Day 53 - L'Islet-Sur Mer to Riviere-du-Loup QC - 112.7 kms
Day 53 - Riviere-du-Loup QC - 5,349.0 kms
Saying goodbye to our most excellent hostess Gilberte! We awoke at 8:30AM to the sound of the waves of the St. Lawrence lapping the shore. This was in contrast to last night's calm, and was good news for us in that it meant a strong wind was blowing out of the Southwest. By about 10:00AM we were saying goodbye to our hostess and were ready for our morning surprise - the bill for our night's stay in the deluxe condo. Cam held his breath as Gilberte passed him the bill and gasped (using his inside voice) when he saw that it was $100 plus tax! The Aux Deux Marees was our best paid accommodations yet and we would highly recommend that if you are going through L'Islet-Sur-Mer, you should stay with our new friends Gilberte and Jean-Marc!
Chasing the storm clouds East We could see the dark clouds that had produced an overnight thunder and lightning storm ahead of us in the Eastern sky, but thanks to web weather apps we knew they were heading East and there was no weather following closely behind. The tailwind did not disappoint and was directly behind us as we headed Northeast to find a place for breakfast. We continued about 10 kms down the road to St. Jean-Port-Joli and as we rode we saw many charming art galleries, shops and restaurants.
A very delightful town in Eastern Quebec.
| We stopped in the middle of the town for a delightful breakfast at Resto Libellule, a popular local establishment. There were at least 8 people working there this morning illustrating how these types of businesses are great for the local economy. Ken would love to return for another meal! In fact, we both agreed that the area East of Quebec City looked like it would be one of the most interesting and enjoyable sections to come back and visit at some point in the future! | 
A very delightful Resto Libellule breakfast
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Our long lost friend - the TransCanada Highway After breakfast it was back on the bikes under sunny blue skies to take advantage of the strong wind at our backs. Fortunately, Denise and Carole had warned us yesterday that part of Highway 132 was closed for roadwork, and the Innkeeper Jean-Marc had given us a map showing the detour we should take. Unfortunately, we missed the suggested turn South by about 1.5 kms and had to backtrack a little bit. The detour led us back across the TransCanada highway which runs around 5 kms to the South of the 132. As we crossed it, we were reminded of how awesome the cycling has been in Quebec with low traffic roads, wide shoulders and interesting riding. We certainly don't miss the TransCanada - although it had been our path through almost all of Western Canada and Ontario. The roads on the detour were fine until they turned to gravel for the final 3 kms. In total, the detour cost us about 8 kms - which could have been a lot worse.
We were making such good progress that by the time we reached the town of Kamouraska, we actually felt we were about to catch up to the dark clouds! Not wanting to get wet if we could help it, we paused at Le Bistro Cote-Est where locally produced breads, cheese and meat are featured. While we were enjoying a delicious gourmet grilled cheese sandwich (featuring a delicious local cheese) something strange was happening in the skies above us. We emerged to find the skies had clouded over, the tailwind had changed to a slight headwind, and the temperature had dropped about 10 degrees! Ken couldn't remember the last time he had stopped to put his riding jacket on!
La Bistro Cote-Est... 5 points for what's wrong with this picture?
Highway #132 continues to follow the South coastline of the St. Lawrence River, and provided many opportunities for photo ops along the way. The further North we rode today, the more we began to see the Maritime influence in the houses and landscape.
A young moose feeding on the shore.
We reached Rivière-Du-Loup (Wolf River) about 5:30PM and found a room at Motel Au Vieux Piloteu. Tomorrow we turn South and begin the final leg of our journey into New Brunswick and then towards Charlottetown.
Ride Details:
- Distance: 112.7 kms
- Riding time: 4 hours, 53 minutes
- Average speed: 23.1 kms/hour
- Wind: Southwest, strong, changing to Northeast and light for the final 1/3
- Temperature: 23 degrees, declining to 14 degrees after lunch
- Cumulative: 5,349 kms
Tomorrow's Destination: Edmundston, New Brunswick - 118 kms
For more ride details see Strava and for more photos from today see our Photo Gallery.
Ride Details:
- Distance: 112.7 kms
- Riding time: 4 hours, 53 minutes
- Average speed: 23.1 kms/hour
- Wind: Southwest, strong, changing to Northeast and light for the final 1/3
- Temperature: 23 degrees, declining to 14 degrees after lunch
- Cumulative: 5,349 kms
Tomorrow's Destination: Edmundston, New Brunswick - 118 kms
For more ride details see Strava and for more photos from today see our Photo Gallery.