools drinking beer and eating food. I think she loved it but just didn't like to say.

The following day we visited Parlaiment Hill.

Yes we do get our cycle helmets off sometimes :)