Oh Canada 🎶🇨🇦 eh, part huit

Our last day in this multi textural gracious city. Teeming with history, bistros, bike paths, rivers, commerce and so much more.  

Embarked on our second of two guided bike tours. This route was very different than the first. We learned about plants, architecture, history and visited a few parks. The bike trail system in this city is quite impressive not to mention, exceedingly busy.  

Poulet Frite Kentucky....

The highlight was the Montmorency Falls located in the Parc de la Chutes-Montmorrency on th Montmorency River. It is the largest falls on this river. The drop is 276'. If you have the lack of fear, there is an opportunity to zip line right at the fall's crest. EEEK  The price is only $25, the thrill factor, priceless.... 

The bike tour group had a bit of a scare with out leaving the ground. One of our most seasoned travelers had the meeting time right but the location to meet quite wrong. We all went up in the funicular, crossed the suspension bridge over the falls, and descended the stairs on the other side. For some reason, Mark went down the stairs, then decided to climb all more than 400 steps to meet us at the top. Meanwhile, everyone else smartly chose to go straight to our bikes once we came down to ground level. It was about a half hour an ice cream sandwich later before he decided to use his cell phone to find us.  Whew, so glad he was okay.

Back to the hotel, cleaned up and our last climb up the hill to the area of the Frontenac.  Dining, arranged by our most capable organizer, at Aux Anciens Canadiens. Fabulous fun dining, our first moments of having the entire group together, and the last.  It is off to either one's next destination or beginning the trek home. 

Thank you for traveling with us.  Please continue to check the blog for future adventures this year (3).

Salute

Oh Canada 🎶🇨🇦, eh. Part sept

Two more Twin Citians flew in yesterday and joined us for their first bike ride today. So fun to have them in the group!  Off we rode for our first of 2 quided tours of Quebec City.  The theme today is history. This city was originally settled by the French in the 1600's. You all know about the squirmishes with England in the late 1700's and early 1800's. To make a long story short, the French stayed in Quebec but agreed to be ruled by the British. The fields of Abraham and the citadel were where many of the battles took place.  No evidence of it today, except for quite a row of canons and history plaques to read. The catch is to be able to read French ....

The bike tour took us across the St Lawrence River to bike along the river. Stopping quite often for a little history lesson. Oh, and to take several dozen pictures of the Frontenac.  Our guide opted not ride us across a 1917 very precarious bridge, instead the spacious ferry back to the old city. 

The afternoon provided us with lots of opportunity to walk ... Yup, up and down the little hill. We poked into the Frontenac, thought about checking in but quickly dismissed the idea when finding out the rack rate....

The capper for the evening was dinner at Cafe du Monde and fireworks above the harbor. Does our amazing trip planner know how to impress or what!?!?

Look sees of today's adventure:

Tomorrow our last bike ride in Quebec province, a nature ride. Not sure what that means... Read on tomorrow and find out!

Oh Canada 🎶🇨🇦, eh part six

Day 7, hotel # 7.  The good news is we get to stay here for more than one night!!  Who hoo!!

Our first day of touring on our own. Mark, of course, is at his favorite Marriott to which the initial gps route indicated 1.7 k and a 6 minute drive. We successfully managed to stretch transporting him from our hotel to his over 12k and about an half hour. Guess that takes some talent... :D. Thank goodness for our smart phones or I still would be circling the city....  

If any one of you reading this blog have been to Quebec City, you no doubt have discovered there really is only 2 directions....up or down. The city is a major defensive location on the St Lawrence seaway, established and built in the 1700's. The citadel has to be at least 1000' above the river. Quite a vantage point for sure. With the help of a funicular for a small portion of the climb, we scaled the hill up to the fortification and just made a tour of the governer General's complex and quarters. It was very impressive. He is chosen by the prime minister and appointed by the queen of England. Now the strong English influence of the changing of the guard makes sense.  Still trying to figure out how French is the primary language....stay tuned. 

Here are some of our sites and fun today:

Tomorrow first of 2 quided bike rides around Quebec City. Hoping for no rain tomorrow !  Besides, you are sure to want to see some pictures ....right?

Oh Canada 🎶🇨🇦, eh. Part cinq

Our third and final day on the P'tit Train du Nord. What a ride!! Never thought these words would come out, --- for the most part, the gravel was in better shape than the paved portion of the trail. Who knew?!?!?   The north half is paved, the southern half is gravel. 

Three days of involving all 5 senses.  The smell of the junipers just like what is manufactured for Christmas time but real. The touch through the handle bars of the vibrations from the texture of the trail below the tires. The sound of the water rushing down stream, cascading over boulders that ran along much of the trail. The sight at every moment of plush dense forests, mostly gray and sometimes blue skies contrasting against the green flora of the forests and gray of the trail surface. The taste of the scrumptious gourmet cuisine at our B&B's and cafes along the trail. Truly a complete sensory experience. 

Today we reached milepost 0.0 to which we promptly celebrated with a couple of pitchers of local lager.  We successfully rode nearly 200k of this amazing trail. Many, if not all, of the original depots still exist and are thriving businesses. We tried to patronize as many as we could. 

Some pics from today:

Loaded up and drove part way to Quebec City. Tomorrow the balance of the way to our 7th hotel in 7 days. Whew. Please do keep reading.  Much more adventure to come.  

Oh Canada 🎶🇨🇦, eh part quatre

Our first night in a bed and breakfast in Nomininque, it was exquisite.  The food absolutely gourmet. The couple running this inn made you feel like you were long time friends and quite at home. It was hard to leave. One of the best parts was our first day of this journey that we were able to sleep past 6 a.m.  Nice! 

Wouldn't ya know, Quebec has been experiencing a dry spell ... Until we arrived. The days have been perfect temps for riding. The skies have been completely cloud cover.  By mid afternoon, yup, the moisture started pouring out. Just a spritzing sprinkle excallating to a gentle soaking rain. After yesterday and today's rides, we have our stuff hanging up all over our rooms to dry. 

Parc lineaire Le P'tit du Nord is a multi-use recreational rail trail located in Quebec. It is 200 kilometers in length. We will have ridden nearly all of the trail, about 170 kilometers of it. Yesterday did an out and back due to our concerns over the weather. Got a little wet anyway. Today rode close to 80 kilometers. Tomorrow, about 75 to the southern end of the trail. It really is a beautiful trail. Despite the rain. 

Tonight, our second bed and breakfast inn. It is much different than last night. Still pretty nice. 

Look see of some of today's adventure :

The photo of the day!  Our camera shy Alice.

Our home for tonight. 

More adventure to finish out the trail tomorrow!

Oh Canada 🎶🇨🇦, eh. Part trois

Day 4, on to our fourth hotel. It was a bit of a flurry, this morning, to make the shuttle. Loading up gear bikes and people was successful.  We had a bit of delay getting out of Ottawa the night before. Did not get to St Jerome until 11 p.m.  Night cap was at midnight. Alarm sounded at 6 a.m. Short night. 

We napped through our 2 hour shuttle up to Nomininque, Quebec. Such a really quaint cool little Burrough. Prime time to brush up on what little French we have in our repertoire. For some reason, trying to say thank you or such, gracias or danka or something equally wrong comes out. Talk about confused looks...

We began our exploring of the Petit Train du Nord. A 200 kilometer rail to trail. Quite a beautiful trail!!

Have a look see...

J'aime la Gete!

Keep reading!