Day 44 - Baie St-Paul a St-Simeon

Baie St-Paul to St-Simeon
84 km, mainly sunny, hot and humid
Winds on/off, 10-15 km tail and crosswinds

Incredible. Incredible scenery. Incredible hills. super nice here. I really enjoyed the ride today.

I ended up sleeping in fairly late – probably from the combo of the amount of beers consumed that night, and the lack of sleep the night before. The site was quiet, no one disturbed me, and it was free. Too bad it was quite sandy.

I cycled into town to buy some juice and milk for my breakfast, ate cereal while sitting on a curb, and then power-washed my bike at a car wash. That puppy was very dirty and gritty. Clean as a whisle now.

The route decided to give me around 8-9 km of climbing as soon as I left town. We're talking from 7 to 10 %. My biggest concern of the day was not to overheat with the effort and the hot and humid conditions. With every bottle that I drank, another was used to dump on my head to cool the mellon down. At the 9 k mark, I checked my average speed: 12 or 13 k/h. Nice. I wonder what it'd be if I did't have that 2 k or so of flat roads leading me out of town. The route along the St. Laurent is very beautiful. The hills add a nice majestic feeling. Very enjoyable ride. Oh, the downhills were quite nice too – max of 78 k/h today. There were a few hills I took it easy (used the brakes), as it was a bit rough, and I got scared.

In a few of the little towns, some hills were 18 % and hovering around that. Those weren't 400 metres either, up to a km. They were usually winding roads, so you never know when you're going to reach the crest. The downhills on those hills? Well, the brakes were on the whole time.

In La Malbaie, I stopped for a quick little lunch, and to try the other beer from the Charlevoix micro-brewery that I didn't get a chance to sample. The milk stout, by the name of La vache folle – noir. The grocery store didn't have them in the fridge, so I would have to sample it at room temperature. It was rather tasty. Sweeter than most stouts (except for those chocolate or coffee stouts).

In Malbaie, there was a jerk who has a rather interesting way of life. He (or she?) values making a quick right turn a lot more than a human life. A**hole cut me off, and it was probably the closest I've ever had to leaving my teethmarks in someone's side panel. I can just wait for karma.

Arriving in St. Simeon, due to the high levels of humidity, there's fog all around. It makes it a bit damp and cool. I am wearing my toque at the moment while writing this entry.

The other day, in MTL, I thought I'd duck down to Sherbrooke and zip up to Quebec City. I thought it would be nice to hit the Eastern Townships (with a bunch of englishies there?). But, I opted not to do that (yet). If Frank and Annick would have been there that week-end, I would of done that route. But, I'll do another special trip in that area as I hear it is quite lovely riding (and touristy things).

Oh, today, I believe I have officially gone over the 7000km mark. Another day of riding the North shore before I take the ferry to ride the South shore on the way to the beautiful (and another mountain range) Gaspe region.

Bonne nuit. How's that for a shorter entry?

Pierrot

(updated from Trois Pistoles, mid afternoon on July 1st. Happy Canada Day. 141 years old country). (Trois Pistoles is the subject of a Tragically Hip tune. I should do my research and find out what it is). Pics uploaded, comments are next...
Vous me manquez.
p2

Day 43 - Quebec a Baie St-Paul

Quebec a Baie St-Paul
105 km
Overcast, negligeable winds.

(photos up, click on the title of the entry)

New record – I climbed my steepest hill today (with full gear too). Twenty four percent, for 400 metres. Nice. I was going to write about it later, but I might as well do it now. It was steep. My front end, even though it has a front pannier on it, was bobbing at time from me pulling so hard. There was one kicker that almost made me stand still, but I had to just push it through. Fun, really fun. I had to slalom twice – but only because the first time I was surprised by a tiny little wheelie, and the second time due to bad road in front so I had to go around. It would have been nice to have someone there to see that. Gilles, wish you were on the ride, man.

When the alarm clock went off, I reset it for 45 minutes later. I slowly got out of bed the second time it went off. But, the day started alright. I ate at a Belgian restaurant. The breakfast consisted of a raspberry and crème anglaise crepe, with a side order of bacon and fruits. After finishing packing, I left the hotel to go to MEC and got what I needed (the tent repair kit).

Out of town wasn't a bad ride. I was expecting rain and unfavourable windy conditions the whole way, so I was ready for what Mother Nature had to throw at me. Raining it was, and the wind in my face was there. For the route, I was able to find a path that led me fairly safely to the Montmorency Falls, and to the 360 route I wanted. From there, I would see probably 10 more small falls, as that road is at the base of a big long cliff. It would be there that I would find that 24 % hill (near Ste-Anne de Beaupre). I really enjoyed that route through those small towns, plus I felt like I was sheltered from the wind. The rain settled a bit, reduced to a fine dirzzle.

In Ste-Anne de Beaupre, it was a nice little spot to have a small lunch (honey sandwiches and banana). There were many churches (3, that I could see) for that small town, and a building with the name of “Cyclorama de Jerusalem”. What does that mean?

I almost continued the 360 to/through Mont Ste-Anne, but wanted to see the sign for “7 to 10 % for the next 7 km” on the 138. I got a few pics of hill grades, but not the overall one that I was hoping for. But, I did get one that was even better. The rain stopped at that moment, but it was still fairly humid.

Right out of town, the climbing started. Nice. I was grinning lots. I really enjoy climbing. I guess I like the struggle. The hills kept on coming, one after the other. Seven percent, 8, 10. Sweet. There were little interludes in between (flat, or just a bit of a downhill), but the general tone was uphill. Near the summit, there was a bus crashed into the ditch on the other side. That was weird. They were just pulling it out with a massive tow-truck. More upward trekking, and the fog started getting thicker and thicker. You could not see beyond 75 to 100 metres (even the cars with lights on). I figured it would be a weird downhill once I reach the top.

Just a while later, I reached the top. Something like 677 metres. While checking my photos at supper, I accidentally erased the picture I wanted of the summit. Dang. It was foggy. It might have been a fine mist actually, as my skin had a small white layer of water, and the occasional drip would fall from my helmet or the mirror. That was neat, something I've never experienced before.

The top. There was around 20 k left, and the sign had something pretty nice to announce me “7-10% grade for the next 20 km”. Nice. It would be a sweet ride into town, the destination for the day. But, what was misleading was that it's not all downhill – there was a nice uphill (7-8% for a km) in there. No worries. I still did the last 20 k in just about 30 minutes. Apoptigma Berzerk was the choice music for that descent. I put on my arm warmers, zipped up my jersey, and looked for a guy on the side of the road to hand out newspapers so I can throw them in my jersey. The latter didn't happen. It was a cool ride down.

In town, I went straight to the Microbrasserie Charlevoix. Oh god, it's like an angel crying on my tongue. I am writing this while taking a break between my two deserts. I just want to stay here for a while. I do have another 5 k left before I hit the campground, but I might just look around to see if there's a spot to pitch my tent for the evening. I dont really care for a shower tonight, and I can charge up my stuff later somewhere. Truthfully, I want to save a few bucks (even though I'll probably spend a bit here at the meal). Quebec City, with the hostel, the beers, and the food, did cost me a bit. Side note – Quebec City also made a nice positive impression on me. I would like to spend more time there.

Ok. Food for tonight. I started with the beer and oninon cream au gratin with migneron cheese soup. Quite lovely. What followed was the pear and quail terrine served with carrot and ginger marmalade. I slapped that stuff on the bread they served. That marmalade was quite tasty. The main course was tough to chose from. There was a few different choices, but the lovely Jessie took one of my suggestions and said that it was one of the specialties, so I had it. It was the red deer steak served with a fruit sauce, Greek potatoes, and vegetables (entire roasted red pepper, a zuccini, and something else). Quite lovely.

For beers. Well, I started, with the sampler. It consisted of their Premium Lager, then the Premium Lager Red, followed by the Dominus Vobiscum Blanche, and concluded with the Bootlegger Brown Ale. All very different, but quite tasty. They were about 3 oz each. I still had three more to taste, but they came in 500 ml bottles. So, one at a time, I had them. It was the Vache folle to start (6% alcohol), a tasty and bitter beer (probably my preferred of the evening). The Dominus Vobiscum Triple (9%) followed. Nice, very flavourful, bold, and surprisingly not too heavy. While awaiting desert number two, I was enjoying the Dominus Vobiscum Double, a darker, yet strong (9%) beer. Now, I forgot to take a picture of the taster, so I might just order another round of that to get the picture. The things I go through for you guys.

I must say that sitting here, after desert, it is such a nice feeling. I think it gives me a time to just relax a bit, and let a few things soak in. Hell, there could be someone on my mind too. Hell, it could be the amount of beer I just consumed. Whatever it is, I'll really enjoy it for the time being. Did I ever tell you I am one lucky bumhole?

Desert. First, I had the Migneron mousse cheese cake. It was extremely light, but full of flavour. The second desert is their own warmed tarte au sucre (sugar pie) made with beer. It just arrived, so I will take a quick (well, not that quick) little break.....

Sweet, very nice. Lovely. I just got a nice tip from Jessie the waitress on where to stay for the night. I was thinking I would head out of town to the campsite, but I will settle for a spot in the back of a school, but she recommended an even nicer place. So, after I settle up, and have another tester, I will head there for the night and retire. But, I think I'll have more beer before I head out...

As for the blog entry, I will call it a night now, wish you a swell day, and will catch up in the next entry.

So long, from the wandering, lucky bastard,

p2
(sorry for the longish entry). I will really try to keem them shorter for the next few days. Nothing major is expected, expect for the most Eastern in Quebec that I'd ever go – that takes one line, and I already wrote it.

Another addition to the entry. When I finished the tester thing, so 4x 3 oz of different beers, it started raining. So, after a bathroom break, I gave it some time to cool. Just a bit later, it started to pour again, so I waited. What does a guy do when he waits? Answer – he orders another beer. So, another pint. Tonight, I consumed 1.5 litres, plus 24 oz of samplers (how much is that in mL – that's not a rhetorical question), plus another pint (20 oz). How many ml is that for tonight? Let's see if I'll have another pint to sample the milk stout, I didn't see that on the menu, so I didn't know if it existed until AFTER I ordered my last pint. Oops, should of spoken up before I ordered.

Later (again),

p2

Day 42 - Trois-Rivieres to Quebec City

Trois-Rivieres to Quebec City
140 km, overcast and raining
Windy – 20-30 km/h, all in my face

Against the wind,
I was riding against the wind,
I was riding to live,
and living to ride,
Against the wind.

This time, the song was playing while I was actually against the wind.

The day started alright. I slept in, was relaxed, and was expecting a shorter day (than the previous day). I updated the blog and picture album before I left town, and then went for a hair cut.

Getting out of town, that's when I noticed the wind. It didn't look favourable, and it was a bit on the strong side. I just hoped it would subside – it didn't. The winds slowly picked up and remained fairly constant for the rest of the trip. The rain started at the half-way mark, and didn't let up until, well, it just didn't let up. Writing this now, at 3:50 am, it has stopped maybe 90 minutes ago.

Just 30 k or so from my destination, when I stopped to get a bit of food in me, the coat, gloves, and knee warmers came out. Luckily I decided to bring the gloves on the rest of the trip.

Along the road, I saw tons of cyclists touring. It looked like they were local tours – 2 days or so. They were heading in all directions, and some were in groups of 8. I also ran into another cyclist all dressed in Time Trial gear. I caught up to him when he stopped for a pee. I should of taught him how to pee while riding. He did a triathlon in Trois-Rivieres in the morning, and was riding to Quebec City. I called it a “cool down” ride.

Just 20 k before arriving at my destination, I heard a “thunk, thunk, thunk”. I looked down at my front wheel, and noticed a screw in it. Nice. As soon as I remove that puppy, it'll start leaking. So, pulled over and fixed it. It is my first front flat of the trip (at the 7000k mark on my odometer – so in 1.5 days, I'll actually reach the real 7000k mark).

Finally, I get close to downtown, even though it was later than expected. It wasn't even 8 pm, and it was a bit dark due to the clouds and such. Are the days getting shorter now? I zig-zagged into the downtown, I saw a hostel nearby (fairly close to downtown), but decided to trek on a bit. When I finally reached the top of the hill, I decided to double-back and actually stop there for the night. Well, no vacancy. Dang.

Just over the hill, a few streets down further, the old downtown was there (as well as the usual hostel I frequent). So, with such a busy time, it too was full. I managed to get a room (the last one) just a few doors down at a 1-star hotel/hostel. It'll do the job, but more expensive than I was hoping to pay.

After a good shower and a shave, I headed to one of two micro-breweries. If I was lucky, I'd hit them both tonight. Just near the first one, La Barberie, I overhear a girl talking about La barberie. Feeling like I am an informed tourist, I asked them if they needed help getting there. They were locals, and knew where the spot was. We started chatting a bit, and they invited me to join them for a few drinks. I obliged, and joined Elysabeth and Mae. They turned out to be great hosts. Gros merci.

The beers were quite good. The one that stood out the most was La blanche classique – citrus flavours, and fairly light taste. The stout double chocolate wasn't bad. For all the names, please see the pictures (I took a picture of the board instead of writing them down).

I still didn't have supper yet, and I was feeling a bit peckish. They didn't serve food there (too small of an establishment). So, after finishing our eight 5 oz samples, we headed to the second micro-brewery: Linux (or something like that). They served food there.

Their beers were also quite tasty. I had the blanche with corriander, the five malt beer, and the rousse caramelized. The food was fun – first was the plain nacho chips with typical salsa and con queso, then the 5 types of cheese with bread platter followed, and finished the “meal” with the sausage in a carved-out baguette. Tasty. The tunes at that bar were interesting – some Metric, and the locals Lost Finger. The latter is basically jazz lounge remakes of classics (some Soft Cell, Bon Jovi, Alanah Miles, Michael Jackson, etc).

May walked me home, and showed me some neat spots to take some nice pictures. I thought I might get up early and be a bit of a tourist, but I think I'll just have breakfast and head out of town. I'll save the tourist thing when I'm hear next time – which will include the world's (or close to it) smallest apartment. Breakfast might be at my usual latin restaurant.

A story I always think of when i come here: The short, yet sound really bad, version: I got herpes from a Danish guy in Quebec City. The longer, but clarifying, version: I was having a 5-Alive drink at a hostel, when the Danish guy asked what that was. I let him have a drink. The next day, I feel a sensitive spot on my lip – shit, that guy gave me a cold-sore.

Alright, soon is bedtime. I will go to MEC tomorrow while i head out of town to find some no-see-um screen kit for the tent. The hills start tomorrow (well, a mountain range). Shorter, but steeper. I know there's one hill that's around 5 km long, with an average grade of 7-10%. Should be fun. You know what I'll be doing for a good 30 minutes (probably smiling lots). We'll see what the downhills will bring – bad weather? Wobbly front-end on the bike? Tobin, don't expect me to beat your 80 k/h heading into Baie St. Paul. Plus, I might get a chance to see (and take a picture) of that 24% hill. For that one, for every 4 metres in length, it goes up by a metre. Nice.

Ok, bed time. It's 4:20 am, and I'm now tired. Dodo time.

p

Day 41 - MTL to Trois-Rivieres

Montreal to Trois-Rivieres
150 km
Sunny, muggy, (26 degrees, 32 with humidex)
Negligeable winds

And I have never felt
Quite this close to hell
All this rock and roll baby
Only time will tell
But we're young now, having fun now
On the town now, get around now
It's fine for now
But someday we'll settle down
But not now baby

Smoke baby, smoke baby
More alcohol baby
Cocaine in Montreal
And back out on the road baby

Who gave you time to cry?
Who gave you time to find yourself?

I slept very well, and felt quite rested in the morning, even though I didn't get a full eight hours. As you guys know, I need all the beauty sleep I can get. But, I got up at a reasonable hour (9:30 or so), and had breakfast at the hostel.

Hey, apparently, the MTL hostel is ranked 3rd in the world. I believe it – showers in every room, and they probably do a hell of a job with the social/entertainment stuff.

When I was loading up the gear on the bike, I notice this guy lugging his bags outside. He was another cyclist. He had tons of stuff, I was quite surprised (see pictures in Picasa). Thurston, from Switzerland, already rode a bunch of countries in Europe, before starting in St. John's on his way to Vancouver. Neat guy. I also met Shawn, from California, who came to Montreal to visit and ride a bit. He's new with touring, and was just testing a few things. He rode to Quebec City (with a pack sack and some panniers), took the train back, and will probably do a few more jaunts in the area.

Before heading out of town, I did more sight-seeing by bike. Montreal is quite nice, I could probably survive here.

The ride today was quite nice. Very flat though. The slight cross-wind breeze was nice, as it came from the Fleuve (what's the English word for it?) and would bring some cool air. Unfortunately, the road deviated from the shorelines for probably a third of the ride. But, super nice scenery while I was riding it. It'll be what I'll be seeing (from either my left, or my right) for the next 8 days or so. The route will lead me to the Atlantic Ocean, until I go through the mainland again and yo-yo back to it.

I am now at the campground just on the Eastern edge of Trois-Rivieres (there is not actually 3 rivers here, but two – the name comes from the original belief that there was 3 rivers – they were just fooled). I was hoping to get in for free, but there was still someone at the gate when I got here. I tried to kill lots of time downtown (food shopping, tourist information centre) to increase my chances of sneaking in. Nope, no luck. Plus, the guy that was there is the same dopy guy who was here last year. He is definitely a few fries short of a happy meal.

Supper was by the Fleuve. There was a patio on the beach, where I just took a table and brought it to the edge to prepare and eat my meal. On the menu: Capicolo ham, with garden vegetable havarti cheese, on whole wheat bread, with some honey mustard. Four of those sandwiches, with some chocolate milk, was plenty for supper.

I then proceeded to go for a dip in the cold waters. I went to my waist, but couldn't dip my trunk in it. I'm a chicken with cold water. Shower was next, followed by charging the mp3 while writing this entry. Next step – the campsite (right in the middle of tons of ferns), where there was lots of mosquitoes, to set up the tent and relax a bit before crashing for the evening.

Voila, short entry. I'll try to keep them short. I have a feeling that Quebec City itself will be a bit longer entry, but the days preceding it will be very short.

Bonne nuit (bonne journee). Tere paevast, paikesepaiste.

p2

Day 40 - Rigeau(ish) to Montreal

(pics are up - do the usual)
Voyageur campground to MTL
94 km
Mainly sunny, overcast in MTL

Bonjour from la belle province, ou il y a tellement de belles filles, de la bonne biere, et aussi de la bone bouffe. Les filles, apparently they have a certain reputation over here, so I'll try to do some research (theoretical, of ccourse).

I am currently starting this entry even before I finish off my cycling. I am sitting in the St. Ambroise patio having the samples of bear. Tasty. There are no tours offered in the summer – too bad.

I was really lazy today. I think my body needs a bit of rest (sleep). In a few days, I'll be all caught up. I thought I might leave at 10 or so, but left the campground at 11:45. Nice relaxed, easy and lazy morning. I did end up chatting with a Montreal guy, originating from Czech Rep who cycles a bit. One of the stories he told me completely amazed me – he knows a guy who paddled from North-West BC to Newfoundland. The longest portage was around 13 miles (near Thunder Bay). Imagine that, water connects East to West. Plus, the accomplishment of doing such a thing. Incredible. Another story I heard from a MEC guy the other day was – he knows a guy, who could be the only guy up to date, that cycled across Canada in the winter. One day, in the prairies, after 4 hours, only did 10 km. Unbelievable.

Leaving the campground, it was a beautiful strip (Hudson, Como) into MTL. There are beautiful homes, correction: mansions, on that strip. After a while, I would be dumped onto Ile Perrot, where I expected to fight some traffic. Luckily, there were lots of detours due to construction on the bridge, so there was very little I had to battle. I did go by the Dairy Queen that I have always stopped at for the last 10 years when I go to/through Montreal. But, breaking tradition (call it a new beginning, or turning a new leaf), I didn't stop for a Blizzard.

In MTL, I get to ride on the paths all along the water, and eventually on the canal – which lead me to the St. Ambroise Brewering company.

I saw that last year on the ride with Tanya and Atilla, but it wasn't my trip to say “Stop! I want to drink!”. On the menu for beers over here: 1. St-Ambroise Blonde, Noir (Oatmeal Stout). 2. McAusland Cream Ale, Apricot Wheat. 3. Griffon Rousse (Red), and Extra Blonde. They were all tasty. The Apricot Wheat is a regular at my place. The Rousse turned out to be quite tasty. They were all good. Extra Blond was a plesant surprise too. Seems like they are a bit sweeter beers – could be the hops they use, or maybe that I've been biking a bit (things tend to taste sweeter after a day of riding). But, I haven't ridden that much today, so it must be the ingredients.

Next stop – the hostel. I chose the one downtown so I could go to a few different micro-breweries in the area, see the Bell Centre, and have some good food. I'll try not to stay up too late, or end up at those swinger's party.

(interlude. insert elevator music here).

I'm back. After a nice shower, I decided to hit something I saw earlier that looked like a micro-brewery. It was called “Brassiere (something)”. I sat down, asked what was on tap, and nothing was original (special). So, I actually had enough guts to say that I was going somewhere else.

I put in some Tom Waits (the more bizarre, yet great albums) on the MP3 as I thought it was appropriate. It makes me think of Frank the tank a bit. It was also appropriate for the city, as it gave me a freaky, excited and scary feeling (all mixed in together). For those who dont know Waits, it can be beatnik jazz, sort-of pirate music, singing over rhythmical screaming (as music), even melodic poetry over soft piano. It's everything. Great stuff.

I was walking up the street, and saw Peel Street. Great, I get to find the famous Peel Street Pub. I found it, and went in for a pint. But, I had to have some food with it (without ruining my supper). I found the smallest and cheapest thing on the menu – potato skins with cheese and bacon. What a misnomer – they were actual potato quarters with that stuff put on top. A bit filling. But, it all worked out well. For the beer, I had their house Red beer. I hope it's not recycled beer.

Afterwards, I had to burn off the supper to make room for the supper. I climbed up the street to reach the base of Mont Royal, then headed to a spot that Alex recommended. Some of you have read comments from Alex and were hoping that person was a girl (since they were saying things like “I love you”, and “I want you”). Mystery. Anyways. The micro-brewery “Le Dieu du Ciel”, quite nice. I tasted eight 6 oz samples, with the following names: Paienne Ale Blonde, Fumisterie rousse de chanvre, Corne du diable (IPA americaine), Gaelic Irish Cream Ale, Solstice d'ete – biere de ble sure aux framboise, la Basse Messe (Kolsch), Penombre (IPA noir), et le Peche Mortel (Imperial Stout aux cafe). Toutes les bieres etaient 5%, appart de la corne du diable (6.5%), et le peche mortel (9.5%). Je plannais d'avoir souper la, mais c'etait de la bouffe de pub. Donc, j'attendais a mon souper. Le lunch etait un panini Cappocoli, Provologne cheese, pickled eggplant and hot peppers, mmmm) en rentrant a MTL, drette avant que j'y alle a la micro-brasserie St-Ambroise. Oops, I just realized I started writing only in French. Maybe I'm a bit drunk.

Alright. After drinking close to 50 oz of beer, and a bit hungry, I headed towards home (close to an hour walk, as the micro-brewery was further than I thought). I spotted Schwartz, a meat shop that has been running sice 1928. I figured with a name like that and opened for that long, it probably had a good reputation, so I decided to have their smoked meat sandwich. That is the best tasting smoked meat I have ever had. So good. The secret is to have tons of juicy meat, and a very very little piece of bread. The meat has to overflow. I was eating while walking, and a chunk of meat fell on my arm. As I bent over to eat it, I dropped the other half of the sandwicch on the street. Shit. Now what. On to search for another meat place. I was also craving another beer, as I was beyond just having a drink to chill, and under being drunk.

I heard music near Ste. Catherine, as the Jazz Festival was still going on. Sweet – I get to experience it again. In the festival area, they were selling beer – your choice of Heineken, or Heineken, or Molson 0.5. Guess which one I took. So, I had to drink that one fast as I was walking in the streets and the edge of the Festival boundary was fast approaching. What do I see up ahead? Another micro-brewery: something with the number 3 in it. The Three Micro-brewerers? Anyways, I entered, hoping the kitchen was still open. Negative. I just went next door to have another Montreal Smoked Meat Sandwich. It's Celine Dion's restaurant (Nickel's). I noticed they had beer there, so I had one. The sandwich wasn't as good, but the beer was better than the Heineken. Twenty minutes later, I finished my meal and beer, and headed for home again.

There's a church downtown that caught my eye. I decided to stop and take pictures. While focusing on the structure, I hear nine inch nails playing somewhere – a great instrumental tune. That was odd – nails, and watching a church. As I approached the church to take a picture, there were kids on the front steps who were saying sarcastic things such as “dont take a picture, jesus will come down and strike you”, “Jesus is a f***”, etc. It was funny.

While heading to the hostel, I spot a familiar face. I know MTL is only over 2 million people, but I run into “the Doc”. His father is opening and closing the Jazz Festival. Weird that I run into him in a big city, at 1 am on a Thursday.

Well, I finally made it to the hostel. I will now head to bed. I pretty much decided to change my travel plans for the next two days. I just will wait a bit tomorrow to see if I get an answer. But, I think I'll still go that route even though I dont get confirmation that they will be in that area. Being spontaneous – the way I have always been. Ok, that was a bad joke. As I like to say, “I plan on being spontaneous one day”.

Bonne nuit.

p2
(oops, longer entry than I thought).

Day 39 - Ottawa to Voyageur Campground

Ottawa to Voyageur Campground (before Rigeau, PQ)
127 km
Sunny, winds (15-25) mainly at my back.

(pics by clicking on the title)

The time has come, the time has come, it's time to get away. Get innocuous.

A bit of LCD Soundsystem to start off the entry (and second “half” of the trip).

I really enjoyed the winds today. Being a bit tired (went to bed at 6:30 am, slept for max 3 hrs), the winds and the short distance were quite appreciated.

From the race, I had a Red Rain (knock off of Red Bull) that Dave bought for me. I brought that along for the trip in case I would need it today. I tapped into it a few hrs into the ride – just for fun. The recommended max intake for the day is 500 ml. I drank what I had left, so 750 ml or so. Apparently, the bottle is equivalent of 5-6 cups of coffee, plus some other additives in there for extra pep. I dont know if it was the tunes, or the drink, or just being high from the week again, but I was singing, foot was tapping while I was coasting, just genearally gittery. If I would have had a riding partner, they would of thought I might have been on crack. The tunes were excellent.

Ok. The naked truth on nudist camps. 1. You can't be alone to go into one. 2. Rule number 1 doesn't apply if you can prove you are a member of another club. 3. To get in, you must be part of a couple (I assume heterosexual). Because I was alone, and not a member of another club, I could not go to the nudist club near the campsite. Too bad, as I wanted to go for a dip, get a bunch of funny pictures that I had envisioned. It would have been quite funny and entertaining. Oh well, maybe next time I'm with someone.

Campsite was nice. I took a spot near the water, and was able to go for a partial dip. I bought a new tent as the one I've had for the past 12 years ran into more problems at Solstice. It was just a matter of time. MSR Hubba Hubba, 2 person, 3 season tent. Nice, very nice. I am starting to have lots of MSR and OR stuff, and I love it. It is also 1.5 lbs lighter (at least). Having dropped off a few things in Ottawa, I am probably leaving with 5 lbs less for this part of the trip.

My family (nephew, nieces, sister-in-law) came down for the start of the evening, and special K spent the night. So, the tent is good for 2 people, with the gear outside in the compartments. It was very nice to have people for the evening, having marshmallows around the fire and just relaxing.

At night, a skunk got a little currious by the smell of junk food drops around the pic-nic table. So, she came near and ate whatever she found. Then, she came towards us, with the tail up and all, and came within 2 feet of me at my back. Both Ka and I were trying not to move, and hoping she didn't spray us. We are safe.

Later, it was the racoon's turn to come and be bold. That bastard eventually snuck up behid the tent, and tried to get in. As a “welcome to my trip” for the tent, the racoon ripped the screen and left me a nice little hole I have to patch up. Dang.

So, that's the day – favourable winds, sunny, light day for km, rejected at a nudist camp (i usually get rejected when i have no clothes..), and a nice campsite with friends and family.

Oh, and I love 28c. I am not talking about chest size, but rear tire size. That stuff goes through everything, including the sections I had flats on last year.

What was odd, was that almost to the day (if not exaclty to the day), I was in these neck of the woods (almost the same camp site, almost the same route, and probably the same areas in the next 5-6 days) as when I was riding with Tanya and Attila last year.

Expect shorter entries for a while, maybe for most of this part. I figured you guys had a handful already, so I'll try to keep them shorter. Plus, MTL and QUE, I have been here before, and will do more of the touristy thing when my little Eesti friend comes here in October. Can't wait, should be fun. Moodalask!

Ciao,
p2

Race week-end - Summer Solstice, June 21-22, 2008

Well, time to start writing entries for the blog again. I am such a narcissistic person. People who know me will agree that I just talk about myself. Quite frankly, they are right – it’s because the world revolves around me and people have to hear about what I have to say.

Short version - look at the pictures.

Long version (longest post yet?), read on...

Pre-post race days:

It was quite a busy time for me – doing a bunch of errands, trying to see as many people as possible (and only got to see 50% of the folks I wanted to see), figure out the mountain bike stuff (rental for the race), prep for the race, then prep for the re-start of the trip. It probably sounds weird, but I am quite anxious to start the biking again so I can finally get some rest.

Race week-end:

Well, you probably figured out by the picture how the race went. But, there’s more of the story than the finish, so here is my version.

Firstly, it was great to see some friends that were at the race. I was surrounded by swell folks the entire time.

Secondly, as things didn’t feel real for the longest time (just the past 6 weeks or so), being back in a very familiar environment, with a specific job to do (the race), it seemed familiar again. Still a nice feeling, even though I had a bit of stress (expectations of good results, a challenge ahead of me, and the concern of injuring myself at the race that could jeopardize the rest of the trip). But, in the grand scheme of things, those are fairly insignificant. I am a lucky bonhomme.

I decided to take a different approach with this race. I usually just race my own race, and not worry about others. This time, I kept my eye on Klymson, the guy who beat me at the last 24 hr solo race. I thought that if I rode “conservatively hard” and keep him in sight (within 30 minutes by the 12 hours mark), I would hope to be in a good position to podium. Knowing he was at the race, I seriously thought the highest I could place would be second. He is an amazing rider, quite a machine.

The plan worked very well. Dave, my ever-so amazing support crew (and always effective in getting us onto the podium), would inform me that he was 13, 12, 11 minutes ahead. He was slowing down, and I was speeding up. Oddly enough, I was averaging close to hour laps – faster than I thought, but things felt good. By midnight, I did 11 laps (includes the stops I had for supper, snacks, etc.) Things were good. Oddly enough, Klymson’s number didn’t show up amongst the people ahead of me. I thought that was odd.

Midnight or so rolls along, and the rain starts. Just moments before, I overtake a guy who has the same amount of laps as I. He figures he’s in 3rd place, maybe 2nd. So, I thought I was getting into a very nice position. The rain picked up more and more, and the trails became quite slick, dangerous in my opinion (well, everyone had to be careful). It's one of those times when you had to pray ("Save me, Jebus"). Things just slowed right down. Some parts were quite difficult to walk, especially with the bike. Near the 2/3 mark of the lap, I run into a super nice person from Ottawa that I get to ride with here and there. She seemed a bit concerned, not too frazzled, but happy to see someone she knew. We decided to ride together out of this. Sure, it might seem like I was helping her out, but honestly, I would enjoy the company too. I hardly think it was a one-sided affair. She’s a strong rider (even though rather young in her “career”, I knew she could get out of this alive. A little while later, the guy I overtook a bit earlier in that lap, was able to go in front of me again and retake his original position. I didn’t want to tell her what just happened, in case she would feel bad about the situation. But, honestly, I was fairly confident that I was going to overtake him later as he did look like he was starting to crack a bit. I just had to be patient, to put in my time.

We made it out of the woods alive, and I stopped for my midnight supper. Returning onto the course was fun (semi-sarcastic). It was quite a slow and messy experience. But, I had a job to do, and it was the same conditions for all. I did take a nice spill on a downhill. Luckily, only a few scrapes on the knees (and a rip in my knee warmers), with some minor fixing of lights had to be done (they got knocked off the bars). After a while, the rain stopped, and the course became rideable again. At four or so in the morning, I experienced my first major mechanical on the course – one of my pedals fell off. No one, not even marshals, have a pedal wrench on the course. I knew I was a bit toast for that. Only one thing to do (in my books) – ride out, one legged. I was just hoping that I wouldn’t cramp up, especially in my hamstring. Because of that little mishap, I lost a good half an hour.

Dawn was finally here, so I decided to stop early for breakfast and let it get a bit lighter out there. Luckily, I had my other bike all ready, so she came out to play for a lap. Dave, with the gracious assistance of Gilles, cleaned up the bike a bit, and put the pedal back on. I would return to the rental (or H17N, as she is also known), upon my return.

Breakfast time also brought on the news that I was in 3rd place, a full lap ahead of 4th (maybe 1h 15 mins buffer). Dave and I discussed the situation, and he highly recommended I keep on truckin’ until noon, which would mean another 3 laps or so. We didn’t want to risk me stopping earlier, and letting the 4th and 5th place boys catch up, and sneak in another lap at the tail end and push me off. So, I obliged (with a bit of resistance). Because of the buffer, I was told I could do those laps fairly conservative, which I did.

The last few laps were nice (except for the skin irritation that was growing, the fatigue setting in, and the loss of “pep” when biking). But, I had a chance to relax a bit, take my time, and even stop for a good 15 minutes chat with Mark – a good guy I haven’t spoken to in around 10-12 years. He was at the Misfits campsite, a spot where they blared music all night, had a disco ball, and a dancing stage. If you stopped and danced under the ball, you’d get a t-shirt. I decided I’d get a t-shirt for Dave. While I was there, Turn The Page (Metallica version) was playing. When a Bon Jovi song came on, we both looked at each other, and he darted to change the tune. “It’s my friend’s mp3 player”. I took my sweet-ass time for that one.

The last lap was also a very conservative lap. I hardly pedaled in the single tracks – just pumping bike over the woopty-doos, cruising through the single tracks, and dropping into the granny gear for probably all the climbs. Taking my time. What was weird is that nothing from the course registered – I didn’t have a clue where I was, or how much was left. The only way I could judge how much was left was by looking at my watch and thinking that I should be done by noon. It was a very bizarre lap, with the mind and mood playing weird tricks on me.

I crossed the line, and quickly went to the electronic results board to see what position I was (unofficially) in – 3rd, with 18 laps. (recap – 11 laps in the first 12 hrs, and 7 in the last 12 – fun times, fun times). I was happy that it was done, and that I made it on the podium. But, I must admit that I was a bit disappointed that I didn’t get in 2nd place. Out of the previous three times I did the 24 hr solo, I placed 2nd twice. So, weird disappointment, but very minor. I would eventually not be as disappointed when I found out that the first place guy is a pro (I believe), and the other one apparently just turned pro. I was in good company.

On that note, I would like to thank my sponsors:

Official result - 3rd out of 32 in my category (under 40 year old), and 3rd overall, out of 52 or so. I rode around 300 km (17 km lap, I think). Tied my record for solo.

While being on the podium, I thought it would be funny to wear a t-shirt like in the movie “Porky’s revenge”, specifically the “Who farted” shirt with a bunch of holes burnt into it. I thought it would be funny wearing rags beside people who were wearing their sponsor’s gear.

Dave said a nice thing to me at the end of the race. “Pierre Perron, three-time medallist as a solo at the 24 hour event”. Sort-of has a nice ring to it. Nice to retire (again, and for good this time) on top.

I have to say congrats to Gilles and Stef’s team for finishing 2nd in their mixed-team category. Tobin, despite his passing out in the lodge and waking up in the first-aid tent, did a fairly good job too. He’s a machine. What has to be the most amazing surprise is Rick, the ox, who decided to lose 40 lbs and grind his way into 5th place. Huge jump, amazing accomplishment. Unbelievable. Considering that the field is getting stronger every year, a fifth in this race is probably equivalent to 2nd 4-5 years ago.

Damage post-race: minimal hand numbness (median nerve distribution) in both hands, left worse than right, and weakness with median nerve innervation in the right hand (basically decrease in fine motor dexterity). All this peaked on Monday night, and slowly getting better. Numbness is gone in the right hand, and just present at the left thumb as I write this. As for weakness, I can still do most things (even trueing the wheel, but with difficulty), and it'll probably take 4-5 days to get back to normal. As for skin irritation, I was able to sit on a bike today and still feel comfortable. I don't walk awkwardly due to the latter anymore. The joys of solo 24 hr riding...

I want to say thanks to Gilles for jumping in quickly to help when asked to help Dave with fixing the bike during the pedal mechanical. Another big thanks goes to Doris and Ruth for helping Dave with the support in the wee hours in the morning so he could get some rest. Thanks also go out to all those who were all around me (mainly near the campsite) that gave me the encouragement to continue.

Lastly, and definitely not least, great big thanks to Dave, who again, went beyond the call of duty, and got us on the podium again. Another person I am forever in debt with.

So, fun and interesting week-end. I was quite happy with the results, and very happy to see folks that I haven’t seen in 2 days and up to 10 years (Lepper, Denny, the latter being a huge surprise). Before the race, I was concerned that I could be injured or too tired for it. Now, tables have turned – has the race made me more susceptible to injuries, or more fatigue? Time will tell.

Well, I am looking for a fun team for next year. I still think I want to put together a team with the name “24 in 24”, and the first 24 I am not referring to the number of laps to do, but amount of beers to be consumed by each rider on the team. Any takers? I might just settle for a good, fun crew (mixed team?). I’m available.

Now, the trip starts (Wednesday). I will be staying at the Voyager Provincial Park, just at the tail end of Ontario before I enter into another “country”. Bonne St. Jean Baptiste (c’est le 24 juin aujourd’hui, quand j’ai écrit cette entrée). I will be getting a visit from my family, where we’ll get to share a little supper near the fire, and maybe go for a dip in the water. The more the merrier, if some are available for the hour drive out of town (I know, it’s far, but I can still dream).

pics are available by clicking on the title of the entry.

Ciao,

P2

Day 38 - Seeley's Bay to Ottawa

Seeley's Bay to Ottawa
155 km, under 5h30mins
Hot and sunny until Smith Falls,
followed by thunder and lightning (and rain) for 30 mins,
overcast and sunny until Ottawa,
overcast in Ottawa, with another thunder storm
Winds – behind me for the first 3.5 hrs, against me for an hour, then a resumed tailwind

(I guess the intro sums it all up).

Slept in, so I will not be going to the gardens and downtown as tentatively planned. I want to get “home” in time for supper, and visit the kids before they go to bed.

Fun day. I expected a hot day all day. These thunder and lightning storms surprised me. Out of Smith Falls, t and l started, and were around 10 k away. When they got to under 5 km, I pulled off the road to seek shelter to be safe. After a good 10 minutes, I resumed the ride. Fifteen minutes later, the lightning came back to within 5 km, so I had to get off the road again. What is the official concensus for riding in a storm like that – find shelter, or we are safe as bikes?

I was concerned about my cracked rim all day. But, things didn't seem to get worse (wheel didn't get untrue much), even though the crack was getting bigger (spoke pulling appart the rim). But, it held up. I am home now, I get to build (or buy) a new wheel.

The first 100 k flew by. I was at 29 k/h. The winds helped lots, and I was pushing it for most of the ride. I realized I only trained for endurance for the upcoming race, but haven't done some speed work. So, today was a push-it day. It felt good.

When I reached North Gower, I pulled off the side of the road to send a quick update on the blog to let people know I am safe. Getting back on the road, I was wondering why I was stopped in my tracks. Flat. Damn. Fixed it. Just a minute away, I flat again. It looks like I either overinflated it, or there was a piece of sand (or metal from the rim) that ended up inside the tire, and created a nice opportunity for a flat. So, I will take blame for that bad tube replacement (even though I checked the tire for any punctures, as usual). This time, I didn't inflate to max, in order to avoid the same mistake, and to hopefully let the tire take more of the brunt of the road (instead of the cracked rim). Drawbacks would be that I am more at risk of a pinch flat, and it'd be slower. But, it was a risk I took. Everything turned out well.

It was nice to ride in Ottawa again. Weirdly enough, I feel that I haven't been gone at all. Hell, feels like school just finished a week ago or so. But, in reality, I have been living a pretty surreal life – biking daily, seeing tons of different cities and what they have to offer, eating at various places, sampling beers from all over, and visiting family and friends. Totally weird life. We'll see what happens when I snap back to reality in 6-7 weeks.

So, I am now at my bro's place. You guys can reach me on my cell at 613.218.5976, or at their place at 613.xxx.xxxx. For the latter number, please dont call after 8 pm as the kids (should) will be in bed. Cell, anytime.

I hope to get to see a bunch of you guys within the next week or so. I am fairly sure I'll have a bunch of errands to do. I have a feeling I'll keep quite busy (which I dont mind).

The blog will have a rest for a little under a week.

Next entry – probably about the race next week-end.

Talk to you guys soon, and enjoy the break.

Ciao,

p2

Day 37 - Toronto to Seeley's Bay

Toronto to Seeley's Bay
11h15m
Overcast at first, sunny most of the day, muggy all day
Winds – behind me, SW 15 k/h

Firstly, thanks to Anna and Andrew to let me crash at their place last night, and to Shawn, accepting me inviting myself to crash at his place the night before.

Secondly, it was Friday the 13th yesterday.

Third, congrasts to all who did Rideau Lakes Tour last week-end. I forgot to write that earlier. I know this girl who was telling everybody this year that she was going to do that race. It's not a race, it's a tour. What a goof.

I realized something when I reached Oshawa: Toronto to Kingston was not 300 k as I thought, but only 260. The first time I did Ottawa to Toronto straight, it must have been 425, and not 475 as I thought. So, I always thought there was 300 k seperating the two, I was wrong (luckily). But, Ottawa to Newmarket is 475 k.

The plan today was to do reach Kingston at the 300 k mark, and sleep at my usual spot near just off the 15. But, only being 260 k, I had to continue. I didn't mind, as it would tap into the km I have to do tomorrow.

Final verdict – 303 km. In one week, I hope to ride twice as long (time wise), and do as much km. We'll see. At the moment, I am around (just below) the 6200 km mark. I expected Ottawa to be the 6000k mark. Not bad. I guess I am over half done. If I dont do the detours (Gaspe, Cape Breton, all Newfoundland), it'll be a lot shorter. At least I have options.

Today was a great ride. Kurt asked me if this trip is doing wonders for my fitness. Today was the first day that things felt really good. They felt good before, but today is a bit different. I feel like I have the endurance, and still have some pep when I want to put the hammer down. I am ready for the 24 hr race – I have an amazing support crew (Dave, and the helpers from around the campsites), I have experience, the mindset, and I believe I have the fitess now. But, I am missing one key ingredient – the bike isn't ready until the 24th. So, I will have to figure out something. I would really hate to have to cancel the race as I planned many things around this (ordering the bike early so I'd get it on time, leaving for the trip when I did, doing the long milage days in North Western Ontario all to get back in time for the race). So, some stress that I get to deal with when I get back. I'm sure I'll make it work.

The ride today was swell. Not much pictures though. The first 60 k were basically in the Greater Toronto Area – I finally got out of the big civilization just past Oshawa. After that, they were nice roads going through towns every 10-20 km. Brighton and Colburne were very nice towns to bike through. Well worth a second look.

Few mechanicals today. For some reason, I busted my front shifter cable again. I've never had that happen in my entire cycling “career”, but twice in 1 week. Very odd. If it happens again on this trip, I might be the probable cause, but it could also be the extra resistance of the bent cable due to the front pannier. I am searching for things to blame it on...

Trenton – known as a base, but unofficially known as the city with major sunken manholes (up to 3 inches). I caught one (had no choice), which I tried to bunny-hop (side note, try to bunny-hop a hole with a 50 lbs rear-end). I thought I was sure to flat on that puppy, but didn't. I thought I must of broken a spoke, but didn't. Both my panniers came out (two of the three attach points) from the impact. Shortly after (20 k), I felt my rear was a bit wobbly – the wheel was a bit untrue again. All the spoke had tension. Just a bit later, I noticed the rim being ripped appart at one of the spokes. Yikes, not good. I took out my nipple wrench and trued it on the spot – taking away a bunch of tension from that ripped rim spot. It seems to be holding up, even though I had to redo that getting out of Kingston. There is another spot that is starting to do the same, so this concerns me a bit. Worse comes to worse, I hope I make it to Smith Falls where Greg has his bike shop. I hope he's open tomorrow. It's a play-it-by-ear thing. I just have to make it “home”, and then I get to rebuild a new wheel.

What else to report today. It was a humid one, very muggy. High of 25, felt like 29 with the humidex.

Once I hit the 300 k mark, I saw a sign for a campground nearby. Good timing. Decent spot – mainly seasonals (tons of trailers, I am the only tent), people that have been here every summer for 15 years. Had a nice shower – warm at first, then purposely cold to cool me off.

Food today – I am trying to finish off my food so I have less to lug to Ottawa. I purchased some honey-maple ham, some Monterey Jack cheese with jalapeno peppers, and made sandwich (with mustard) with the cinnamon-raisin bagels I had. I wasn't sure of the combo (the idea), but it actually turned out to be quite tasty. Very flavourful.

Well, approaching bedtime.

The plan tomorrow (hoping there's no fudge factor) – stop by at the gardens on Prince Of Whales to take a bunch of pictures, head to the parliament buildings to get a picture or two, then off to my bro and his family. I will be there by supper. But, if things dont go well, I will try to head there directly.

See a bunch of you very soon. I can't wait.

On Sunday, around suppertime, I will post the number(s) to get a hold of me. Email always works, but will be slower.

One dodo left. Next stop, Ottawa.

p

Rest day - Toronto

Rest day – Toronto
28 km bike ride.
Hot, humid.

What a week-end to chose to be here. Oh, I might go all over the place and even tell some stories of the past with this post – just a heads up.

First, it's NXNE in Toronto this week-end. North by North East is a music festival. Ten years ago (or is it 12?), it was 350 bands from around the world, playing in 15-25 different venues (mainly on Queen Street), 5 bands per bar (9 pm, 10, 11, 12, 1, sometimes 2), over 3 days. You buy a wrist-band, and it's your cover for all these bars. You just hop from one place to another. Awesome. Well, it's here at the moment. I scanned the bands playing for that night, but nothing grabbed me. (Evan Dando, from the Lemonheads, was playing on Friday night, interesting).

I was first introduced to those festivals when I went to a triathlon training camp in Texas back in '94. The SXSW, 500 bands from all around the world, 4 nights, x amount of clubs, and fairly huge bands, is the original festival. A must to attend. Even though I was underaged, we were waiting in line to go see Beck. He just came out with his single “I'm a loser”, so he was getting fairly popular. We didn't have wrist-bands, so our chances of getting in were slim - especially being underaged too. So, as we're waiting, who comes out? None other than the legendary Johnny Cash. Freaky – just 10 feet away from me. He waves at the crowd, and then walks away.

Back to Toronto. It's also the World Championships for bike messengers on Toronto Island. I'd love to see that. But, no time. Oh well.

The day started alright. The ride into town is mainly downhill, but with some traffic. Somehow, my wallet fell out of my pannier (front), and I had to retrieve it after a car told me what happened. I'm a lucky SOB.

I found Andrew at the dog park near their place. We headed back to his house and had my first beer of the day – Mill Street Wit beer. Tasty, different, but good.

He dropped me off downtown on his way to work. First stop – Amsterdam Brewery. I heard they dont do tours – I was wrong. They do them on Saturdays. Argh. But, the girl let me take pictures of the place, and then took out a glass and offered me samples of all the beers there. So, I had the Natural Blonde lager, Dutch Amber lager, Nut Brown ale, Irish stout, and the Stong Framboise beer. Amsterdam Breweries also brew KLB (Kawartha Lakes Breweries), which makes the Raspberry Wheat Ale. A few of the kids from school have tasted that at my place. What a good beer. The Beer Store seems to never have it in stock – what a shame.

Feeling almost a little buzz, and being quite hungry, I headed to a spot the girl at the brewery recommended – The Bank Note. The meal I had wasn't that special (worth mentioning), but the desert was. It was a caramel and chocolate brownie cheese cake. Cheese cake with chunks of brownie inside, the crust was a thin brownie, caramel covered the cake, and a honkin' big chunk of brownie on top. Oh, and the beer I had with the meal had to be an Amsterdam beer. Mmmmmm.

I was then off to the CN Tower to check out the view. I want to climb those stairs. Being short for time (and I didn't ask), I opted to take the elevator – 22 km/h for 58 seconds. Goes pretty fast, and pretty high. The scenery was neat, so was the building, but the wait for the elevators (to go to the top top, or go back down) was not ideal – 30-45 minutes long. I went outside on one spot (all caged in), and the wind was pretty powerful. There's a glass floor on the first look-out, but it's poorly lit, and tons of kids hogging the spot. Not the best for pictures too. The floor in Calgary is actually better.

I then wanted to hit the Hockey Hall of Fame to see if I could get a picture with the Stanley Cup before closing time (whenever it was), but then I forgot that I wanted to hit the Steamwhistle Brewery before their tours ended at 5. Great thing about that brewery is that everyone gets two samples of beer just for walking into that place. Plus, you can go as many times as you want. Those 3 Fired Guys make a pretty decent beer. It was a good tour. I had a little spin-on when I left.

I checked out the HHOF, but it was closed. I did take a few pictures from the outside. I'm sure Riley and my dad will enjoy some stuff in those pics (but not the same things).

I was feeling a bit peckish, so I decided to go to Shopsy's – one of Toronto's oldest delis. I wanted to keep the snack simple, yet traditional. All beef sausage, fries with gravy, and a Steamwistle beer. Greg joined me as I was finishing my meal. We had to head out very soon, but we thought he had enough time to order a quick beer. His buddy Neil joined us soon, which he had to have a beer. At that point, 3 scantly-dressed, fairly decent ladies (nothing major special, but alright, a bit too skinny) approached us. What was good about them is they brought us free beer. They were the reps for Brahma beer. So, we had to accept the beer, knowing we'd probably be late to meet Anna and Andrew for supper. Ok beer. But, the beer drinkin' had to continue.

Next stop – the Mill Street pub (and brewery). Out of the 12-14 award-winning beers or so, they had a tester of 4 small glasses. So, out it came, and down it went. Keep in mind I had the Wit beer earlier today. All Fairly tasty. Organic Lager was first (very light, slight but pleasant bitterness to it), then the Stock Ale (very light tasting, refreshing), followed by the bold, copper Tankhouse Ale, and finished the sampler with the Coffee Porter. With desert, I had their Raspberry Ale – another very enjoyable beverage.

The meal was good. I was looking at something different – the lamb Greek burger. But, the waitress with the nice legs told me I wanted the Sirloin burger instead. I obliged. Good recommendation. Desert – a maple crème brule. Mmmmmm.

We then headed back to Anna and Andrew's place to get ready for bed. Tiredness started hitting me shortly after we left. I knew I had a long day ahead of me the next day, so some sleep would be nice.

I did feel a slight tickle in the back of my throat, and the occasional sneeze. I do hope the ride tomorrow kills whatever I have, and I get to keep this under control.

Too bad I didn't get to see Shawn once more, nor get a hold of Emily. Maybe next time.

I do have to hit the HHOF one day, and the IMAX downtown. Next time.

Well, almost time to retire for the evening.

A la prochaine chicane,

pp

Day 36 - Penetang to Toronto

Penetang to Toronto
138 km, Sunny
Windy – 15-20 km/h, cool wind, mainly headwind, some crosswind

I was expecting to ride 200 k today. Since I am staying at my “little” cousin Shawn's place, just on the outskirts of Toronto, it's a very short day. I guess when I transfer to Anna's and Andrew's place tomorrow, I'll have to do a good 50 k. If I bike that much, it is considered a rest day or a light day?

The kids wake up at six in the morning, so they can be out of the house by 7 am. Crazy. Poorane. I got up to spend some time with them, and then returned to bed for another 90 minutes before getting ready to head out. As always, whenever I stay at family or friend's place, I tend to leave a bit later than planned.

I checked the weather network this morning to see what kind of winds to expect. Not the best news – expected headwind all the way. Luckily, they were advertising 10-20 km/h winds, nothing major, but just consistant.

On the ride to Barrie, I saw more wildlife: giraffe, anteloppes, those one-hump camels, and some deer. Canadian animals at it's best.

I remember biking to Barrie, 50 km away, was a big accomplishment. This time around, it seemed quite short and very feasable. I think I am finally getting close to being into shape. I should start training a bit more since I have a race in just over a week.

I zig-zagged a bit in Barrie to find some back roads out of the city to stay off the main roads heading towards Toronto. I was able to find a nice road and ride it to the end, before being dumped onto Hwy 11 near Bradford. That's where the traffic started. Tons of traffic. Luckily, there was a decent shoulder to ride on, and the drivers are fine.

Near Aurora, I was on top of a hill, where I saw a nice little view of “Taranna”. I could see the CN Tower, and some big buildings. I'm probably a good 30-40 k away from the downtown core (that's a guess, I could be wrong, it could only be 20 k or so). Still, it's far, and I can see the CN Tower – that puppy is big. Apparently, it can be seen from Hamilton on a clear day.

I am currently in the lobby of Shawn's appartment building. He's playing baseball until 10. This place seems pretty posh for a little hunter boy from Manitouwadge.

So, nothing major to report today, except that I am still alive, had a relatively easy (short) ride, and that I will have a “rest” day tomorrow checking out a few things. On the menu – drop off the bike at Andrew/Anna's place, head downtown to go up the CN Tower, maybe go for a tour at a micro-brewery (Amsterdam breweries is the most probable choice, maybe Steamwhistle, maybe both!?!).

One last note about Dizzie – she was a good versatile bike. She was used for racing, for training, converted to a fast touring bike. She did it all. From now on, the bikes I will have can not do it all. I'll have a nice little puppy strictly for road riding (training), but can't be used for touring. The current bike I have will probably only be for touring (with a bit of road riding for the rest of the year). That's all I wanted to say about her for tonight.

So, another few days until I am in Ottawa for a little rest. It'll be really nice to try to see a bunch of you guys, do some mountain biking, start my house hunting, rest up a bit, and get ready for the race week-end.

So, here's to another few days. Get the beer ready, I need to pack on a few pounds. If I base myself on the scales at my mom's place compared to the one when I did the bungee jump, I lost a max of 13 lbs (8-10 lbs I'd say is pretty accurate).

A tres bientot,

p2

Special post

Dzintra Cramerotti
June 1, 1998 – June 9, 2008
RIP

The end of an era.

The show must go on.

Seems the sick bb was too much for my little baby to handle. She succombed, with a fight, at the hospital in Sudbury.

She was a great companion. Sure there were some tough times, but overall, it was a great match.

As depeche Mode wrote once, “Let me see you stripped, down to the core”. Dizzie was an organ donor, so we stripped her of most of her parts and we'll find some good use for them.

Some of the parts ended up on the new bike – pedals, wheels, handlebar, rack, front pannier mount, and the seat.

It was weird riding the new bike in and out of town. It defiately took me a while to get used to it. With the new riser bar (stem) on the bike, my shoulders definitely felt something was different. Out of saddle is very different – is it the riser bar or is it the straight fork? Whatever it is, it took me almost 100 km to finally get used to being out of saddle and feeling fairly stable. Downhill is another thing – she feels a bit unstable (wants to shake more) – riser bar or straight fork?

The frame geometry is different too. The other was probably around 76 degrees, this is a typical 73.

The new bike. Sorry to say, but I am riding a Trek now. Trek 1.2, 2008, white, with few blue and black stripes. Alumininimum, with carbon fibre fork. Triple chainring. Damn, what the hell am I going to do with a triple chainring? I feel a bit embarassed actually.

The oddest thing about riding it is the shifting. I am used to knowing which gear I'm in, what's the next move if I shift gears, and where the “triggers” are for shifting. With this bike, I seem to be reaching with my middle or ring finger for the trigger behind the brake lever, but nothing's there. For 16 years, I have been using the same type of shifters. Now, I have to use my thumbs to shift – such an odd concept.

Our first night together was on the Island. I dont waste too much time – the bed wasn't even cold yet!

So, my new puppy doesn't have a name. I have two in mind, but I will open the floor to you guys and see if there's a name for the new addition to the family. She is not my new road bike, this only has the potential as my new touring bike. I still have to buy a new road bike (next year, I hope).

So, any suggestions for the new bike? You can post a comment and not add your name, and I'll see if I get to chose your suggestion.

I can't wait to read your suggestions.

Pierrot

Day 35 - Craigleith to Penetang

Craigleith to Penetanguishene
75 km, sunny
Cool wind, 25km/h for 60%, crosswind for the rest

Short day. No, I didn't forget a “1” in the amount of km done today.

Nice little break though. Took my time, enjoyed the time on the bike.

What was interesting on how familiar the territory was (as it was my training ground for the first 3-4 years of my cycling life), and how the distances this time don't feel as big as they did back then. It was fun though, as I knew what was around each corner, where the little hills were, etc.

In Penetang, I killed some time at Tim Hortons for a quick second lunch. Did a bunch of grocery shopping as I planned to cook supper tonight – chicken fajitas, and some fudge for supper. I also stopped to see Dave, the owner of Georgian Cycle, who lives/works just next door to my sister's place. I used to work with him a bit, and he would help me out (sponsor) throughout the years. Great guy, great little bike shop too.

Before supper, we headed to the arena to see Xavier play ball hockey. Maxim was suppose to play, but fids excuses not to play. After supper, Xavier had to take me out for a little bike ride. He was faster than me, he beat me in the sprints.

Well, short day, short entry.

Carole MacG, what does LMAO mean? I am not hip to your jive. Leave My Ass Olone? I have no idea. I tried to figure that out, but can't come up with what it means.

Fiishing my beer, laundry, and I still have another entry to write tonight – an extra entry.

A bientot. Je suis a Ottawa tres bientot. It'll be really nice to be in the area, and actually have a few conversations in person and not via the blog. J'ai hate, tres hate.

Ciao,

p2

Day 34 - Manitoulin Island to Craighurst

(that town I can't spell on Manitoulin Island) to Craighurst
215 km, pouring rain, for first 50 k, overcast, then sunny for the last 2 hrs
inds – 0 km/hr for first 50 k, then 10-15 (max) km/hr crosswind for 100 k, then tailwind for the rest of the day.

This is Major Tom to ground control.

Today felt like a good ride. It was the ride I wanted and needed to make me feel back on track (motivation, feeling good).

I pressed the snooze button a few times this morning. When I finally got out of “bed”, ate, and packed, it was close to 2.5 hrs before the ferry's departure. I had to haul-ass to get there on time.

Shortly after the ride started, the rain started, and didn't let up until onto the ferry. There was no winds, which allowed me to have a decent speed to get to the ferry on time. I am a lucky bastard.

I planned on having some food on board, write yesterday's entry, and maybe take a nap. I did eat. I didn't to the other two. This older couple and I had a conversation about travelling, my trip, but mainly about mathematic olympics and the kids he is training for them. He was quite passionate about it, which made it (surprisingly) interesting. Super nice folks. The ferry was just under two hours. Scenery – non-existant, as it was too foggy to see anything past 50 yards.

From Tobemory to Wiarton, it's an 80 k stretch of nothing. The light winds started sometime then, but they were crosswinds. They were coming from the West, which meant that I would probably enjoy them once I pass Wiarton.

In Wiarton, I searched to see if there was a statue of Wiarton Willie. No luck. I did see a small wooden sculpture of one, so I took a picture of it.

Owen Sound was near. Just before it, the sun came out, and was quite warm (a bit humid too). A big downhill brought me into Owen Sound. Unfortunately, there was a red light at the bottom. Shucks. Getting out of town, a nice little (4-5 km) uphill awaited me. Nice slow gradual uphill, nothing killer, but constant. It was pleasant. I also had the wind with me, so that helped.

I noticed my rear wheel felt wobbly at times. Upon closer inspection, a few spokes felt they had lost some tension. Do I fix it now or wait until the campsite in 20 km? I fixed it on the spot, enough to get me to the campsite to properly fix it then.

After the climb, just beyond the crest, I could see clouds up ahead. Could I be at the peak of all these climbs, and it's all downhill from here until I reach the Georgian Bay? Yes it was. Looked quite nice. I enjoyed a good minute of 50 k/h, then a few good minutes (3-4?) of 40 k/h. Nice ride. From that point on, I will ride the coast of Georgian Bay. Once I pass Collingwood, it'll be familiar territory – roads I used to ride fairly often when I lived near here.

Tonight I get to have a shower, head to bed before midnight, and sleep in (if I want, or if I can), as the day is under 150 k (I believe). I get to have a lighter day tomorrow, as I ride into Penetanguishene to see my sister, the three little terrors (they rock), and a couple of friends. Can't wait.

Alright, off to see if I can send these entries with a (possible) internet connection near the office, followed by a shower, and bed time.

Only four more biking days until Ottawa – here to Penetang, Penetang to Toronto, rest in Toronto, Toronto to Kingston (300k), and Kingston to home. Just a few dodos, I'll be there soon.

Can't wait to see a bunch of you guys.

p2

Day 33 - Sudbury to Manitoulin Island

Sudbury to Sheguiandah
145 km
Overcast, rain for 2 hrs
headwind (20 k/h) for first couple of hrs

Sort of a melloncollie day at first.

I spent the morning with my mom in the bike shop. As expected, I wouldn't leave Sudbury until noon or so. The shop, The Outdoor Store, is a great spot. The folks there, especially Shawn and Scott, are awesome. It's like a little MEC. Great spot. Sincere mechanics too. I am very greatful for all the work they did for me.

At one o'clock, the trip started. I wanted to take a couple pictures of Science North (science museum and such, cool place), the big nickel, and the bridge of all the flags. The latter spot has all the flags of the native countries of the residents of Sudbury. It's pretty impressive actually.

So, Science North, flags, and then the big nickel. I had my lunch there – a few packed sandwiches from my mom's place. I must say that the traffic and roads in Sudbury are not ideal for road riding.

Finally reaching the 17, heading West (wait a minute, aren't I suppose to go East for this trip?), I was riding against the wind. Now those western winds are here. Oh well. I really dont like that highway. Even before reaching the 17 a few days ago, I was dreading this part of the 17 – high traffic, and no to little shoulder. It was a bit stressful – I just kept my head a bit down, looked a few feet forward, and just trekked on. After an hour, the rain started (drizzle, but picked up a bit later). I stopped at this pic nic area and just ate a bit. I wanted to stay there – the motivation wasn't there to go back on the bike. But, I did.

After reaching Hwy 6, towards Espanola, I was really happy to leave the 17 behind. The rain stopped at that point. A few km later, I stopped into Espanola for supper. I had a slight craving for a KFC chicken sandwich, but I saw a sign that was much more appealing. Golden Dragon (or something) all you can eat canadian chinese buffet. Sounds great – I wanted that food for a while, and this should be fairly quick as the food is all ready for me. So, there I went.

Food was tasty. No ginger broccoli beef, too bad. But, I did have my chicken balls, chow mein, fried rice, etc. Fortune cookie - “The philosophy of the past century is the common sense of the next (in bed)”. Nope, doesn't work.

I stopped into a convenience store to gather my breakfast stuff and light supper for when I stop for the evening. I hoped to reach somewhere near Manitoulin Island. Asking the locals about bears in the area, they stated that on the mainland, they are quite bold at the moment, but there isn't any on the island. So, I had an idea where I wanted to spend the night tonight. The convenient store lady, a super nice oriental elder, was soo kind. After we spoke a bit, and I was outside stuffing my supplies into my bags, she came out with two honkin'-ass chocolate bars as gifts. “You will need lots of engergy.” So kind.

Leaving Espanola felt like the start of a new ride. Things felt right again, and my motivation was coming back. For the ride, I knew that I would have to make good time to get to the island (Little Current). Off I went. There's a few hills on the way there, I was surprised.

Slowly but surely, I knocked down the two destinations I had my eyes on. The third, Little Current, came at dusk.

On the island, it's quite nice. There are many “lakes” in rocks (looks like huge puddles), marshlands, green fields, fairly flat with the occasional hill, some rocks, and quite a few deers. Civilization is fairlly spread out. There was this neat feeling there. I can't put my finger on it, but if felt like I was not alone, yet there was no one there. Does the island have many spirits or something? I dont know. But, it was a cool feeling.

I was looking for an earlier-advertised campsite just past the town. In town, the sun was setting, which made a nice pink sky. Looking back, the entire sky above town was pink. While going towards the previously advertised campsite, I saw another one, and I chose that one instead. It was close to dark at that point.

Most spots that I saw at first, all on grass, were soaked. I had difficulty cycling through that grass as it was basically a puddle. I found a spot near the lake, which had power access. There I slept.

I planned my day (ferry 50-60 km away, leaves at 11 am), and went to bed early to hit the road early.

So, that was the day.

On to write the next entry....

pierre

Rest Day - Val Therese

Rest day – Sudbury

Where to start.

Oh, happy birthday Carole.

Physio folks – congrats, graduation was today I believe. Too bad I wasn't there, vous me manquez, et je n'ai pas eu la chance de finalement avoir ma photo de graduation. Tabarnouche (or something like that).

Slept in (expected).

Went to town.

Dropped off the bike, and the mechanic was going to work on it for the next few hours.

IMAX theatre, the first in the World (I believe). So, went to the theatre – Mysteries of the Great Lakes. The other option, at a different but inconvenient time, was Hurricane of the Bayou. Always fun to watch an IMAX film.

Back to the bike shop – fun news. After a few people reefing on it, with a 4 foot bar, they couldn't free-up the right side of the bottom bracket. The blow-torch came out too. No luck. The left was stubborn, but they got it out. It was fairly corroded in there. Ten years that puppy has been in there. It's been through lots of rain, some snow (not intentionally), and on the island, some salty rain. So, the plan of the night – let it soak up in some liquid. Tomorrow morning, another mechanic will be in, and all three of us will be able to give it a go. Worse case scenario, and very probable (I must admit, and expect), I buy a new little bike to get me through the trip.

So, back to home base tonight, a fun evening socializing, eating, and laundry before bedtime. Plus, I guess I should take time to finally update the blog, picture album, and a few emails I want to get to.

Funny thing, I have tan lines on the top of my head from the helmet. Funny. I've had tan lines from the straps before, but never through the helmet.

Thanks for your patience. I wish you guys all the best, and see you in 7-8 days (some sooner – sis and the kids, and the Toronto crew.

Later,

p

Day 32 - Latchford to Val Therese

Latchford to Val Caron (Sudbury)
236 km. a bit over 10h30 mins.
Sunny, fairly hot (mid 20's) a bit humid
Windy, f'n windy, basically 30 k/h with gusts.

Today is a day I'd rather forget for now.

Against the wind. I was riding against the wind. Against the wind.

for the first 130 k, it was a wind in my face. Sure, there were small short breaks of wind during the ride, but the gusts that followed made me drop a few f-bombs during the day. At times, I think my voice changed a bit from yelling too much.

At the 130 k mark, hitting hwy 17, the roads changed direction. I was now heading westbound. What I didn't want was a crosswind on that highway – not the safest thing. But, i managed. The wind was occasionally against me, and occasionally with me, but always crosswind. (I am spending lots of time talking about the wind, sorry).

On a good note with the wind, I would (expect) to get a tailwind for the last 20 k while I was heading North after hitting Sudbury.

I was losing a bit of time, so I expected to hit my destination, my aunt and mom's place, close to dusk. But, I wasn't done biking/fighting. At the 150 k mark, my front shifter was acting weird. When I tried again, pop, there goes the cable. No more front shifter, no more big ring. Nothing major, I can still get to my destination. But, maybe I wouldn't be able to tap into those tailwind as much as I would like to.

210 k mark, sun was starting to set, and I was close. Winds were still present, but shifting into my favour. Things were fine, enjoying the sunset, and had some time of light before I get there. Flat. Damn. Fix the flat, and then bring 'er on home.

So, not all a bad day. I enjoyed being on the bike, enjoyed my lunch where I was able to leave my mark on the side of the road, and enjoyed arriving to see my mom and aunt.

While I was getting a hug from my mom, I feel someone getting a good handful of my arse. Since my mom's arms were around my neck, it had to be my aunt grabbing my ass. She was disappointed that her nephew didn't have a hard ass. Boy, things are different when people come from up north.

Time for a rest day tomorrow, fix the bottom bracket, front shifter, stock up on bike supplies (tire, tubes, cartridges, cables), and eat too.

Later,

p

Day 31 - Val Gagne to Latchford

Val Gagne to Latchford
191 km, 8h15m
overcast, very humid
headwinds (15-25 k/h) for most of the day

Typical start of the day when I stay over at family and friends. But, no regrets at all. Left late, which tapped into the biking hours, but as the end of the day unfolded, that was good.

D-Day today, and I believe it's my uncle Jean-Marc's birthday (memere was saying that yesterday). In honour of D-Day, coincidence actually, I biked by Vimy Ridge Road.

For a while in NW Ontario, it didn't feel like I was in Ontario. It was more like B.C.ish. But, these neck of the woods, I know I am in Ontario. In fact, I am in the area where I was born and raised.

Englehart Hospital – in exactly 1 day, back 26 years, I was born there. My bro and sis were also born there. I also visited the hockey arena where I started playing hockey. It is not like I remembered it.

In Earlton, where I spent the first 10 years of my life, I visited my elementary school, the Bison at the zoo, my dad's old body shop, and of course, the house we stayed in. Those trees are hugh now, they hide the house. The gas tanks in front of the house are no longer there.

Other fun parts I visited were: a) the bridge where it has been in re-occuring dreams (same dream 3x, but it hasn't happened in probably 10 years now), and b) the railroad track where I took a wipe-out when I was learning to ride a bike with hand brakes. For the latter, I was used to back-pedaling to stop. I remember going “fast” and those tracks approahing, so I started back-pedalling to stop – didn't work, I hit those tracks, and I probably scraped my knee or something. Fun little memory.

Food – another installment, since it's been a while. The Kenogamy Kitchen is a good place to eat, and very cheap. Dont miss out on their home-made pies (coconut cream was tasty). But, the most important thing to write about (food wise for today) is: Thornloe Cheese Factory, and their cheese curds. Squeekiness factor = very high. Very tasty. Gotta have it if you're in the area. All local. Better than St. Albert's cheese.

I was hoping to reach Martin River, or at least Temogamy for a campsite. After reaching Latchford, I knew I had 30 k to go. But, light was getting scarce, so I doubled-back to find a spot to sleep for the night. Luckily I did, as 30 minutes later, +++ rain, thunder, lightning and winds were very present. I found a spot at the information centre, set up under a roof thingy covering pic-nic tables (what the hell is the word I am looking for?) So, I should be dry in the morning.

I took a few pics of the tent under that canopy thing, and was able to get a bit of lightning in the background. Neat.

I did have access to some power at the information centre to charge up the mp3 player (topped-up), but there is no Internet here. Obviously, there is no shower tonight. Too bad, as today was quite humid, and the clothes just stuck to the body all day. It is, I believe, the first day that I was sweating on the bike.

Throwing an idea out there as some made some noise about riding with me post-Solstice. I could leave on the Wednesday. Here would be a tentative schedule. It is easy at first for me to get my legs back after the race, and to make it more appealing to those intersted.

Here's an idea:
Wed – to Rigeau campground (120 k). Stop by at a beach on the way there.
Wed night – camping – anyone is invited to visit, and/or camp there too. Bring beer. Fire-pit for marshmellow's, food, etc. We could have a little party there if there is some interest. Last year with Tanya, Cat and crew was fun.
Thu – Rigeau to MTL (100k). Tour of the McAuslan Breweries. Mmmmmmm.
Friday – MTL to 3-rivieres (or right to Quebec City if we have strong riders AND the wind at our backs). 140 k or 285 k.
After Quebec City, it's the Charlevoix Region. Two days of 90 k, in the hills. Bring a spare lung and spleen. Stop-over in Baie St. Paul, where we get to sample milk stout (or is it milk lager?). Anyways, gotta try it.

Alright, time to retire for the night. Sort-of a semi-long day tomorrow, where I get to kick it in to a bit North of Sudsbury to visit my mom and aunt, and have another rest day. Sheesh I am lazy.

I hope you guys are all having a blast. Wish you guys were here, and not chained to your desks (or whatever).

p

Rest day - Val Gagne

Rest day – Val Gagne

Another lazy day – slept in until 11 or so.

Mom, dont worry about beer. I am quitting drinking.

Went to the “Falls” (Iroquois Falls) for some shopping with my grandparents.

For supper, I went to my aunt Carole and uncle Wayne, also joined by my cousin Michelle and her boyfriend Nathan. Michelle, in case you didn't recognize her, is the little girl who is biking with me in that intro picture on the blog. It's still hard for me to think of them as grown-ups, instead of little kids.

Due to unfortunate circumstances, I could not see everyone I wanted to see, but I did get a good chunk of visiting in.

So, a day of food shopping, some bike pannier adjustments, rest, eating, and visiting.

What am I saying? I am not a quitter, I ain't quittin' drinkin'.

Later,

p

Day 30 - Chapleau to Val Gagne

Chapleau to Val Gagne
271 km, 11.5 hrs
Sunny, windy – 0-25 km/h (7 hrs unfavourable winds)

The word of the day is “wasted”. Everytime you see that word, just like Pee Wee's Playhouse, you have to make some noise.

The day started early, as I was expecting 13 hours of biking up ahead of me. I was lucky that my phone had enough charge to activate the alarm clock for a total of 15 seconds before shutting off. Sleeping right through it would of ruined the day. So, I woke up at the crack of dawn to start riding (and no, I did not wake up at the crack of Dawn, unfortunately).

Biking before 6 am, seeing the sunrise, is pretty neat. Cool and damp, but neat. Luckily, I am not aware that I am biking, as I generally “wake up” at 10 (I get up earlier, sort-of like a zombie until 10).

Here's a joke. Three old men are talking, comparing notes on their physical problems. One says “every morning, it takes me 1-2 hours until I can finally pee”. The other says “That's nothing, it takes me 3 hours until I can finally go for a bowel movement”. The two ask the third what's his problem. He replies “At 7 o'clock sharp, I have a nice long pee. Eight o'clock, a nice bowel movement.” The two reply “you are one lucky s.o.b.”. The third replies “not really. I wish I could get out of bed by 9 am.”

I hope that was alright for you. Han, is it a better one that last?

Alright, back to the story of the day.

Riding early in the morning, very quiet for traffic, and quite peaceful. If only the bike didn't make it's normal noise. Breeze was non-existant. The little lakes had no ripples, which made a neat mirror-effect of the trees and rocks hugging those shores. There was also a short strip of a rainbow up ahead – odd since there was no rain or anything close to resembling that.

The morning also brought out the wildlife. After seeing something dark brown up ahead, I pulled off the road, took out my camera and observed (thanks to 20x optical zoom). Was it moving? I wasn't sure. Yes it was, very slowly. I took a few pictures, then started biking up the road towards it. Nice bear. I was doing some drive-by shooting (like many of the photos, hence the sub-par quality some might expect from such a professional photographer like me). Luckily, I got some nice shots of it. Eventually, it got scared and ran away. Up the road, a second bear I was able to get some pics of. The third bear, I was going up a hill, so I didn't bother taking out the camera. The fourth and fifth, I was too slow to get the camera out. The sixth, it was too far up ahead, crossing the road, that it would have been pointless to try to shoot it (with the camera, of course). For the latter, a car stopped and warned me about it, and so did a pick-up truck who flashed his lights as a warning. Everything turned out well. All this was within the 50 km mark. On a side note, I was stopping at a little pic-nic table at the 55 km mark to just have a little break and eat a bit – right in bear country. There were some tell-tale traces of bear in the area, so i didn't want to stay there for long or else I might end up as their breakfast. Actually, probably not, as I probably didn't smell the greatest, being my third day of biking without a full (proper) shower.

Lunch time was in Foleyet, 100 km into the ride. After lunch, I WASTED probably 45 minutes to find accessible internet in a town with dial-up (but the two elementary schools had wireless via satellite). One I could not tap into, but the other was unsecured but not connectable (is that an English word?). So, the time I made up with the ride, I wasted it. I was still on track to get to my destination by dusk.

Riding the second century was another long stip of nothing but rocks, trees, streams and lakes. No houses, nor businesses (except for the occasional logging road here and there). Traffic wasn't bad either.

At the 150 km mark, my front pannier started sagging (basically touching the front wheel). I tried to jimmy something with what I had to make it hold up, but as it turned out, it was 30 minutes time well WASTED. Damn. I just threw the front pannier on the back, and started riding.

I had to re-learn how to ride again. I am so used to weight in the front, that without the weight, it was feeling so unstable. It took me a few minutes to get the hang of it. Anyone who is used to riding with bags, then takes them off, know what I am talking about. I was concerned with the extra weight on the back (more succeptable to snake-bite flats, aka pinch flat). But, things turned out fine. After a bit of riding, I got out of saddle a bit. Woah Nelly! I forgot how to ride a bike again! After getting the horse onto the road, I went back to “school”.

Got into Timmins to hit the 200 km mark. Search for a bike shop to get a new spare rear tire, hopefully get a new bottom bracket (it's sick at the moment, but will hold up probably until Ottawa), and to get a chance to tap into power + Internet to send a message saying I am still alive. Guess what – time wasted again.

Ate a “lovely” quick lunch at Burger King (wth free Wi-Fi), and then off for the last leg of the day. I was doing good time, so I thought I should stop into a Tim Horton's for an Iced-Cap. At one point, I hear “tic, tic, tic”. Pulling off the road, I thought the loose arm sleeve on the coat was hitting the spokes (thus making this noise). Fixed it, didn't fix the noise thing. Upon closer look, it was a u-nail stuck in the rear tire. Damn. I pulled it out, then the air started leaking (obviously). Fix the flat. For some reason, those flats don't botther me, only the pinch flats do. Within 15 minutes, back on the bike. I still pulled into Timmy's for the drink (and a doughnut too0.

Riding towards Val Gagne, I was happy to see signs for “Guay's Garage”, a sign that says to me “I am close to my memeres”. So, I followed those signs “home”.

ETA was between 8-9 pm. I got there at 8:01. Good thing I had a flat and stopped into Timmy's. My grandparents, at the request of my mom, were waiting outside to take a picture of me biking into the driveway. They were just checking a message on the telephone when I pulled in, so they missed the arrival. Oops, sorry.

So, I was not wasted riding, just lost lots of time today. I felt still good at the end of the day. There was still some pep in me (well, maybe some pe, not full pep). Since the 150 km mark, the average speed kept climbing up right into the last 500 m into memere's driveway. The last two hours was an average near 30k/h. Things felt good.

Alright, off to a full rest day, with some shopping, and some pannier-fixing stuff, before visiting other parts of my family.

Oh, I also saw my odometre hit 5000 km just outside of the village. That means I am close to 170 km short of actual 5000 km of the trip.

Ok, enough of wasting your time, get back to work.

Ciao

p