I delayed leaving the hostel this morning as I had some stomach issues. I think I may have overdone the baked beans yesterday after having them for lunch and dinner!! I noticed a map of Canada in the lounge and as I traced my route from Vancouver Island I realised just how far I have come!!
Back in Rossland, BC (on July 20th!!) one of Scott's friends who had cycled across Canada said it was life changing. I remember thinking that sounded a bit dramatic, I was just planning to ride my bike for a few weeks!! Now I realise it probably has changed me. I have learnt to be more patient (you cannot go anywhere fast on a bike towing a trailer), to be kinder to myself and that I have deeper reserves of inner strength, stubbornness and determination than I ever knew.
Most surprising for me has been the people part of this trip. Being a pretty private person who takes their time to get to know / trust people and finds it hard to share feelings and emotions I have been blown away with the kindness of strangers and how comfortable I have become at sharing my story with others. Never having been in the 'cool' crowd I was a little uneasy with the attention that my bike and Bob seemed to attract at the beginning. But I have discovered that relationships however brief are what make us uniquely human and sharing possessions, stories, hopes and dreams is immensely rewarding. (At some point I will probably shudder reading some of the things I have shared in this blog!!).
I really hope this does not need a caption, even for the non-Canadians!!
L'Auberge International Rivière-du-Loup.
I managed to ride the 27km to L'Isle-Verte without stopping for a photo, although this is now a trickier proposition as I had to remove the stand from Bob last night. The angle at which it held the trailer had been widening for a while and it finally gave way yesterday. I don't know if it is the extra weight, I did add more than I took out in Ottawa due to the colder weather but the last few days I have been in just bike shorts and one layer on top so the extra layers, gloves and thermos have all been jammed into the trailer.
L'Isle-Verte was a fascinating spot with a lot of history and bilingual signs. I learnt that in the 1880's sea moss was big business here, harvested from the tidal flats and used locally for stuffing mattresses and shipped to the US for stuffing car seats!! The Bertrand family owned a lot of the town and of course had a big house, according to the plaque outside "the elegant residence is an outstanding example of Québécois architecture inspired by the neo-classical style and reflecting French, British and American influences".
Betrand house, L'Isle-Verte.
I stuck to the 132 so I could find washrooms for my still slightly unhappy insides and the road stayed more inland than previous days. I considered detouring into Parc du Bic but as it was 4pm and the trail would have been gravel I decided it was a little late to be having an off-road adventure with only a couple of hours of light left!! I still got some good views from the road and I arrived in Rimouski in time to see the sunset.
Parc du Bic.
Parc du Bic.
Slightly bizarre sign heading into Rimouski.
Watching the sunset (with a little shorebird). It did get better but my phone decided it did not have any more storage space. At least it is taking decent pictures again though, I guess it is just not too keen on damp, grey, overcast days (much like myself).
'Follow your heart' ??
Great to catch up with your travels Lucy, and to see you enjoying so many good days. It looks wonderful.
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