This morning, Boro made breakfast again and it was delicious. He’s a really good cook! After packing my things I bid farewell to Boro.
I rode less than 30 minutes to the ferry terminal to take the boat across St. Lawrence River. As I was waiting on the ferry I saw another touring cyclist come onboard at the last second. I decided to chat with the guy and see which direction he was going.
The cyclist’s name is Jean-Bastien, also known as JB. He’s a 29 years old bike mechanic and is going to Rivière-du-Loup in the same direction as me. I was pleasantly surprised.
When the ferry landed across the river in Levis, JB and I rode together. I let him lead most of the time and we occasionally stopped for photos and took breaks at rest areas.
We cycled on Route 132 for most of the way, but we did take a detour at Berthier-Sur-Mer River Park where there was a fantastic view of the St. Lawrence River and the mountains in the background. It was wonderful to cycle on this stretch of the road since there was a nice shoulder. We passed by many large farm lands on our right and had the river and the mountains to our left.
Around 1 PM, we ate lunch at Restaurant Normandin in the town of Montmagny. I had a burger with some salad and fries. Another couple was sitting near us and the man inquired about our bike tours. I didn’t catch his name, but the man had bike toured in 1980 from Massachusetts to Virginia. He was impressed by my attempt at traveling the world by bicycle.
After lunch, JB and I continued riding toward Saint-Jean-Port-Joli. We were about 8 miles near our destination when we stopped one last time to take a break. I chatted with a group of five touring cyclists whom we had seen before. They were headed to the same town as us, but they will stay in a hotel.
Just as we were about to leave, two older ladies stopped to chat with us. One of them is named Natalie and she was so kind that she offered to host us. Unfortunately, her house is another 25 miles away from Saint-Jean-Port-Joli and we have cycled a lot today already.
JB and I arrived in Saint-Jean-Port-Joli a little after 5 PM, having ridden 61.7 miles. JB paid for a campsite at Camping Au Bonnet Rouge for CA$32 for both of us.
The campground has a swimming pool, a spa, a kitchen, and even a pool table. We decided to opt out of a paid shower and went in the pool and the spa to get ourselves cleaned.
After setting up our tents, we went to the nearby grocery shop to buy some dinner items. I bought a double pack of bologna, a can of lemonade, and a cucumber. I ended up eating my last two burger buns that I’ve been carrying with the bologna.
JB and I played three games of pool, which he won two. It was nice to relax after a long cycling day.
Tomorrow, JB and I will ride another 60 miles or so to get to Rivière-du-Loup. JB will then stay with his girlfriend while I find a camping spot in town. That’s the plan so far.
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| Leaving Quebec City via ferry |
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| First of many rest stops |
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| Beautiful view on a road with nice and wide shoulder |
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| Bike lean against a bench |
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| Me and Jean-Bastien |
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| Riding on Route 132 |
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| Church of Notre-Dame-de-Bonsecours in L'Islet |
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| More views of the mountains in the back |
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| Another view |
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| Interesting sculpture at the rest area |
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| Looking across St. Lawrence River |
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| Roadside peace sign |
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| Hanging out in the pool |
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| JB is schooling me at a game of pool. |
Looks like the trip is going well. Glad you are finding others to ride with and enjoying the scenery.
ReplyDeleteYes it is going well, Bob. The scenery can't be photographed.
DeleteHa! I just wrote in the previous post that you’d find another riding partner and you did!
ReplyDelete