Isle Vert to Rimouski

Isle-Vert to Rimouski, July 29
Today: 103 Km, Total: 348 Km Another tailwind day.
Pete says we're on cruise control. Still generally following highway 132, but detouring off to follow bike-specific routes shown in the Routes verts guidebook. Routes verts is a fantastic network of bike-routes that covers all of Quebec, and it highlights many off-the-beaten track by-ways that offer quieter and more scenic riding. Many of these are dedicated bike-paths, either asphalt or crushed gravel, otherwise they follow secondary highways with wide paved shoulders. This morning we followed a long sgment of farmland backroad through the farmlands, then picked up a gravel trail descending into the town of Trois-Pistoles (Why do the Quebecois hyphenate-all-the-place-names?) The Routes Verts are obviously well-funded ñ this one incuded a new suspension bridge crossing a spectacular seies of waterfalls. From Trois-Pistoles, we cut back to the highway 132, as a section of the route was marked ìnot recommended with a trailerî. One thing that makes riding enjoyable in this part of the world is the approach to the many small towns along the highway. First, you see the tip of a church spire, just above the tree-tops, which gradually expands into a grand church. This gives an amazing perspective to the ride; you really feel that you are going somewhere. Back on the highway, the tail-wind continued to speed us on our way ñ easy to maintain a speed of 35km/hr on the level, often ratcheting up to 40 or 45. Although the riding was fairly easy, just a few short climbs, we were all feeling the heat, so we stopped in the town of Bic-sur-Mer to find a restaurant. Great find. This place had the best fish and chips any of us have tasted, with a unique herbed batter, and a bowl of perfect Gaspatcho, included. It was hard to leave, but we eventually escaped without looking at the dessert menu. Back on the road, we followed the shoreline to Rimouski, which has a very nice waterfront hike and bike path. Unfortunately, thatís about all it has, at least from our vantage point. The city is separated frfom the ocean by a six-lane highway, on the other side of which are rows of ugly hotels and shopping malls. The only exception was the grand cathedral. Rimouski is an industrial city with a deep-water port. Leaving the city, heading east along the shoreline, the ambiance improves immediately. The strip-malls give way to attractive sea-side cottages. We had planned to carry on to the next town, but a couple of miles out, Pete braked suddenly at a camp-site attached to a sea-food restaurant, fish-market and beer-store. End of day! Looks like we may be in for a thunderstorm tonight, lots of rumbling going on. Pete and I are writing our blogs at a picnic table, charging from a generator loaned by our neighbour in an RV ñ negotiated by yours truly in French. It's coming along daily.
Good night to all Barney