Greg & Camille Go Bike

Camille

It was a long night driving up to Canada yesterday. Greg was very sweet to take most of the driving responsibility while I slept soundly in the car. We had visited with my relatives in NJ the day before and left there in the late afternoon. 9 hours later, we found ourselves in Gatineau, the Quebecoise sister city to Ontario's Ottawa just across the river.

We only had a week off, so it wouldn't be quite enough time for us to complete a round-trip tour on bike (~600 miles), but we were happy enough to settle for one-way biking. The pedaling would start in Quebec City and end in Ottawa.

We woke up still unsure about how to get to Quebec. Touring has changed the planner in me for sure. That morning, our phones and fingers were busy with research. Sadly since COVID, the train had stopped allowing bikes on a crucial connector, so that was out. We looked into the possibility of the bus but couldn't find anything conclusive about bringing bikes. Ultimately (and a little guiltily), we decided on picking up a rental car from the Ottawa airport.

We tucked away Greg's car in a garage nearby and were off to Quebec! The 4-hour drive gave way to beautiful mountain scenery and lots of farms. (Lots of farms.) After dropping the car at the Quebec airport, we biked 15 miles to old city along neighborhood bike paths and dedicated trails. It was getting dark as we approached our destination, but the stop at Pharmaprix for our floss and our favourite fruit bars was worth it.

A winding trail through the park and a very steep cobblestone-covered hill led us to the bustling night life of Old Town. We checked into an auberge and wandered around. Most visitors seemed to be American tourists enjoying one of the many restaurants dotting the historic streets. We saw parliament, statues, and a few surprising monuments for people that seem to have nothing to do with Québec (Ghandi was one of them).

We filled our morning with a stroll around the area. Old Town certainly lived up to the aesthetics of its name; the buildings' quaint façades reflected much effort into preserving a more European architectural style. Further more, the towering ramparts gave way to the strategic nature of Quebec City's geography; its situation atop a sea-side plateau made it perfect for battle.

We had the fortune of exploring the barracks long after any war. We also had the misfortune of exploring on Tuesday morning when most shops were closed. I can't say we can complain about a gorgeous view of the river and town. It was slightly tainted by some university students who seemed to be having a day-drinking event across the town.

After swapping some bucks for CAD, we packed up the bikes and headed back to parliament (we couldn't quite appreciate all of it last night). We left town down a really steep hill (remember that plateau?) and picked up a bike path by the water.

We were pampered! A whole lane of vehicular traffic was closed to give us the road in a ~20-mile section under construction. All the while, we followed the St. Lawrence River. We flew past our turn for a few more miles to see the end of the trail near some bridges. It was an enjoyable ride, and we were glad to see there were plans to extend it even farther.

Next up was our payment for our easy-going trail time; we climbed up and down the escarpment for the next few hours. Going into the trip, we had the impression that following the river would mean a mostly flat ride... Our route shying from the shore at long intervals said otherwise.

We took a break early afternoon in a shady patch of grass near a mailbox station. We eagerly scarfed down our favourite Sunrype fruit bars. We enjoyed a nice cool breeze on a sunny day and a "bonne journée" from a passing recumbent rider.

As we distanced from the city, the roads were dotted with farmstands. It seemed like everyone in the province had apples and corn. Once our water started to run low, we kept an eye out for libraries in Neufville. We started approaching a building with large mural at the side, and Greg took the obligatory 8 pictures. As we came around to the other side, we realized this once church was converted into a library!

Late afternoon rolled around, and we still hadn't figured out where to stay. There weren't a ton of options, and we didn't always have great phone service on the road. As we approached Sainte-Anne-de-la-Pérade, Greg checked a few websites and I made a few calls. We booked an auberge online that was just 2 miles away.

When we arrived, no one was home. I took a very long time to understand a small amount of French from the person who finally answered their Ring call (remotely). She previously owned the inn and said the new owner's number was listed on the side of the building. No luck getting anyone to pick up, so I left a voicemail.

After a few minutes of feeling stuck, a white sedan came down the driveway and slowed in front of us. She didn't speak English, so I relied on my extremely rudimentary French and hand gesture combo. Ultimately we found out she wasn't affiliated with the inn but lived close by and was able to direct us to a different building close by where the rooms were located.

With perfect timing, someone from the inn finally then called, and we got the passcode to enter. A cute room and nicely groomed yard awaited us. We dined on couscous, canned sardines, and chickpeas before some quality rest.

Early morning fog, but mostly felt pretty safe. Nice wide shoulders. Disappointed that fog meant we couldn't see the water right next to us.

Spooky spiderweb bridge.

Brunch-ish in Trois Rivières at Frida's.

Most of the day with water to our left and farms with surprisingly dense residences sitting right in front.

So many other bike crews, probably 50+ other bikers in packs scattered throughout the day.

Lunch and nap under some trees at a church.

Detour away from the water through farmland. Low traffic.

Finally passed another bike crew in same direction. Road construction. Waved forward by construction. Rocks stuck to tires. Maybe that was a bad idea. Other bike crew seemed even worse off. Skinny tires, calling for SAG.

Groceries.

Lots of time biking along the water and farmlands. First bad section with poor shoulder.

Biking on separated trails through neighborhoods, lots of families sharing the paths.

Ice cream a few miles from camp. Covered like Greg would get at Dairy Barn as a kid.

Setup camp at dusk. No pizza. Too many fries (maybe not really grand). Mosquitoes drank all our blood.

Century day!

Lazy morning. Left camp at 9. Frequent stops on the way to Montreal to sit, relax and enjoy each others company.

Stop at Champlain for snacks/relax by a shady fountain.

Relaxed on a park bench by the water just into Montréal.

Mont Réal - planned to climb but wimped out on hills leading up to it

Laundry / Game of Thrones - why won't this dryer work. Put on some damp clothes and Airbnb hosts dried the rest in their Apt.

Dinner - Sumo Ramen. Pedestrian only to China Town.

Crepes - Chez Milo et Fine. Was actually in more of a food court. Apparently border if the red light district.

Groceries - first store lied about their hours. Again pedestrian only streets and passed by Place des Arts. Some dancers. Pretty busy, lots of people just hanging out on steps.

Woke up in Montreal

Eggs, Cereal, broccoli, coffee

Photo op at Notre Dame. Slow biking through the city, bike paths all the way on Route Verte 1. 

Stopped at park with windmills by the water. Saw bike counter, about 200000 bikers so far this year. Stopped at nature center for snack and campsite calling. Biking by the water most the day in Laval, more construction. Camille's knee ouchie. Reevaluated resting place for the night and called some places including an abbey. Tried for Oka to Hudson ferry. Continued on Route Verte and noticed a campsite. Walked up and they had space at the RV park. Bumpin music: latin and line dancing.

Greg and I spent the night arguing over what language had kept us up that night. If it was French (which it obviously was), Greg was obligated to ask the next-door campers to quiet down, but if it was Spanish, it'd be my job. Too tired to string together words in English, we did our best to just get some sleep despite the stadium level fluorescence of our oblivious neighbors' lights. I mustered up some courage to emerge from our tent late in the evening, but their party was already winding down by then.

We got up a bit after sunrise and enjoyed a little revenge watching the squirrels eat bread off the neighboring campsite's table. The campground had a deppanneur on site where we enjoyed coffee and omelettes before setting off on dinner some errands.

We replenished our food supply at IGA just down the road. Camille had discovered a nut missing from her rear rack earlier that morning, and luckily JC Martin Materials -- also close by -- had just what we needed. 

Back on the trail, we were treated to a taste of Oka National Park. The path was immersed in the greenery covering the rolling hills at the shore. My knee was behaving...

for about an hour. We'd only gone about 10 miles when the pain came back. We stopped in the middle of Mohawk territory for a quick break. Tons of cannabis stores littered the highway. It was sad to think of how the industry may have disrupted other small businesses previously there. 

Another hour later, I needed another break. Saint-Andre provided a nice picnic spot by the water. We were excited to potentially get ice cream at a deppanneur nearby, but they looked closed. We continued on to Ile Aux Chats where we unfortunately didn't find any cats but settled for a spectacular trail. We crossed empty bridges into residential areas that embraced their proximity to nature. We stopped at the outdoor museum that posted a lot of information about the wildlife nearby. It was a welcome refuge for sleepy Greg and my dramatic knee.

At this point, the pain had become unbearable for long periods of pedaling. We carried on with me biking on one foot until a very kind biker asked us if we needed help. We met him and the end of the trail at a parking lot where he was ready to shuttle us and the bikes to Grenville, just 10 miles away. We were eyeing a campsite there for the night. Upon hearing this, the man exclaimed that there was actually a campsite just across the street from the parking lot! It was Brownsburg-Chatham, the one we'd planned to get to yesterday. 

Ending the biking day so early and a day behind was less than ideal, but we tried to make the most of the situation. We were glad that this campground offered a biker-exclusive site right on the beach, but it did also mean that we could only put our tent out after 6 PM. With our anniversary tomorrow, I thought it might be nice for us to do something special, and the restaurant at the neighboring marina seemed perfect.

Seeing that We're Closed sign was demoralizing. I'd already felt like I'd ruined the trip by going a snail's pace with my knee. Greg was so patient, understanding, and kind through it all. We hung out in a pavillion by the water and set our tent up when it came time.

Our glamorous dinner consisted of cereal, canned sardines, and almond butter & jelly wraps. We spent much of the evening trying to figure out a plan for tomorrow. As much as I hated to admit, it wasn't looking like there would be a good way for us to finish the route. Greg would ride out first thing, and bike to the nearest train station that would take him all the way back to Ottawa. Then, he would drive the car back to our campsite and pick me up. Greg to the rescue!

Camille

It was chilly that morning when Greg left. I sent him off with some food and well wishes. I'd be expecting him back in the early afternoon, so it was going to be a long day of staying put.

Luckily I had some beautiful scenery to enjoy throughout the time I'd be waiting for Greg to pick me up. The plan was for him to bike to the Alexandria train station, take the train from Alexandria to Ottawa, then pick up the car in Gatineau. I felt a little guilty that he was trekking so much to get us home safe but was certainly grateful. I packed up our gear, took a fair bit of walks, and caught up on writing over those hours.

Greg

[bike ride, train ride, drive]

We took a little time to explore before getting on the highways back to Delaware. A short visit to Vankleek was enough to satisfy our tourist cravings by browsing a cute gift shop with soaps, food items, artwork, bedding, etc. We enjoyed some friendly conversation with the owner learning a bit about both the area and her own history. Overall a very pleasant experience and absolutely a worthwhile stop. We picked up some gifts for friends & family and had a lovely chat with the owner.

Camille

Our first stop was a mandatory Tim Hortons for coffee & donuts. It was a long night of driving with just another stop for gas and dinner (Chinese takeout) until we arrived home around 1 am. Greg graciously drove most of the way to leave me to charge up on snoozes before I had to go into work that same day. Naps would be on our to-dos later. We were certainly bummed not to have ended the trip the way we wanted but were still glad to have gotten out on the trail and are eager to return for the full complete.