August 20: Baddeck to Baddeck (0km)
As planned, I stayed an extra day in Baddeck and was quite busy. First, let's start with last night. I went to the Ceilidh (the Celtic ho-down that I mentioned in my last post - yes my Gaelic spelling needs work as I massacred the spelling in my last post. It was fun. There was a fiddler with piano accompaniment that played traditional tunes. In order to liven up the evening, they incorporated stories and taught some dance moves - even some "sitting tap-dancing":). At one point a 94 old lady got up and danced - if only we can be half as fit and sharp as her at that age. An all around good time.
This morning I went for a guided kayak tour of the lake. The wind was quite blustery. So I was the only person that signed up for the tour and, as a result, got personalized service. My lower body is clearly in better shape than my upper body. Even though the tour went really well and I had a good time, I could feel my muscles working more than I do when I'm on my bike.
As I was walking out of the restaurant where I went for lunch, I see a touring cyclist wiz by. I take a closer look and I'm pretty sure it's Serge - a cyclist I met while going up Paulson Pass in BC about two and half months ago. As he was on wheels and I was on foot, I never did meet up with him today, but it was funny seeing him. I'm guessing he's going to the ferry as well. So who knows, I may see him then.
Not much more to report. I simply ran some errands the rest of the day like doing laundry and buying a new book - Elmore Leonard's Tishomingo Blues (oh yeah, my literary education continues:).
August 21: Baddeck to North Sydney (67.41km)
As I was eating breakfast this morning, I see someone outside the window loading up his bike. It was Serge. It turned out that he stayed in the same motel I was staying at and that he was going to take the same ferry to NFLD as I was. So we caught up on our trip experiences and agreed to hook up this evening as we were again planning to stay at the same motel - North Sydney doesn't have many to offer.
Today's ride was wonderful. It was short and the wind was in my back. So I took my time and checked out the sights which were really nice especially while climbing Kelly's Mountain – a fairly steep hill near the end of my ride. I really had a sense that my trip was coming to the end and I wanted to savour every moment – the scenery, the act of biking, etc. I didn't have that same sense when I rode toward Halifax even though it was the final few days if I had left from there. I think that the notion that I should go to St-John's prevented me from appreciating it.
Even with my slow pace I arrived at the motel fairly early so I biked into town to see what it had to offer since my ferry won't leave until 3:30 tomorrow after noon. Well apparently the town doesn't offer much. I think I might be hanging out at the terminal for a good part of the day:) Oh well, at least I'll have Serge's company.
August 22: North Sydney to North Sydney (9.73km)
All I had to do today was go from my motel to the ferry terminal by 3:30PM and since there didn't seem to be a lot of things to do “downtown” I took my time getting ready.
When Serge and I finally did make it into town, we met up with Philip and Ludwig - two cyclist who began their trip from Victoria a full month after I started mine. Needless to say they are in wicked good shape and have made incredible time. In fact, we kept on meeting more and more cyclist as the afternoon went on and there must have been about 15 cyclist on the ferry to Argentia most of whom started from Victoria or Vancouver.
The ferry ride was good in that it was uneventful. We were about two hours late getting started, but otherwise the trip was quite pleasant. I even had a chance to watch a movie – The Bucket List which was better than I expected.
August 23: Argentia to Holyrood(93.39km)
Considering I was sleeping in a dormitory on the boat with about 15 other people, I slept really well. The water was calm so the rocking of the boat was at a minimum.
We arrived in Argentia at about 9:00 and we were off. Initially, the skies were gray and threatening, but they cleared up a few hours later and it ended up being a beautiful day with a strong south westerly wind which pushed me along for the first part of the day, but after I turned a corner, I had it on my side for the rest of the day.
St-John's is about 120km from the ferry, but I decided to split the journey over two days. I wanted to do this in order that my last day be short so that I could take my time and soak in the last moments. I wanted in fact to read my whole blog tonight so that all my experiences be fresh in my mind for the final day, but alas, the internet service of the B&B where I'm staying is down. So as a second best option, I went through all my photos thus far and the only concrete thought that I had while looking at the photos was how lucky I was to be doing such a trip. For those who have read me whine for the past three months, you know that there have been many ups and downs, but the fact remains that I have wanted to do this trip for the past 15 or 16 years and I am very glad that I am doing it. I'm curious to see in the coming months if there have been any lasting changes in me because of this trip, but regardless, it was a trip of a lifetime and worthwhile if for no other reason.
August 24: Holyrood to St-John's/Cape Spear (91.83km)
The ride into St-John's today was relatively easy in that I had a really strong wind in my back pushing me along. However, my final destination wasn't St-John's, but rather Cape Spear which the eastern most point of North America. I therefore set off to the Cape and the journey there starts out with a monster steep hill. In fact most of the 15km to Cape Spear is marked with huge uphills and downhills. The whole time that I'm riding to my destination, I'm dreading the ride back, because not only would I have to ride those hills again, but I'd have to do it against the wind and as I mentioned earlier, it was a formidable wind.
In the previous weeks, I had always imagined my final moments at Cape Spear as having a sense of victory and of elation. Well this wasn't the case for two primary reasons: 1) any elation was dampened by the realization that my ride back would be hell and 2) I don't think I fully realize that my trip is over. I've been riding for so long that the end doesn't seem real. It will likely hit me in a couple of weeks when I'm back at work and getting into a different routine.
As promised, my ride back was sheer torture. The hills were significant and the wind was nasty. I arrived at my motel and was drained.
In the evening, I went to George street (party central in St-John's) to celebrate the end of my trip with a few of the cyclists that I had met on the ferry.
A couple of final statistics:
Distance: 6969.02km
Flat tires: 4
Bear sightings: 0
Moose sightings: 0
Wolf sightings: 2
Deer sightings: countless
Roadkill: Way too many
Well, that's about it. I may put another posting in a couple of months if I have any final thoughts that I would like to share. A big thank you to everyone for reading my ramblings and for posting. I very much appreciated it and it made my trip that much more enjoyable and prevented me from being lonely. Again thanks and here are a few other pictures.
Monday, August 25, 2008
Sunday, August 17, 2008
Surrounded by fiddlers
August 17: Elmsdale to New Glasgow (120.65km)
Today I was back-tracking over some familiar territory. Since I changed my plans yesterday, I had to go back to Truro in order to veer east toward Cape Breton.
The weather was gray and heavy in the morning, but thankfully, the rain had stopped before I left at 9:00. After I stopped for lunch in Truro, the skie cleared and a heavy wind picked up. Thankfully, the wind was predominantly in my back and I was flying up some hills at about 30km/hr - faster than what I ride on flats on a calm day. According to the Weather Network, I won't be as fortunate tomorrow, but the forecast is still relatively positive.
I'm now in a B&B in New Glasgow and the couple owning the house are very nice. However, the lady of the house is originally from central England and I can hardly understand a word she says. I feel bad making her repeat everything, but I fear saying an inappropriate comment to what I think she says if I don't. Aah, the perils of travel:)
August 28: New Glasgow to Port Hastings (128.03km)
Today's ride was good if a bit frustrating. I switched back and forth all day from the Trans-Canada to the secondary highway. The secondary highway was twisty-turny and constantly had rolling hills which prevented me from getting any momentum or speed, but there was less traffic. The Trans-Canada allowed for greater speed, but it was busy and the shoulder (although good in general) disappeared when there was a passing lane. I won't have a choice in the coming days. Even though there are three main roads that could get me to the ferry, one would be a huge detour and another has no shoulder - in fact the police called the tourism office to ask them to tell cyclists not to take that road. That leaves one road which is unfortunately probably the busiest one and has some really big hills, but I'm told it has good shoulders. Fingers crossed that it is in fact the case.
I may or may not ride tomorrow. Since my ferry reservation is for Friday and it should only take me two days to get to North Sydney, I have a bit of time. And since the forecast is for thunder storms tomorrow, I think I may simply hole up in my motel room and watch the Olympics:) We'll see what the weather will look like in the morning.
August 19: Port Hastings to Baddeck (86.88km)
I woke up to clear skies and the forecast changed to rain only in the evening. So I thought I would try to do some mileage while the weather was favourable. I was a bit concerned with the wind however. It was howling all night and wasn't letting up in the morning. It was a southern wind though - so although not horrible it could be tiresome after a while. For most of the day, the wind was hardly a factor though and when it was it was generally in my back.
I am now in Cape Breton and it is really pretty. Some of the ride was deep in the woods and I couldn't see anything, but other times, I was next to water and the view of the lake and the rolling hills behind it was nice.
Since I was making pretty good time, I thought of making a stab at reaching North Sydney today in order to take the Wednesday ferry and have more time in Newfoundland. I wasn't sure if I could make it on time, but I thought if the ferry was late in the day, I could make it most of the way today and do a short ride to the ferry tomorrow. I stopped in the tourism office in Baddeck to get the ferry schedule and it turns out that the ferry is at 8:00 tomorrow morning. It may have been doable, but I would arrive in Argentia late tomorrow evening which meant I would have to ride at night which wasn't a good idea. So I opted to stay in Baddeck and take the ferry on Friday as originally planned.
Baddeck is a cute touristy town. Since I have a bit of time before my ferry, I may stay here an extra night as there is likely more to do here than in North Sydney. In fact, I met a guy who does kayaking tours around the lake. If the weather isn't too bad tomorrow (they're calling for rain), I may do that. And every night they have a kaylee (is that how you spell it? - anyways essentially a traditional performance of fiddle music and dancing). I'm going to check that out this evening. Maybe I should bring my bike shoes so that I can do some tap-dancing:)
Here are a few pictures of Cape Breton.
Today I was back-tracking over some familiar territory. Since I changed my plans yesterday, I had to go back to Truro in order to veer east toward Cape Breton.
The weather was gray and heavy in the morning, but thankfully, the rain had stopped before I left at 9:00. After I stopped for lunch in Truro, the skie cleared and a heavy wind picked up. Thankfully, the wind was predominantly in my back and I was flying up some hills at about 30km/hr - faster than what I ride on flats on a calm day. According to the Weather Network, I won't be as fortunate tomorrow, but the forecast is still relatively positive.
I'm now in a B&B in New Glasgow and the couple owning the house are very nice. However, the lady of the house is originally from central England and I can hardly understand a word she says. I feel bad making her repeat everything, but I fear saying an inappropriate comment to what I think she says if I don't. Aah, the perils of travel:)
August 28: New Glasgow to Port Hastings (128.03km)
Today's ride was good if a bit frustrating. I switched back and forth all day from the Trans-Canada to the secondary highway. The secondary highway was twisty-turny and constantly had rolling hills which prevented me from getting any momentum or speed, but there was less traffic. The Trans-Canada allowed for greater speed, but it was busy and the shoulder (although good in general) disappeared when there was a passing lane. I won't have a choice in the coming days. Even though there are three main roads that could get me to the ferry, one would be a huge detour and another has no shoulder - in fact the police called the tourism office to ask them to tell cyclists not to take that road. That leaves one road which is unfortunately probably the busiest one and has some really big hills, but I'm told it has good shoulders. Fingers crossed that it is in fact the case.
I may or may not ride tomorrow. Since my ferry reservation is for Friday and it should only take me two days to get to North Sydney, I have a bit of time. And since the forecast is for thunder storms tomorrow, I think I may simply hole up in my motel room and watch the Olympics:) We'll see what the weather will look like in the morning.
August 19: Port Hastings to Baddeck (86.88km)
I woke up to clear skies and the forecast changed to rain only in the evening. So I thought I would try to do some mileage while the weather was favourable. I was a bit concerned with the wind however. It was howling all night and wasn't letting up in the morning. It was a southern wind though - so although not horrible it could be tiresome after a while. For most of the day, the wind was hardly a factor though and when it was it was generally in my back.
I am now in Cape Breton and it is really pretty. Some of the ride was deep in the woods and I couldn't see anything, but other times, I was next to water and the view of the lake and the rolling hills behind it was nice.
Since I was making pretty good time, I thought of making a stab at reaching North Sydney today in order to take the Wednesday ferry and have more time in Newfoundland. I wasn't sure if I could make it on time, but I thought if the ferry was late in the day, I could make it most of the way today and do a short ride to the ferry tomorrow. I stopped in the tourism office in Baddeck to get the ferry schedule and it turns out that the ferry is at 8:00 tomorrow morning. It may have been doable, but I would arrive in Argentia late tomorrow evening which meant I would have to ride at night which wasn't a good idea. So I opted to stay in Baddeck and take the ferry on Friday as originally planned.
Baddeck is a cute touristy town. Since I have a bit of time before my ferry, I may stay here an extra night as there is likely more to do here than in North Sydney. In fact, I met a guy who does kayaking tours around the lake. If the weather isn't too bad tomorrow (they're calling for rain), I may do that. And every night they have a kaylee (is that how you spell it? - anyways essentially a traditional performance of fiddle music and dancing). I'm going to check that out this evening. Maybe I should bring my bike shoes so that I can do some tap-dancing:)
Here are a few pictures of Cape Breton.
Wednesday, August 13, 2008
Change of plans
August 13: Moncton to Springhill, NS (87.56km)
It was difficult leaving Moncton today because it had been fun to see everyone. Also, I had taken a full 4 days off - more than I have taken since Saskatchewan and I had gotten out of the habit of riding. But alas, I had to leave at some point.
I got a slow start and only left at around 10:00. The weather had been gloomy the whole time I was in Moncton and this morning was no different. Aside from a few drops, I didn't get rained on however and the clouds started to disperse in the afternoon.
Unfortunately, I had to leave New Brunswick where the roads had been so good to enter Nova Scotia where there are very little shoulders. I had been warned of this by some cyclists whom I've met along the way and by my brother Rodrigue who was driving in these parts last week. So at my first opportunity I got off the main roads in favour of country roads. There is no shoulder but the traffic is a bit lighter and they drive a bit slower.
My enjoyment of the trip thus far has always been directly related to the quality of the shoulders. So I'm not anticipating great things from Nova Scotia. However, since I only have to be in Halifax next Monday, I will be doing shorter days and doing more of the tourist thing then I have been doing for most of the trip. So hopefully that will compensate for the bad roads.
August 14: Springhill to Five Islands (67.27km)
I must say that the people of Nova Scotia rival New Brunswickers on the friendliness meter. Almost everyone I crossed paths with in Springhill were quick to chat and to offer help. The sons owner gave me a number of tips on where to go and what to see. Unfortunately, I forgot most of it as he gave me so much advice, I couldn't keep it all straight.
My biggest challenge during today's ride were dogs. I'm now riding on country roads and thankfully, the traffic is quite light, but there are dogs all along the road that don't seem to like the sight of me. None chased me too far, so I suppose I shouldn't complain, but a few of them gave me a good fright.
I was thinking of going to Masstown today which is 50km further than Five Islands, but when I got to Five Islands, the sky had become overcast and gloomy and I figured in the spirit of my approach to the final days of my trip (i.e. shorter days and more “stopping to smell the roses”) I decided to stay there the night as it was a pretty town. I checked into a B&B and was hosted by Gerry and Judy – super friendly people and I recommend their hospitality if ever you should be in that neck of the woods. Judy even gave me a tour of the town by car (because it had started raining pretty hard).
August 15: Five Islands to Brookfield (88.13km)
The conditions for the early part of my ride were ideal. The rain had stopped and I had a fairly healthy tail wind. I was planning to stay in Truro for the evening, but I got there so fast, that it seemed a waste to stop. So after stopping in the information booth and planning my destinations for my final few days, I made another short ride to the next town where I'm staying. Since I essentially turned a corner at Truro, the conditions were no longer as favourable. Nonetheless, the ride was enjoyable. There were especially some pretty sights on the first half of my day when the road was along the bay of Fundy.
I've been thinking in my past few days about my trip. If ever I were to do this again, there are several things that I would do differently. That being said, I did the trip that I wanted. I wanted a trip that got me out of my comfort zone and that would challenge me and that is what I got and for that among a whole lot of other reasons, I'm happy I am doing this trip.
August 16: Brookfield to Elmsdale (42.24km)
Last night I woke up around 4AM thinking that I might regret not finishing my trip in Newfoundland. Even though I had always been vague as to my destination goal, in my minds eye I always saw myself standing atop Cape Spear and seeing nothing but ocean. And in a strange way, I felt that I would be robbing myself of the cathartic experience of having truly completed my journey if I didn't finish at Cape Spear. There would always be a seed of regret that I would think I left the trip unfinished.
Along the ride, I debated myself about whether or not I should change my travel plans. Let's be honest, I'm tired of the trip and looking forward to the end. This statement contradicts what I said in yesterday's posting, but both assertions are true. I'm glad I'm doing the trip, but I'll be really glad when it's over.
The conclusion of my internal debate was that I would look at the possibilities of doing the trip when I arrived at my destination and I would act accordingly. As it turns out, rescheduling the trip was feasible and in fact my options were better then when I had checked initially. When I had done my initial research, I thought I saw that all ferries arrived in NFLD at around 2AM. This was a problem, because it would mean that I would have to find my way to the hotel - which was 7km away - at night. Either the information had been wrong or the times have changed, because now, the ferry would go overnight and I would arrive around 9AM. This was perfect because I could then get a full days ride in before having to find accommodations. So I changed my plans.
Now, I'm in a position where I have to backtrack about half a days ride so that I can get to Sydney on time. Oh well, all part of the adventure:)
A few more pictures.
It was difficult leaving Moncton today because it had been fun to see everyone. Also, I had taken a full 4 days off - more than I have taken since Saskatchewan and I had gotten out of the habit of riding. But alas, I had to leave at some point.
I got a slow start and only left at around 10:00. The weather had been gloomy the whole time I was in Moncton and this morning was no different. Aside from a few drops, I didn't get rained on however and the clouds started to disperse in the afternoon.
Unfortunately, I had to leave New Brunswick where the roads had been so good to enter Nova Scotia where there are very little shoulders. I had been warned of this by some cyclists whom I've met along the way and by my brother Rodrigue who was driving in these parts last week. So at my first opportunity I got off the main roads in favour of country roads. There is no shoulder but the traffic is a bit lighter and they drive a bit slower.
My enjoyment of the trip thus far has always been directly related to the quality of the shoulders. So I'm not anticipating great things from Nova Scotia. However, since I only have to be in Halifax next Monday, I will be doing shorter days and doing more of the tourist thing then I have been doing for most of the trip. So hopefully that will compensate for the bad roads.
August 14: Springhill to Five Islands (67.27km)
I must say that the people of Nova Scotia rival New Brunswickers on the friendliness meter. Almost everyone I crossed paths with in Springhill were quick to chat and to offer help. The sons owner gave me a number of tips on where to go and what to see. Unfortunately, I forgot most of it as he gave me so much advice, I couldn't keep it all straight.
My biggest challenge during today's ride were dogs. I'm now riding on country roads and thankfully, the traffic is quite light, but there are dogs all along the road that don't seem to like the sight of me. None chased me too far, so I suppose I shouldn't complain, but a few of them gave me a good fright.
I was thinking of going to Masstown today which is 50km further than Five Islands, but when I got to Five Islands, the sky had become overcast and gloomy and I figured in the spirit of my approach to the final days of my trip (i.e. shorter days and more “stopping to smell the roses”) I decided to stay there the night as it was a pretty town. I checked into a B&B and was hosted by Gerry and Judy – super friendly people and I recommend their hospitality if ever you should be in that neck of the woods. Judy even gave me a tour of the town by car (because it had started raining pretty hard).
August 15: Five Islands to Brookfield (88.13km)
The conditions for the early part of my ride were ideal. The rain had stopped and I had a fairly healthy tail wind. I was planning to stay in Truro for the evening, but I got there so fast, that it seemed a waste to stop. So after stopping in the information booth and planning my destinations for my final few days, I made another short ride to the next town where I'm staying. Since I essentially turned a corner at Truro, the conditions were no longer as favourable. Nonetheless, the ride was enjoyable. There were especially some pretty sights on the first half of my day when the road was along the bay of Fundy.
I've been thinking in my past few days about my trip. If ever I were to do this again, there are several things that I would do differently. That being said, I did the trip that I wanted. I wanted a trip that got me out of my comfort zone and that would challenge me and that is what I got and for that among a whole lot of other reasons, I'm happy I am doing this trip.
August 16: Brookfield to Elmsdale (42.24km)
Last night I woke up around 4AM thinking that I might regret not finishing my trip in Newfoundland. Even though I had always been vague as to my destination goal, in my minds eye I always saw myself standing atop Cape Spear and seeing nothing but ocean. And in a strange way, I felt that I would be robbing myself of the cathartic experience of having truly completed my journey if I didn't finish at Cape Spear. There would always be a seed of regret that I would think I left the trip unfinished.
Along the ride, I debated myself about whether or not I should change my travel plans. Let's be honest, I'm tired of the trip and looking forward to the end. This statement contradicts what I said in yesterday's posting, but both assertions are true. I'm glad I'm doing the trip, but I'll be really glad when it's over.
The conclusion of my internal debate was that I would look at the possibilities of doing the trip when I arrived at my destination and I would act accordingly. As it turns out, rescheduling the trip was feasible and in fact my options were better then when I had checked initially. When I had done my initial research, I thought I saw that all ferries arrived in NFLD at around 2AM. This was a problem, because it would mean that I would have to find my way to the hotel - which was 7km away - at night. Either the information had been wrong or the times have changed, because now, the ferry would go overnight and I would arrive around 9AM. This was perfect because I could then get a full days ride in before having to find accommodations. So I changed my plans.
Now, I'm in a position where I have to backtrack about half a days ride so that I can get to Sydney on time. Oh well, all part of the adventure:)
A few more pictures.
Tuesday, August 5, 2008
Paradise revisited
August 5: Edmunston to Perth-Andover (100.68km)
The sky was gray upon waking this morning so I was slow to get moving. But I eventually got on my bike and was off. Since Erika and Marie-Anne were planning on different destinations, we left separately.
It eventually started to clear and the riding was generally pretty good. I stopped for my second breakfast in Saint-Leonard and as I was packing up to leave, I see Erika and Marie-Anne parking their bikes to go in a corner store. I joined them and we biked together until Grand Falls where they stopped for lunch. We decided not to say any goodbyes as we had already done so a number of times and since my progress wasn't as great as I had initially hoped, we thought that we might meet up at the campground which they were aiming for.
After I left them, I returned to the trans Canada, I rode with them on a side road that is quite nice, but a bit rougher than the highway. I chose the highway, because for some bizarre reason, my pannier "jumped the rail" of my pannier rack 5 times when I was on the rougher road. Once on the highway, the winds began to be in my favour and I was making very good time. I decided to go further than the campground that Erika and Marie-Anne were telling me about and checked into a motel instead. I'm thinking it was probably a good thing, because I have since learned that they are calling for a low of 8 degrees tonight (where has the summer gone?)
The sky was gray upon waking this morning so I was slow to get moving. But I eventually got on my bike and was off. Since Erika and Marie-Anne were planning on different destinations, we left separately.
It eventually started to clear and the riding was generally pretty good. I stopped for my second breakfast in Saint-Leonard and as I was packing up to leave, I see Erika and Marie-Anne parking their bikes to go in a corner store. I joined them and we biked together until Grand Falls where they stopped for lunch. We decided not to say any goodbyes as we had already done so a number of times and since my progress wasn't as great as I had initially hoped, we thought that we might meet up at the campground which they were aiming for.
After I left them, I returned to the trans Canada, I rode with them on a side road that is quite nice, but a bit rougher than the highway. I chose the highway, because for some bizarre reason, my pannier "jumped the rail" of my pannier rack 5 times when I was on the rougher road. Once on the highway, the winds began to be in my favour and I was making very good time. I decided to go further than the campground that Erika and Marie-Anne were telling me about and checked into a motel instead. I'm thinking it was probably a good thing, because I have since learned that they are calling for a low of 8 degrees tonight (where has the summer gone?)
August 6: Perth-Andover to Pokiok (119.21km)
A good ride today. Even though it's relatively cool, there was no precipitation, so I won't complain.
I stopped at a motel in Pokiok at around 3:30, because it was the last one until Fredericton which was another 50km. There was nobody in the office, but there was a contact number which I called. The owner also has a motel in Fredericton and he was at the other place, but I was promised that he would be at Pokiok at 4:00. Three hours later, he arrived and I checked in. It wasn't all a waste however as I met Micheal - another guy who wanted a room and he drove me to the grocery store for supplies and we ended up sharing a room together.
August 7: Pokiok to Gagetown (113.70km)
I wanted to make as much distance as I could today in order to make tomorrow's ride into Moncton relatively easy. I was planning on reaching a motel in Youngs Cove because according to the information given to me at the tourism information center, it was the last one until close to Moncton. While I was eating lunch in Oromocto, I thought that maybe I should call ahead to make sure that they had room, because the accommodations are sparse around here. Calling ahead is something I never do during this trip, but this time around, I thought that it might be wise. Well lo and behold, they were full, because apparently there was a big dog show in Sussex. Holy crap! How could I have forgotten to check the dog show schedule? This just goes to show you kids that it's a good idea to listen to the little voice in the back of your head.
I called the next best option which was a B&B in Gagetown. This was not ideal as this little town is 10km off the highway, but alas, my options weren't numerous. I arrived at the B&B at around 3:30 and as it turns out it is owned by a former politician who I didn't know and it turns out he adores the sound of his voice. A nice man who has tried his best to liquor me up, but sweet Jesus can that boy talk. He will however remain nameless as I don't want to be pursued in law for slander:)
As a result of my relatively short jaunt today, I will have a longer ride tomorrow. Hopefully, the weather will hold and not pummel me with rain.
August 8: Gagetown to the center of the universe - AKA Moncton (139.29km)
There are long stretches of the New Brunswick highway system that have absolutely no population. In this way only did it remind me a bit of northern Ontario (in all other ways, the highway system here is so much more conducive to biking). That being the case, I was a bit concerned about getting enough calories in me as I knew that it would be a long days ride. As a result, I had two breakfast and a lunch by 12:00 to make sure that I would make it to the Shangri-La of eastern Canada.As it turns out, my sister Renee's family and my other sister Monique were going the opposite way that day to visit a friend in Fredericton. So I was keeping an eye out for their car. At around 11:00 I see a bunch of hands waving from a Previa that was slowing down on the opposite side of the highway. I stopped as well and I had a reunion with part of my family on the side of the highway:)
After a long days ride, I arrived in Moncton at around 5:30. As I was cycling up to my parents house, I see baloons attached to the tree next to the house and a "Bienvenue" sign in the door window - a very sweet gesture that I very much appreciated - un grand merci Mom et Dad.
August 9-12: Moncton to Moncton (0km)
It is nice to take a few days off and relax. Even when I was in Ottawa I was constantly on the go repairing my bike or doing some things for the house that needed to get done. So in a way, I'm getting my first complete break since Thunder Bay and it made me realise just how tired I was. It's as if now that I'm not straining myself, the body just wants to completely slow down. I figure that my body is trying to tell me something and I'm going to do as little as possible until I leave.Luckily, I saw my whole family while in Moncton. This is a rare occasion as my sister Monique lives in Chicago and doesn't get the chance to visit often. It was really fun seeing all my family and friends while I was in town.
I'm currently looking at my options for the final step of my journey. I always said that St-John's would be my end point, but the stars don't seem to be lining up in favour of that destination. Halifax is another end point destination option, but I feel like I'd be cheating if I don't go to NFLD. Oh well, I have to make a decision in the next little while, otherwise there won't be any plane tickets left to go to Ottawa.
Later: well I just bought my plane ticket and the end point of my journey will be in Halifax. I was really torn about not going to St.-John's and debated with myself whether I was making the right decision, but in the end the little voice in my head that has served me well a number of times during the trip was telling me to not rush through the last couple of weeks and sort of putts around Nova Scotia for a few days seeing places that I haven't been to in years. I am a bit disappointed, but I told myself I'd try to let my intuition guide me along this trip. So I'll be arriving in Ottawa on August 20 and will have about 10 days off before returning to work.
Here are a few pictures.
Here are a few pictures.
Friday, August 1, 2008
Weather woes 2 - the sequel
August 1: Levis to St-Jean-Port-Joli (96.11km)
If I remember anything from this day in a month, it will be the wind. All day, I was struggling against a strong head wind from the St-Laurence. The road was often close to the shore and, as a result, nothing impeded its path. The howling in my ears drowned out the grunting noises that I was making.
I hoped to get further today, but alas, I decided this little town was good enough. And as it turns out, its probably a good thing. The town is quite pretty and seems to have a large artistic community as I see galleries all over the place. In fact, there is an "International Festival of Sculptures" in town this weekend and after I write this, I'll be heading off to the tent where all the activities are taking place to check it out.
I think I may have entered a new phase in my trip. At the beginning of my trip I was very enthusiastic and positive about anything that happened. Then when the roads became stressful in Manitoba, I started seeing everything through dark lenses. Presently, I seem to be neutral about the trip. Maybe it's because the roads have gotten better, but I'm not as negative as I was a few weeks ago and, as can be expected, the trips luster that was there in the beginning has passed. As I was thinking about this today, I initially saw this as being negative in that I'm bored with the trip because it has become routine. But then I thought that maybe it was just a different phase of the trip that one goes through.
August 2: St-Jean-Port-Joli to Riviere du Loup (95.87km)
I met a number of bikers today. While I was having breakfast at a restaurant in town, in walks another biker. This lady and I leaped-frogged over one another a few times the day before, but we hadn't spoken. As I was getting ready to leave, I went over to introduce myself. Hedy is 63 years old and is doing her second cross-country ride. A very nice lady and we spoke for about 20 minutes.
As I was leaving, I hear someone calling me. I look over and there was Jim and Mike, the two bikers I had met on my last day in Manitoba and whom I have mentioned on this blog. I was shocked. I hadn't seen them since Kenora and as they are faster and hardier than I am, I figured they had completed the trip or were nearly there. I chatted with them a while and we agreed to rendez-vous in Riviere du Loup where we were all planning on staying at the hostel.
So I was off. Shortly after I left town, I see two touring bikers ahead. The meeting with Jim and Mike made me think that it would be cool if I had already met these bikers as well. Alas, I hadn't. When I caught up to them, I met Erika and Marie-Anne. I had heard of them along the way because they were ahead of me by a couple of days and some people had remarked how they admired the courage of these two young ladies (they are both in their early 20s). I biked with them for a while and up ahead we saw another touring cyclist with a guitar on his back. This seemed curious so we sped up to meet Amira (I may have his name wrong), a young guy from Japan who only spoke broken English had been traveling all over the place. He started by planning to walk across Canada, but quickly realized that we have a vast country and bought a bike instead.
To look at Amira, my first impression was that he was ill suited for such a trip, because his bike looked to be in mediocre condition, he was biking with sandles, as mentioned he traveled with a guitar that he said he didn't know how to play and only bought it in the hopes of learning along the way. But, I clearly underestimated him, because he has come a long way (he started in Calgary and zig-zagged throughout North America) and he said his plan after this “warm-up trip” was to bike from Japan to England.
Later, the four of us (Amira, Erika and Marie-Anne) stopped for lunch in Kamouraska. After lunch we separated as we were all traveling at different speeds, but Erika and Marie-Anne were planning on going to the hostel as well for the evening.
The second half of the ride was marked by heavy head winds which slowed my progress considerably. For much of the afternoon I was averaging 14km/hr on flat ground which is nearly 10km/hr slower than I would usually ride. But I eventually made it to the hostel where all the above mentioned bikers reconvened except for Amira – I think he camped on the side of the road somewhere.
Last embarrassing note: For a good part of my ride today, the song that was stuck in my head was “Man, I Feel Like a Woman” by Shania Twain. I have no good reason to have this inappropriate song in my head except that it's catchy and I had heard it a couple of days earlier. Thankfully, it was later replaced by “Time After Time” by Cindy Lauper. Clearly, I shouldn't have left my Ipod in Ottawa:)
August 3: Riviere du Loup to about Saint-Honore-de-Temiscouata (about 50km – I forgot to put my bike computer on for the first couple of km)
The plan today was to make it to Edmonston which is about 130km from Riviere du Loup. As I was changing direction and would no longer be on the shore, I hoped that the winds would be less of a factor in today's ride. Luckily, I was right. However, it started to rain not long after I left town. For the first while, the rain was constant and not much of a concern. I stopped for my third breakfast after about 25km (my first two were quite small by my current travel diet). After I ate, I was a bit sluggish and thinking that maybe I should stop at the next motel as the weather was not getting any better. I reproached myself for being so lazy. However, in the following hour, the rain really started to come down. I no longer thought it wimpy to stop at a motel, but a necessity as visibility was becoming an issue. I was never in serious danger because the shoulders are quite wide here, but I still thought that it would be wisest to get off the road as quickly as possible. I had earlier seen a sign for the next motel and it advertised that they welcomed cyclists. I thought to myself that I would put that promise to the test as I looked like hell. I was soaken wet and dirty. True to their word however, they took me in.
Ironically, I'm looking outside right now and I see that the pavement is drying. The rain stopped about an hour or so after I arrived. The skies still look ominous, however. No regrets on stopping where I did though. I was cold and wet and, at the time, it looked foolish to continue.
A last note on the weather. With the exception of the Prairies, locals have consistently told me that the weather this summer has been the worst in memory. In fact, in talking to Jim yesterday, he said that they hadn't had two consecutive days of sunshine since Calgary. I was a bit more fortunate than them I believe, but in general, the weather has been exceptionally foul. When I stepped outside this morning, it felt like it was early October. I'm expecting the leaves to change colours in the next few days:)
August 4: Saint-Honore-de-Temiscouata to Edmonston (77.00km)
The day started out rainy once again, but the forecast was more favourable than yesterday. So I set off around 9:00. Initially, I was quite frustrated with the weather as it had been foul for several days and I again had a head wind.
At around 11:00, I had to stop to make an adjustment to my saddle bag that was falling off. As I was about to leave, I saw two bikers that were coming my way. I waited for them and then realized that it was Erika and Marie-Anne – the two cyclists that I had met two days ago. We biked together all day and the company made the ride much more enjoyable as I was no longer focusing on the weather and the kilometers just seemed to drop off.
Once I arrived in God's country (err New Brunswick), we decided to stop in Edmonston as it was starting to get late (another time change after all). We also noticed that the winds miraculously turned in our favour as we entered the province (God's country indeed:).
A few more pictures this time around.
If I remember anything from this day in a month, it will be the wind. All day, I was struggling against a strong head wind from the St-Laurence. The road was often close to the shore and, as a result, nothing impeded its path. The howling in my ears drowned out the grunting noises that I was making.
I hoped to get further today, but alas, I decided this little town was good enough. And as it turns out, its probably a good thing. The town is quite pretty and seems to have a large artistic community as I see galleries all over the place. In fact, there is an "International Festival of Sculptures" in town this weekend and after I write this, I'll be heading off to the tent where all the activities are taking place to check it out.
I think I may have entered a new phase in my trip. At the beginning of my trip I was very enthusiastic and positive about anything that happened. Then when the roads became stressful in Manitoba, I started seeing everything through dark lenses. Presently, I seem to be neutral about the trip. Maybe it's because the roads have gotten better, but I'm not as negative as I was a few weeks ago and, as can be expected, the trips luster that was there in the beginning has passed. As I was thinking about this today, I initially saw this as being negative in that I'm bored with the trip because it has become routine. But then I thought that maybe it was just a different phase of the trip that one goes through.
August 2: St-Jean-Port-Joli to Riviere du Loup (95.87km)
I met a number of bikers today. While I was having breakfast at a restaurant in town, in walks another biker. This lady and I leaped-frogged over one another a few times the day before, but we hadn't spoken. As I was getting ready to leave, I went over to introduce myself. Hedy is 63 years old and is doing her second cross-country ride. A very nice lady and we spoke for about 20 minutes.
As I was leaving, I hear someone calling me. I look over and there was Jim and Mike, the two bikers I had met on my last day in Manitoba and whom I have mentioned on this blog. I was shocked. I hadn't seen them since Kenora and as they are faster and hardier than I am, I figured they had completed the trip or were nearly there. I chatted with them a while and we agreed to rendez-vous in Riviere du Loup where we were all planning on staying at the hostel.
So I was off. Shortly after I left town, I see two touring bikers ahead. The meeting with Jim and Mike made me think that it would be cool if I had already met these bikers as well. Alas, I hadn't. When I caught up to them, I met Erika and Marie-Anne. I had heard of them along the way because they were ahead of me by a couple of days and some people had remarked how they admired the courage of these two young ladies (they are both in their early 20s). I biked with them for a while and up ahead we saw another touring cyclist with a guitar on his back. This seemed curious so we sped up to meet Amira (I may have his name wrong), a young guy from Japan who only spoke broken English had been traveling all over the place. He started by planning to walk across Canada, but quickly realized that we have a vast country and bought a bike instead.
To look at Amira, my first impression was that he was ill suited for such a trip, because his bike looked to be in mediocre condition, he was biking with sandles, as mentioned he traveled with a guitar that he said he didn't know how to play and only bought it in the hopes of learning along the way. But, I clearly underestimated him, because he has come a long way (he started in Calgary and zig-zagged throughout North America) and he said his plan after this “warm-up trip” was to bike from Japan to England.
Later, the four of us (Amira, Erika and Marie-Anne) stopped for lunch in Kamouraska. After lunch we separated as we were all traveling at different speeds, but Erika and Marie-Anne were planning on going to the hostel as well for the evening.
The second half of the ride was marked by heavy head winds which slowed my progress considerably. For much of the afternoon I was averaging 14km/hr on flat ground which is nearly 10km/hr slower than I would usually ride. But I eventually made it to the hostel where all the above mentioned bikers reconvened except for Amira – I think he camped on the side of the road somewhere.
Last embarrassing note: For a good part of my ride today, the song that was stuck in my head was “Man, I Feel Like a Woman” by Shania Twain. I have no good reason to have this inappropriate song in my head except that it's catchy and I had heard it a couple of days earlier. Thankfully, it was later replaced by “Time After Time” by Cindy Lauper. Clearly, I shouldn't have left my Ipod in Ottawa:)
August 3: Riviere du Loup to about Saint-Honore-de-Temiscouata (about 50km – I forgot to put my bike computer on for the first couple of km)
The plan today was to make it to Edmonston which is about 130km from Riviere du Loup. As I was changing direction and would no longer be on the shore, I hoped that the winds would be less of a factor in today's ride. Luckily, I was right. However, it started to rain not long after I left town. For the first while, the rain was constant and not much of a concern. I stopped for my third breakfast after about 25km (my first two were quite small by my current travel diet). After I ate, I was a bit sluggish and thinking that maybe I should stop at the next motel as the weather was not getting any better. I reproached myself for being so lazy. However, in the following hour, the rain really started to come down. I no longer thought it wimpy to stop at a motel, but a necessity as visibility was becoming an issue. I was never in serious danger because the shoulders are quite wide here, but I still thought that it would be wisest to get off the road as quickly as possible. I had earlier seen a sign for the next motel and it advertised that they welcomed cyclists. I thought to myself that I would put that promise to the test as I looked like hell. I was soaken wet and dirty. True to their word however, they took me in.
Ironically, I'm looking outside right now and I see that the pavement is drying. The rain stopped about an hour or so after I arrived. The skies still look ominous, however. No regrets on stopping where I did though. I was cold and wet and, at the time, it looked foolish to continue.
A last note on the weather. With the exception of the Prairies, locals have consistently told me that the weather this summer has been the worst in memory. In fact, in talking to Jim yesterday, he said that they hadn't had two consecutive days of sunshine since Calgary. I was a bit more fortunate than them I believe, but in general, the weather has been exceptionally foul. When I stepped outside this morning, it felt like it was early October. I'm expecting the leaves to change colours in the next few days:)
August 4: Saint-Honore-de-Temiscouata to Edmonston (77.00km)
The day started out rainy once again, but the forecast was more favourable than yesterday. So I set off around 9:00. Initially, I was quite frustrated with the weather as it had been foul for several days and I again had a head wind.
At around 11:00, I had to stop to make an adjustment to my saddle bag that was falling off. As I was about to leave, I saw two bikers that were coming my way. I waited for them and then realized that it was Erika and Marie-Anne – the two cyclists that I had met two days ago. We biked together all day and the company made the ride much more enjoyable as I was no longer focusing on the weather and the kilometers just seemed to drop off.
Once I arrived in God's country (err New Brunswick), we decided to stop in Edmonston as it was starting to get late (another time change after all). We also noticed that the winds miraculously turned in our favour as we entered the province (God's country indeed:).
A few more pictures this time around.
Tuesday, July 29, 2008
Zigzagging in Quebec
July 29: Rosemere to Sorel-Tracy (95.25km)
I deliberately started late this morning. Even though I wasn't in Montreal proper, I figured that I was in its sphere of influence and would therefore prefer to avoid its rush hour traffic. So, I took my time and got on the road at about 9:30.
Progress was slow initially because my road choice was meandering with a lot of stop signs. This was a good thing in a way, because it forced the cars on the road to go slow. Once I got to Repentigny, I could ride faster and the roads for the most part were great. After riding in Manitoba and Ontario for what seems like forever, I realize just how fortunate I am when I have a good shoulder and for about 90% of my ride, I had ample room. Thank you oh wise Quebec legislators.
I was a bit wimpy today as I ended in Sorel after I took the ferry across the river. I guess I could have gone further, but I felt like resting up a bit.
I deliberately started late this morning. Even though I wasn't in Montreal proper, I figured that I was in its sphere of influence and would therefore prefer to avoid its rush hour traffic. So, I took my time and got on the road at about 9:30.
Progress was slow initially because my road choice was meandering with a lot of stop signs. This was a good thing in a way, because it forced the cars on the road to go slow. Once I got to Repentigny, I could ride faster and the roads for the most part were great. After riding in Manitoba and Ontario for what seems like forever, I realize just how fortunate I am when I have a good shoulder and for about 90% of my ride, I had ample room. Thank you oh wise Quebec legislators.
I was a bit wimpy today as I ended in Sorel after I took the ferry across the river. I guess I could have gone further, but I felt like resting up a bit.
July 30: Sorel-Tracy to Sainte-Anne-de-la-Pérade (118.88km)
My intent was to go south of the Saint Laurence river in order to avoid Trois Rivière and Québec city - two large cities especially Québec as it is celebrating its 400 anniversary all summer and will likely be busy. I made this decision to go south even though "La route verte" (a recommended bike route) is the northern route. Well, my decision was the wrong one. The southern road is a pretty one, but I couldn't look at the scenery too much as I was concentrating on the road because the pavement was really bad and there was no shoulder. In sum, it was much like Ontario except that there was less traffic. Well, there was no use prolonging a bad decision. So I crossed the bridge at Trois Rivière and have since been riding on the recommended route and will do so from here on in, because the road is fabulous. For the most part there are wide shoulders and the scenery is very pretty.
The road is called "Le chemin du roi" which translates to "The King's Road". Someone correct me if I'm wrong, but I believe it holds this name, because it is the road that Charles de Gaulles was transported on while traveling from Québec to Montréal where he made his "Vive le Québec Libre" speech in I think 1968. I may be completely wrong on this, but regardless it is a very nice road and would recommend it to anyone traveling in this area by bike or otherwise.
I stopped at a rest stop about 20km prior to my final stop. While there two groups of bikers (motorcycle) asked me about my trip and they were absolutely astonished with it. The only reason why I bring this up is because it made me think about the different reactions I've been getting along the way. In BC, you could tell the people were sizing me up and making a determination of whether I would make it or not. In the Prairies, most of the people looked at me like I was the dumbest guy that walked this earth. Northern Ontario is a bit like a funnel in that all the bikers take the same route. So the people are a bit bored about the whole cross-country biking thing. And in Québec, eyebrows raise up in shock that one has made it this far. Anyways, it's sort of entertaining to see the different perceptions that people have. Sorry, I'm on a bike 8 hours a day, small things entertain me now:)
July 31: Sainte-Anne-de-la-Pérade to Levis(96.49km)
While I was in Ottawa, I bought a new rain coat and today I got to test drive it and boy am I happy I got it. It kept the rain out (which my old jacket could only do for the weakest of sprinkles) and kept my perspiration to a minimum. So even though I had steady rain for about 3 hours, I was actually pretty comfortable.
Once the rain slowed down, I was approaching Quebec city along some side roads that were getting more undulating. At one point I came upon what I think is the steepest road I ever saw. Why someone decided to pave a cliff is beyond me, but that sucker was steep. I'm loath to admit it, but about half way I decided to spare my knees and to walk it up - something that I hadn't done since day 2 of my trip when I wasn't in the shape that I should have been. Anyways, as I was climbing up the hill, I could hear a leak from my front tire. Upon reaching the top, I went about changing my tube and discovered that a big chunk of glass was lodged in my tire. It took me a while to pry it out and I patched the inside of my tire because of the small hole that it left (thankfully the rain had stopped by this point). I don't know if you're supposed to patch a tire (usually we patch a tube), but I figured I'd give it a try anyways.
Initially I was hoping to go beyond Levis, because I figured the festivities in Quebec City (across the river) would make finding an accommodation challenging. But with the delays that I encountered, I could make it no further. Thankfully, I did find a motel (Terry, as this is your former hood, I'm on Boulevard de la Rive Sud). If worst came to worst, I could have camped, but with today's inclement weather, I wanted a hot bath and dry sleeping conditions.
Just a few pictures of some rivers I drove by.
July 31: Sainte-Anne-de-la-Pérade to Levis(96.49km)
While I was in Ottawa, I bought a new rain coat and today I got to test drive it and boy am I happy I got it. It kept the rain out (which my old jacket could only do for the weakest of sprinkles) and kept my perspiration to a minimum. So even though I had steady rain for about 3 hours, I was actually pretty comfortable.
Once the rain slowed down, I was approaching Quebec city along some side roads that were getting more undulating. At one point I came upon what I think is the steepest road I ever saw. Why someone decided to pave a cliff is beyond me, but that sucker was steep. I'm loath to admit it, but about half way I decided to spare my knees and to walk it up - something that I hadn't done since day 2 of my trip when I wasn't in the shape that I should have been. Anyways, as I was climbing up the hill, I could hear a leak from my front tire. Upon reaching the top, I went about changing my tube and discovered that a big chunk of glass was lodged in my tire. It took me a while to pry it out and I patched the inside of my tire because of the small hole that it left (thankfully the rain had stopped by this point). I don't know if you're supposed to patch a tire (usually we patch a tube), but I figured I'd give it a try anyways.
Initially I was hoping to go beyond Levis, because I figured the festivities in Quebec City (across the river) would make finding an accommodation challenging. But with the delays that I encountered, I could make it no further. Thankfully, I did find a motel (Terry, as this is your former hood, I'm on Boulevard de la Rive Sud). If worst came to worst, I could have camped, but with today's inclement weather, I wanted a hot bath and dry sleeping conditions.
Just a few pictures of some rivers I drove by.
Monday, July 28, 2008
Short break
Sorry for the tardy posting, but I have been finding it next to impossible to get an internet connection. I even tried a number of places when I was in Ottawa with no success.
July 21: Sudbury to Rutherglen (156.48km)
Today, I was defiant. In the morning, everything seemed to be working against me again. It was raining, I had a head wind, I hadn't slept a lot (my fault, I went to bed late), etc. But I had a big breakfast and my attitude was to hell with it, I'm going to make some serious mileage today.
I wanted to get past North Bay because I figured there would be a lot of traffic until then and I wanted to get that over with. All in all, it went pretty well. Going through North Bay was touchy as there was a lot of traffic and the signs indicated that bicycles shouldn't be on the highway. I ignored that suggestion:), because I didn't know how else to navigate the city. I suppose I could have asked someone, but that would have been in violation of the male credo.
I figured I'd find a motel just past the city – I decided that I would take a motel until Ottawa in order to maximize my daily mileage. This was the first time in my trip that I found it difficult to find accommodation. I had been told at the tourism office in Sturgeon Falls that there were motels in the first three towns after North Bay. The first town had one, but 12km off the road, the second was full and the third one only had a campground. By this time, I was getting hungry and tired. So I went for the campground which was 2km off the highway on a dirt road.
Point of note: From Sturgeon Falls onward is the first bit of road that I have been on before since the beginning of my trip. Everything up to that point was new territory for me. Why Sturgeon Falls you may ask, well Stats Can has an office there and I had to go there for work a few years back.
July 22: Rutherglen to Deep River (138.32km)
The past few days, I've been riding for the destination. The only concrete thought I had was that the earlier I arrived in Ottawa, the more time off I could take. As a result, I wasn't looking at the scenery much. Mind you up until North Bay, there isn't much to see except for some views of Lake Nipissing which are quite nice. This focus on arriving was making me impatient with the wind, the road (the pavement in some stretches are embarrassingly bad) and the traffic (mind you since Mattawa I have been blessed with lighter traffic). As a result of this impatience, curses could be heard under my breath a number of times when the wind picked up or when I saw a particularly steep hill ahead. I even yelled out an expletive at one point since my silent reproaches weren't having the desired effect.
I then realized that my focus was all off. I was sacrificing the present for the future. Everything was about making good time and not on the sights that surrounded me. I'd like to say that I became all Zen about the obstacles after this realization, but that would be a lie. It did however bring my frustration level down a few notches and I did pay more attention to the scenery and it actually is quite pretty in parts. Deux Rivieres is a nice stretch of highway in particular.
I had a vague hope of making it to Pembroke today in order to be able to reach Ottawa tomorrow, but I quickly saw that the conditions weren't going to allow for this. I therefore settled on Deep River. As the traffic will pick up shortly going into Ottawa, I'm going to go on some side roads. I think I may in fact cross the river into Quebec and go into Ottawa from there. I've been told it was quite pretty and that it has little traffic which would be nice. Reaching Ottawa tomorrow is very unlikely.
July 23: Deep River to Eardley (168.36km)
As I mentioned yesterday, I had chosen to cross the river into Quebec in order to get to Ottawa on a road that had lighter traffic. The traffic was a bit lighter and there were a lot less trucks which was good, but the road conditions in parts was deplorable (I know, there is just no satisfying me:).
I also remembered that morning that I had a friend (Sarah) who lived along the road that I was going to ride on. I figured it would be great to see her and her 2 month old that I hadn't seen yet. However, I didn't know how far it was. As it turned out, it was far – notably the longest day of my journey so far.
The conditions were ok most of the day except for a downpour that lasted about ten minutes and got me completely drenched. After a very long day of riding, I arrived at Sarah and her partner Christopher's at 7PM and I was spent. It was great to just sit down and chat with them. Thanks again Sarah and Christopher for taking me in:)
July 24: Eardley to Ottawa (29.50km)
Today was even shorter than I anticipated. I knew I had covered some good distance yesterday, but I figured I still had 40 to 50km ahead of me. In any case, I slept in to catch up on rest and in order to miss the morning rush hour. I took my time so much, that I only got on the road around 10:30. After a relatively easy ride, I was back in my house.
It's weird being in my home. Some of the things that I didn't even notice before look strange now. There are no major shocks, but when I walked into my kitchen, for instance, I was struck by how blue it was. Like I say, this is nothing extraordinary, but I was just surprised how I didn't recognize the house. A big thank you to Brian actually who has been taking care of my house while I've been gone.
As I'm writing this, a thunder storm is falling outside and the rain is coming down in sheets. And I am thanking my lucky stars that I am not riding at this instant:)
July 25 and 26: Ottawa to Ottawa (0.76km)
These past couple of days have been incredibly busy, but fun. I met up with a number of friends. It was good to talk to people I knew and about subjects other than my trip. It's easy on such a trip to become self-involved, because all that I talk about is me and my trip. It was fun to hear about other things happening in the world.
I was also very busy doing paper work type stuff around the house and fixing my bike – nothing major, but I had to change a few components as they get pretty worn after approximately 5000km.
Well, enough lazing about, I'm getting back on the road tomorrow morning as long as the weather isn't overly foul.
July 27: Ottawa to Papineauville (73.47km)
This was a short day for a number of reasons. First, my day started with a flat tire. I had gone to the bike shop to top up my tires and I think I asked them to put too much air in because my rear tire was flat yesterday and my front one was flat this morning. Anyways, it was sort of a blessing in disguise because I then discovered that my pump was broken. Better to find this out in Ottawa where I could buy a new one then in the middle of nowhere. Second, my friends Ginette and Denis had kindly invited me to breakfast. Since the company and the food were so good, I lounged around for a while and only got on the road around 11:00.
The conditions initially were good, but slow moving. I got out of Ottawa-Gatineau region via bike paths and while very useful, one cannot go very fast. Once I was on a major road, I could pick up the pace and the conditions were excellent. The shoulders and the pavement were the best since Saskatchewan and I could relax even though there were quite a few cars on the road.
I stopped for lunch in Thurso and while I was there the skies darkened and there was torrential rain. Thankfully, I was inside and when I left, the rain was stopping. Thinking I wouldn't get too far because of the threatening skies, I stopped in Papineauville.
It was difficult leaving Ottawa this morning. In the final few days prior to my arrival, the prime motivation was arriving, but I've lost this motivation. I have another stop over point (Moncton), but it seems so far away that it's not spurring me on at the moment (this will change as I get closer I guess). In any case, I'm off and curious to see what experiences await me.
July 28: Papineauville to Rosemere (about 120km - I don't have my bike computer with me)
I was unsure how to choose my route today. The thing is, Velo Quebec (a volunteer organization) has identified "La route verte" which is a network of roads that they consider to be bike friendly. In my short time in Quebec so far, I followed some of their recommendations and they were spot on. However, the next stage of my trip would take me across Montreal if I followed their suggestion and I wanted to avoid Montreal as much as possible. So I opted for a compromise. I would try the road that I wanted to take (the 148/158) and if I saw that the road wasn't great, I'd take a side road down to a road they recommended (the 344), but not go into Montreal. As it turned out, neither road was particularly good, but it got me this far, so I guess I shouldn't complain.
Finding accommodations in Quebec will be challenging I suspect. So far I've been traveling mostly on the Trans Canada or other busy roads. This had its disadvantages in that there was a lot of traffic and stress, but there were always motels or campgrounds. In Quebec, I now have more road options and I will be going on minor roads to be able to enjoy the ride. However, these roads take me through small towns that don't have a lot of tourism and, as a result, don't supply accommodations. Today, for instance, I didn't see any place to stay between Montebello (a tourist trap) and Rosemere (about 100km apart) and I only found this place by chance.
Other than that, things are going well. Check out my photos of the past week.
July 21: Sudbury to Rutherglen (156.48km)
Today, I was defiant. In the morning, everything seemed to be working against me again. It was raining, I had a head wind, I hadn't slept a lot (my fault, I went to bed late), etc. But I had a big breakfast and my attitude was to hell with it, I'm going to make some serious mileage today.
I wanted to get past North Bay because I figured there would be a lot of traffic until then and I wanted to get that over with. All in all, it went pretty well. Going through North Bay was touchy as there was a lot of traffic and the signs indicated that bicycles shouldn't be on the highway. I ignored that suggestion:), because I didn't know how else to navigate the city. I suppose I could have asked someone, but that would have been in violation of the male credo.
I figured I'd find a motel just past the city – I decided that I would take a motel until Ottawa in order to maximize my daily mileage. This was the first time in my trip that I found it difficult to find accommodation. I had been told at the tourism office in Sturgeon Falls that there were motels in the first three towns after North Bay. The first town had one, but 12km off the road, the second was full and the third one only had a campground. By this time, I was getting hungry and tired. So I went for the campground which was 2km off the highway on a dirt road.
Point of note: From Sturgeon Falls onward is the first bit of road that I have been on before since the beginning of my trip. Everything up to that point was new territory for me. Why Sturgeon Falls you may ask, well Stats Can has an office there and I had to go there for work a few years back.
July 22: Rutherglen to Deep River (138.32km)
The past few days, I've been riding for the destination. The only concrete thought I had was that the earlier I arrived in Ottawa, the more time off I could take. As a result, I wasn't looking at the scenery much. Mind you up until North Bay, there isn't much to see except for some views of Lake Nipissing which are quite nice. This focus on arriving was making me impatient with the wind, the road (the pavement in some stretches are embarrassingly bad) and the traffic (mind you since Mattawa I have been blessed with lighter traffic). As a result of this impatience, curses could be heard under my breath a number of times when the wind picked up or when I saw a particularly steep hill ahead. I even yelled out an expletive at one point since my silent reproaches weren't having the desired effect.
I then realized that my focus was all off. I was sacrificing the present for the future. Everything was about making good time and not on the sights that surrounded me. I'd like to say that I became all Zen about the obstacles after this realization, but that would be a lie. It did however bring my frustration level down a few notches and I did pay more attention to the scenery and it actually is quite pretty in parts. Deux Rivieres is a nice stretch of highway in particular.
I had a vague hope of making it to Pembroke today in order to be able to reach Ottawa tomorrow, but I quickly saw that the conditions weren't going to allow for this. I therefore settled on Deep River. As the traffic will pick up shortly going into Ottawa, I'm going to go on some side roads. I think I may in fact cross the river into Quebec and go into Ottawa from there. I've been told it was quite pretty and that it has little traffic which would be nice. Reaching Ottawa tomorrow is very unlikely.
July 23: Deep River to Eardley (168.36km)
As I mentioned yesterday, I had chosen to cross the river into Quebec in order to get to Ottawa on a road that had lighter traffic. The traffic was a bit lighter and there were a lot less trucks which was good, but the road conditions in parts was deplorable (I know, there is just no satisfying me:).
I also remembered that morning that I had a friend (Sarah) who lived along the road that I was going to ride on. I figured it would be great to see her and her 2 month old that I hadn't seen yet. However, I didn't know how far it was. As it turned out, it was far – notably the longest day of my journey so far.
The conditions were ok most of the day except for a downpour that lasted about ten minutes and got me completely drenched. After a very long day of riding, I arrived at Sarah and her partner Christopher's at 7PM and I was spent. It was great to just sit down and chat with them. Thanks again Sarah and Christopher for taking me in:)
July 24: Eardley to Ottawa (29.50km)
Today was even shorter than I anticipated. I knew I had covered some good distance yesterday, but I figured I still had 40 to 50km ahead of me. In any case, I slept in to catch up on rest and in order to miss the morning rush hour. I took my time so much, that I only got on the road around 10:30. After a relatively easy ride, I was back in my house.
It's weird being in my home. Some of the things that I didn't even notice before look strange now. There are no major shocks, but when I walked into my kitchen, for instance, I was struck by how blue it was. Like I say, this is nothing extraordinary, but I was just surprised how I didn't recognize the house. A big thank you to Brian actually who has been taking care of my house while I've been gone.
As I'm writing this, a thunder storm is falling outside and the rain is coming down in sheets. And I am thanking my lucky stars that I am not riding at this instant:)
July 25 and 26: Ottawa to Ottawa (0.76km)
These past couple of days have been incredibly busy, but fun. I met up with a number of friends. It was good to talk to people I knew and about subjects other than my trip. It's easy on such a trip to become self-involved, because all that I talk about is me and my trip. It was fun to hear about other things happening in the world.
I was also very busy doing paper work type stuff around the house and fixing my bike – nothing major, but I had to change a few components as they get pretty worn after approximately 5000km.
Well, enough lazing about, I'm getting back on the road tomorrow morning as long as the weather isn't overly foul.
July 27: Ottawa to Papineauville (73.47km)
This was a short day for a number of reasons. First, my day started with a flat tire. I had gone to the bike shop to top up my tires and I think I asked them to put too much air in because my rear tire was flat yesterday and my front one was flat this morning. Anyways, it was sort of a blessing in disguise because I then discovered that my pump was broken. Better to find this out in Ottawa where I could buy a new one then in the middle of nowhere. Second, my friends Ginette and Denis had kindly invited me to breakfast. Since the company and the food were so good, I lounged around for a while and only got on the road around 11:00.
The conditions initially were good, but slow moving. I got out of Ottawa-Gatineau region via bike paths and while very useful, one cannot go very fast. Once I was on a major road, I could pick up the pace and the conditions were excellent. The shoulders and the pavement were the best since Saskatchewan and I could relax even though there were quite a few cars on the road.
I stopped for lunch in Thurso and while I was there the skies darkened and there was torrential rain. Thankfully, I was inside and when I left, the rain was stopping. Thinking I wouldn't get too far because of the threatening skies, I stopped in Papineauville.
It was difficult leaving Ottawa this morning. In the final few days prior to my arrival, the prime motivation was arriving, but I've lost this motivation. I have another stop over point (Moncton), but it seems so far away that it's not spurring me on at the moment (this will change as I get closer I guess). In any case, I'm off and curious to see what experiences await me.
July 28: Papineauville to Rosemere (about 120km - I don't have my bike computer with me)
I was unsure how to choose my route today. The thing is, Velo Quebec (a volunteer organization) has identified "La route verte" which is a network of roads that they consider to be bike friendly. In my short time in Quebec so far, I followed some of their recommendations and they were spot on. However, the next stage of my trip would take me across Montreal if I followed their suggestion and I wanted to avoid Montreal as much as possible. So I opted for a compromise. I would try the road that I wanted to take (the 148/158) and if I saw that the road wasn't great, I'd take a side road down to a road they recommended (the 344), but not go into Montreal. As it turned out, neither road was particularly good, but it got me this far, so I guess I shouldn't complain.
Finding accommodations in Quebec will be challenging I suspect. So far I've been traveling mostly on the Trans Canada or other busy roads. This had its disadvantages in that there was a lot of traffic and stress, but there were always motels or campgrounds. In Quebec, I now have more road options and I will be going on minor roads to be able to enjoy the ride. However, these roads take me through small towns that don't have a lot of tourism and, as a result, don't supply accommodations. Today, for instance, I didn't see any place to stay between Montebello (a tourist trap) and Rosemere (about 100km apart) and I only found this place by chance.
Other than that, things are going well. Check out my photos of the past week.
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