Ottawa to Quebec

Distance traveled over last 8 days: 659 km
Total distance: 6051 km

Before leaving Ottawa, I took a second rest day to run errands and ultimately connect with the parents of university colleague Phil: Phil (Sr.) and Joan. It meant backtracking a bit to Kanata, but after a couple of days of being in the city, I had already learned the dedicated bike paths in Ottawa that connect the municipalities and get you off the road, so getting to Kanata was pretty easy. The time I spent with Phil and Joan was full of story-telling and good food. Sometimes it's hard to get to bed at a proper hour when the company is so good!

After a restful night, I set my course for the Francophone province of Quebec. Now, the last time I spoke a word of French was at least six years ago, in high school. Some of those lessons must have stuck, because I was able to construct vital sentences like "Puis-je utiliser la toilette, SVP?" and "Pouvez-vous donner moi de l'eau?". On the other hand, Quebecers don't speak like the exaggerated audio tapes we had in French class. When that mush of sound ("real French") hit my ears for the first time, I was dumbfounded by trying to figure out how many words were hidden in it! Even after a week or more in Quebec, I often have to resort an embarrassing smile and nod after requesting a couple of repetitions!

Quebec has a fantastic provincial cycling route known as "La Route Vert", which consists mainly of secondary highways with wide shoulders and great pavement. Cycling around here has been fun and scenic. Even flat tires don't break your attitude here. There are many opportunities to view the banks of the Saint Laurent river, and you can cross over to the other shore at various "traversieres" - or ferry crossings - along the way.

These roads take you through many little towns and lots of farm land. Every town has a big, fancy Catholic church - a remnant from the history of the settlers. Much of the farm land is dedicated to corn; the husks stand very tall in the fields now.

Fields beside the St. Laurent

La Route Vert is popular with many cyclists - not just the touring variety. For the first time in my trip, I've had cyclists on training rides slow down to my leisurly pace just to have a conversation about my trip - once in French, and another time in English.

I've met many friendly and outgoing people around Quebec, and I think that's the norm - as long as you're not jaded, senile, and ultra-Anglo like another cycle-tourist I met. I think he got the cold shoulder a lot just because he couldn't approach people in French.

I've had a couple major stops along this segment of the trip, the first being Montreal. Here, I met up with Brothers Dennis and Lewis, and enjoyed an official smoked meat sandwich from Schwartz's while enjoying the view atop Mount Royal. I also ascended up the Olympic Stadium elevator, and visited the amazing botanical gardens. The gardens have several themes, including Chinese, Japanese and Arctic gardens, and a collection of "economically useful" varieties on display, such as wheat, berries, and spices.

Olympic Stadium and the integrated observatory

Chinese garden display

Flowers!

The next major stop was the city of Quebec, but to get there, I first needed to split the distance in Trois-Rivieres with Richard and his family. We enjoyed a tasty kebab dinner together on the patio, and afterwards, made our way into the city center to see some of the historic landmarks and the busy night life. Thanks to Richard, I got a strong start the next day with a guided exit out of the city, a "bon voyage" sack of nourishment for the road, and some suggested stops along the way. It was along this route that I had my first French-Canadian poutine. But to my error, I got the large "galvaude", which turned out to be too much to handle with the added chicken and peas. I ate it all, but had to take about an hour and a half to digest before I could get back on the bicycle! Even then it was tough to keep going!

Along the banks of the St. Laurent

You mean I have to eat this and then keep on cycling?!

Finally, I was in the city of Quebec, or just "Quebec", as they say around here. I stayed with the really cool, really outgoing couple, Max and Emilie (www.mangerlaroute.blogspot.com). There are so many sights in this city, and a lot of history to accompany it. Max gave me a bicycle tour of the old city and the chateau. Later, I was able to walk around the walls of the citadel (where there exists an active military base), tour the parliament building, and walk through some of the streets of both the upper and lower parts of the old city.

Standing outside the Chateau

An artists' market in the old city

Quebec Parliament

A street in the old city

I had planned to leave Quebec after just one rest day, but as I departed, a rainstorm caught me, and I headed for shelter in the marketplace. To my dismay, my camera was destroyed by the rain. I was coerced into buying a new, weatherproof model to chronicle my travels before leaving the city. Since I knew I would no longer be leaving Quebec today, it also gave me an opportunity to cycle north and view the falls at Montmorency. Back when this territory was occupied by the French, General Wolfe tried unsuccessfully to attack Quebec from this point. The English sustained heavy losses in their assault. Later, Wolfe would launch a surprise attack on the Plains of Abraham, where they were finally took control of Quebec.

Montmorency Falls

After the turn of events with my camera, Max and Emilie were kind enough to let me stay another night in advance of catching the ferry to Levis. That is where the blog will pick up from next time!