Day 43: Ottawa to Saint-André-Avellin, Quebec

After getting everything ready yesterday, I left Bridget and Charlie’s house at 7:15 AM. I rode on the bike trail out of Ottawa across the Ottawa River and into Quebec province.

The route on my map app indicated two ways to go east. One was on the north side of the Ottawa River and the other was on the south side. I opted for the north side since people told me that side is prettier.

The bike trail turned into road soon after I crossed the river, but there was a shoulder that I could ride on.

Once I was in Quebec, I felt I was in a different country because all the signs are in French. Even the traffic lights were different, they aligned horizontally rather than vertically.

I had a Western Omelette at Mon Resto in Gatineau, a town that’s across the river from Ottawa. I heard most people speaking French at the restaurant. I tried to order in French since I had learned it in high school some 25 years ago, but I had to switch to English due to my poor understanding of French.

I stayed on Route 148 the whole way until I arrived at the small town of Plaisance where I had a hotdog and a root beer at Casse-Croûte Patalou, which is more of a roadside food stand.

From Plaisance to my Warmshowers host’s house in Saint-André-Avellin I had to ride north. The terrain became hilly, with one hill after another. I call these hills ribbon roads since they reminded me of riding on an up and down ribbon.

After riding 47 miles I reached my Warmshowers host Nancy’s house at 1 PM. Nancy and her husband Jean-Philippe were out canoeing. I sat in the covered back porch, listened to some music, then took a nap. I also tightened the nuts on the back wheel since they became loose after all the vibrations from the road.

Nancy and Jean-Philippe came back around 6:15 PM. We went out to eat at La Dame de Coeur and to meet Nancy and Jean-Philippe’s friends.

When I tried to pay for my order of poutine my debit card was declined and the restaurant doesn’t take credit cards. I had already placed a travel notice on my debit card before I came to Canada so I don’t understand why it got declined. Nancy guessed maybe it’s still a Visa card since it has the Visa symbol on it. In the end, Nancy paid for my meal. This is the first place in Canada that I’ve been to that doesn’t take credit cards. Maybe I should get some cash out next time I see an ATM.

Nancy works at a school and Jean-Philippe works as a history professor. I asked Jean-Philippe about the history of Quebec. Long story short, the French first settled here, then the English came and fought with the French, France lost but the people stayed, so that’s why most people in Quebec speak French.

Back at the house, I took a shower and did laundry. Jean-Philippe gave me a special type of “glue” that I can put on the threads of the screws on my bike so they won’t easily become loose. I will do that on the screws of my bike rack.

I had a good sleep on the futon last night and woke up at 6 this morning. My Warmshowers host in Lachute told me to arrive after 5 PM so I have plenty of time to cycle 45 or so miles there. Maybe I’ll take more frequent and longer stops today.

Passing by the Canadian Museum of History

From Gatineau looking toward Ottawa

Nice day for a bike ride

Ribbon road

Hanging out on the back porch and waiting for my Warmshowers host

La Dame de Coeur

My first poutine in Quebec

The special "glue" to better hold the screws on my bike

Nancy and Jean-Philippe, my Warmshowers hosts