Day 56: Rivière-du-Loup to Trois-Pistoles

Yesterday, I was searching for a nearby breakfast restaurant and found Café Culturel de la Pointe not far from the campground, but they open at 9 AM. I had some time so I biked down Rue Mackey to the dock and marina at Rivière-du-Loup. After taking some photos I went to the cafe for breakfast.

The place was understaffed since my coffee order never came. But I was able to enjoy a breakfast wrap with a view of St. Lawrence River. After breakfast I got going.

The day was cooler and cloudy with temperature below 60 F. I’m just glad it wasn’t raining. This weather felt more like fall rather than summer.

I made a brief stop at a rest area outside of L'Isle Verte then continued to my destination of Trois-Pistoles. I arrived there around noon, after cycling about 30 miles from Rivière-du-Loup.

I wasn’t that hungry but I needed to eat something. At Cantine D'Amours, I ordered a hotdog and a soda with some help from the cook because the waitress didn’t speak English. The place was packed with people and the waitress never stopped working.

After lunch, I cycled only a couple of blocks to Iléana’s place. She’s my Warmshowers host for the night. Iléana has a five years old son. She was also babysitting her son’s friend who was about his age.

I took a shower and did laundry, which I’m so grateful since my clothes needed a wash badly. While waiting on laundry, I signed up on findacrew.com, a website where I can look for sailboats to go across the Atlantic Ocean to Europe. If I can get on a boat then I don’t have to box my bike and take a flight.

After everything was done, I took a walk to Quai de Trois-Pistoles, the dock in town. Before coming back to the house I stopped by the IGA grocery store to buy a few things for dinner. Iléana was making pita pizzas and I bought Boursin cheese, radishes, two small cakes, and more pita bread.

During dinner, I learned that Iléana runs a daycare in her house. She will go back to school for social work. Iléana suggested that I could do WWOOFing when I’m traveling. WWOOFing is volunteering at farms. She has done it several times. I thought I might be too old for it, but I might consider doing it in Australia or New Zealand. I’ll have to see.

After dinner, I chatted with a couple of friends before falling asleep.

It’s raining this morning. I have to ride about 40 miles to Rimouski to my Warmshowers host’s place. I will most likely be wet judging by the current weather.

The end of the dock at Rivière-du-Loup

The marina at Rivière-du-Loup

Nice spot to watch the river

My breakfast view

My resting stop in L'Isle Verte

Waterfall behind an abandoned house

Very busy at Cantine D'Amours

Église catholique Notre-Dame-des-Neiges, the church in Trois-Pistoles

A cool mural in town

Another nice spot to sit

Clouds are rolling in

Looking back at the town from the dock

Iléana, my Warmshowers host