Thursday August 2nd 2012
Still no MapMyRide but about 120 kilometers.
Today was a really great riding day starting right off the bat where I rode to the Ottawa River bike trail instead taking the main roads. Not only is it quiet , peaceful and scenic it is also well marked and easy to follow into the city. Many sections are completely covered by lush green deciduous trees and shrubs make it more than a few degrees cooler than when exposed to the sun. The river is to your left and the shoreline opposite is Quebec! This was definitely a Gopro day so I will let the video do the talking but very briefly I rode behind the Parliament buildings up the Ridal Canal to parliament for some pictures and video.
Note: I tried to upload a special video and it it hasn’t worked yet.
After Parliament I rode to Rideau Hall which is covered with trees so much so you can not see the building. I saw the changing of the guard which was excellent with the old pipes playing! Talked to a few people and got a few donations while there before heading back toward Parliament to cross the Alexandra bridge in Gatinea Quebec!
Home of the GG
Another Ontario bug!
The Bridge had a nice wooden sidewalk covered with walkers, runners and bikers and the first thing I saw after entering Quebec is a statue of “The Rocket” Maurice Richard!
Though the road had a couple of rough sections, the cycling route is almost as good as the Ottawa side and had a lot of shaded sections. Eventually you hook up with the 148 highway which came recommended by the French cyclists I met near Lake Huron. The only downside is I left quite late today and the sun was again cranking into the 30’s. I decided to stop at a Subway to cool down for bit and test my French language skills or lake thereof. The later proved to be true since I confused the daily specials or the day rather Thursday and Friday so I was trying to order the wrong thing. After a little embarrassment someone behind me in line helped me out and the sandwich artist (because that’s what they are) spoke English for the rest of the order with a little smirk.
After that embarrassment I decide for now to simply introduce myself in French and ask if the attendant spoke English. The day finished up near Grenville at a campground by the river where I met Yvon the caretaker. He turned out to be a really nice guy and although the camp had very little amenities he tried to make me as comfortable as possible even telling other campers to turn their music down after 10pm because a cyclist had a long day and needed the sleep. I had to wash in the river so I went down with a bar of soap and cleaned up. The river had a good flow in the middle but it was easy enough to wash near the shore where I stepped on something crunchy, a dead fish, and managed to stub my toe, normal stuff for me.
River shower area.
About Yvon. He had been married for a long time over 25 years when his wife left him. He also lost a son a few years ago who would have been around my age. He also had an older son who has a bit of a drug problem and is living at home so he tries to stay positive by working as much as he can. He is 73 however and I though he looks much younger I worry for him and hope he has some better years ahead. He was such a pleasure to meet and like I mentioned he tried to accommodate me with his limited resources. I did a little blogging and then tried to sleep but it was impossible with the humidity and heat. Even unclothed resting on top of my sleeping bag I was sweating. I would say I didn’t get more than a couple of hours sleep but it didn’t matter because I had made it to Quebec and another chapter of my trip. Tomorrow I will see my cousin Francois in Montreal!
My little camp!