St-Quentin to Perth-Andover
126 km, slightly overcast, then sunny, hot and humid (+++)
Winds – crosswinds, negligable
New Brunswick is in the midst of a little heat wave. It's very humid here for the past few days.
Luxury – start the day off with a shower, and a big breakfast. The latter consisted of two bowls of Fruit Loops, one bowl of raisin bran, glasses of orange, apple, and fruit punch juices, two toasts with Grenache caramel, a bagel with raspberry jam, and a blueberry muffin. Mmmmm. Pierrette joined me during my breakfast, and I learnt about the Auberge. It's new – just over 2 years old. Funny stories about the contractor vs the inspector. Plus, new (local) word "patchouie", as in "ca sent patchouie icitte".
The nice roads continued today – new pavement (mostly) for the first 60 km until I hit the old Trans-Canada Hwy, then older pavement but with big shoulders with the latter. For the past 400 km though, there is a lot of broken glass from beer bottles being thrown out of the cars – tell-tale sign of drinking and driving. I dont drink and bike, I drink then bike (in moderation, of course).
On the way to Grand-Falls/Grand-Sault (the town has both English and French names, so it's a bit long to write all the time), my mp3 player was playing Rear-View-Mirror, by Pearl Jam. I thought it was quite appropriate for what part of the province I was heading in. A few of you will know what I'm talking about. A little peep inside of my Samsonite, I dont like people who have no memory, which leads to no conscience (I guess it can be the other way around). As Zack de la Rocha one sang, “Ignorance is bliss”.
Today was a social day. In Grand-Falls/Grand-Sault, over lunch, I chatted with a couple from MTL who were touring N-E USA and a bit of the maritime. I didn't expect the conversation to be that long, but I guess I can gab a bit at times.
Afterwards, I visited someone from my past. It was extremely nice to see them. Unfortunately, it was only for ¾ of an hour. I really wanted to stay longer and chat. They looked quite good – I was really glad to see her with a smile on her face. Authentic. Whatever she is doing, keep on doing. Bottom line, it's all about quality of life. QoL is something I try to follow as much as possible (something I've learnt in the past 12 months), and something I try to keep in mind as much as possible for the people under my care in my career.
Afterwards, back roads to my destination. I asked someone if I was heading in the right direction. They were a Newfie, so the conversation lasted a bit more than a few minutes. They were currious of this toothpick guy dressed like Richard Simmons (well, close), riding a bike wearing funny shoes. She informed me that in NFLD, she'd be extremely surprised if no-one offered me a spot to crash at on any given night. I think I have a challenge (well, to come out of my shell a bit and ask in a tricky way if I can crash at their place). I can't wait until I am on the island (for a few different reasons).
Got to my unofficial B & B near supper time. The original plan was to pay a visit to those folks, and be on my way. But, he insisted that I crash at their place, and join them for supper. They were heading out to Caribou, Maine (USA) for Chinese food at a restaurant I've previously been. The “B & B” guy is a nice fellow, who likes to give, and gets insulted if you say no. So, I agreed, and he appreciated it. So, I went to the States. If the folks I visited weren't home, or unavailable, I was going to try to cross the border with my motor-home and few pieces of ID and ride the border for a bit. But, technically, I would of missed a bit of Canada, so this trip would not be cross-Canada. Hmmm, something to be debated.
I was also dealing with some abdominal cramps today. My guesses: big breakfast, and/or the big fatty supper the night before, and/or the extra (compared to lately) bran I've been taking. The bread loaf I have now is a double-bran, which I had a sandwich after eating that 9 inch pizza and 9 inch round garlic bread the night before. But, nice trips to the bathroom subsided those puppies.
Now, I am full of MSG, ate quite a bit at the Chinese place, and hopefully took care of my thirst as my body is now full of MSG. Fortune cookie - “You are the man of righteousness and integrity” (in bed).
I will soon retire for the night, let my electronic appliances charge up, and sleep in a bed. What kind of touring am I doing? Not roughing it too much. But, free trumps many things.
For those who were hoping to hear me talk about the lobster cooked in champagne – I didn't have time to find the spot, and no one (not even the information centre) knew of a place that did it. So, maybe I'll just have to wait until Glendale....
Bonne nuit,
p2
Introduction
Allo, hello, tere,
Some old lines/puns: Pierre qui roule, rock and roll, the rolling stone (gathers no dust).
Who: Pierre, Ottawa (ON)
What: Cross Canada travel.
When: After a few days rest in Tofino, British Columbia at the beginning of May, 2008, hit the road around the 4th. The 1st time-based goal is to arrive in Ottawa in mid June, race in a 24-hour mountain bike competition, and head back on the road a few days later. Finish the trip in St. John's, Newfoundland, at the end of July, 2008, before returning home to Ottawa to start being an adult again.
Where: Canada, West to East, via Toronto, Ontario. Detours: Val Gagné and Manitoulin Island (ON), Gaspé region (QC), and Cape Breton (NS).
Why: Visit this beautiful (and fairly big) nation of ours. See family and friends. Taste the cuisine of different parts of the country and enjoy the various beers and wine along the way. Experience anything the villages and cities along the way have to showcase. Lose 50 pounds and be buff.
How: By bicycle (her nickname: Dzie, pronounced D-Zie).
Extras: According to mapquest, a drive from tip to tip (via Toronto) would be 7710 km (85 hours of driving, 2 ferries). A flight would only be 5400 km (9 hours flight time, with switching planes 2 times).
* I do occasionally feel I am following the footsteps of a few great ones (whom I've also had the honour of riding with), who have done this trip in the past - Al, and especially Tanya. I do hope that I can bring in some new pics, new stories, and not rehash stuff that those amazing folks have done before me.
** I imagine I'll be a bit lonely at times throughout the trip, where I highly request and encourage comments from you guys. It'll be my way of having some conversations with you. I'll try to update the blog every few days.
Disclaimer: Most of you guys know me. In my posts, there will probably be a mixture of bizarre stories, silly jokes (like the weight-losing bit a few instances before), some references to music lyrics and movie lines. I will do my best to entertain, but sometimes, I might miss the mark on being funny or entertaining (hopefully not though).
Posting messages: Readers with a gmail/blogger account - you know what to do. Readers who do not: post a comment as anonymous (but put your name at the bottom of the comment please). The occasional personal messages can be sent to pierre.l.perron@gmail.com
Ciao,
p2
Some old lines/puns: Pierre qui roule, rock and roll, the rolling stone (gathers no dust).
Who: Pierre, Ottawa (ON)
What: Cross Canada travel.
When: After a few days rest in Tofino, British Columbia at the beginning of May, 2008, hit the road around the 4th. The 1st time-based goal is to arrive in Ottawa in mid June, race in a 24-hour mountain bike competition, and head back on the road a few days later. Finish the trip in St. John's, Newfoundland, at the end of July, 2008, before returning home to Ottawa to start being an adult again.
Where: Canada, West to East, via Toronto, Ontario. Detours: Val Gagné and Manitoulin Island (ON), Gaspé region (QC), and Cape Breton (NS).
Why: Visit this beautiful (and fairly big) nation of ours. See family and friends. Taste the cuisine of different parts of the country and enjoy the various beers and wine along the way. Experience anything the villages and cities along the way have to showcase. Lose 50 pounds and be buff.
How: By bicycle (her nickname: Dzie, pronounced D-Zie).
Extras: According to mapquest, a drive from tip to tip (via Toronto) would be 7710 km (85 hours of driving, 2 ferries). A flight would only be 5400 km (9 hours flight time, with switching planes 2 times).
* I do occasionally feel I am following the footsteps of a few great ones (whom I've also had the honour of riding with), who have done this trip in the past - Al, and especially Tanya. I do hope that I can bring in some new pics, new stories, and not rehash stuff that those amazing folks have done before me.
** I imagine I'll be a bit lonely at times throughout the trip, where I highly request and encourage comments from you guys. It'll be my way of having some conversations with you. I'll try to update the blog every few days.
Disclaimer: Most of you guys know me. In my posts, there will probably be a mixture of bizarre stories, silly jokes (like the weight-losing bit a few instances before), some references to music lyrics and movie lines. I will do my best to entertain, but sometimes, I might miss the mark on being funny or entertaining (hopefully not though).
Posting messages: Readers with a gmail/blogger account - you know what to do. Readers who do not: post a comment as anonymous (but put your name at the bottom of the comment please). The occasional personal messages can be sent to pierre.l.perron@gmail.com
Ciao,
p2
Tuesday, July 8, 2008
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2 comments:
Well I know what/who you are talking about. That's a good thing. Right?
NB must be getting the heat wave we had here early this week. Was very hot and humid. Not my kind of weather.
Not sure you'll the lobster and champagne in Glendale.... I'll put the note out though...if your charming enough, you never know. ;o) You will get a comfy bed, shower and hot meals. Maybe a few stories from my Dad (then you can share them with me).
Salut Pierre,
Tu es mon ispiration car je quittes demain en moto pour Montréal, québec et la Baie St Paul. C'est ma première aventure si longue...j'ai un gps au cas ou. J'ai hâte aux routes secondaire à découvrir un peu du Québec. Envoyez de bonnes vibes car je suis un peu nerveuse...
Je suis tes traces...bonne route...hasta la vista and all that jazz.
Dominique
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