Day 61 Trois Pistoles to St. Damase, QC

 

 81.9 miles, 2,660 ft ascent

We began our ride today on the Gaspe Peninsula in the north end of the Appalachian chain of mountains.  We have been riding on relatively flat terrain for sometime now, so climbing in the Gaspe toughens us up for difficult climbs to come in Nova Scotia.

On a map of Canada, the Maritime Provinces on the Atlantic Ocean resemble a left hand, with the fingers clenched. 

A ferme, i.e. farm in the valley, one among many beautiful Quebec farms.

 

 

This barn appeared to have the same silver colored coating as church steeples and roofs. 

 

 

More beautiful farmland on the opposite side of the valley as we rode through.

We have seen many of these signs in Quebec.  There was a gravel road for equestrians on either side of this quite major highway.  

 

 

The deer crossing signs in Quebec have a certain flair that is seldom seen elsewhere.

 

 

Baie (bay) on the St. Lawrence River.

Ferme (farm) on a baie (bay).  Look closely!

Gulls in the baie.

Aaaaah!  Ready for a late breakfast.  I left early, as I am on galley crew this evening with the two British cycling guides and wanted to arrive early at camp. The dinner we are to prepare and the recipe we are required to follow offers only tofu for protein, so I was looking for REAL protein at meals along the road.  My A&W  special breakfast included eggs, sausage, and bacon!

 

 

On a rock I observed these black ducks, which seem to be a mallard type, although much darker in color. 

Here is a charming village on the bay.

It was low tide on the St. Lawrence when I took this shot.

This art display caught the eye of cyclists, as well as other tourists passing by.

 

 

Deep blue saltwater of the St. Lawrence.

 

These are a few in a large field of windmills we passed on today's journey.

 

 

In summary, today was a superb day for riding.  The temperature was in the 70sF with a tailwind to help us along.  Much of the day we rode along the shores of the St. Lawrence River.  It was our best day overall to gaze at the majesty of the great river.  Many tourists were doing the same.  

We are now starting to climb again, as we enter the Gaspe.  There were significant climbs near the end of the day when we turned away from the St. Lawrence.  I will miss Quebec and its kind people as we ride into New Brunswick tomorrow.

My wrist is feeling better each and every day since the wreck.  I am thankful for that, and I believe its condition is such that I will be able to complete the tour.  I have developed a soft, but secure hold on the handlebars to prevent  jarring my wrist when I encounter bumps in the road.  So far, so good.  I will be extra careful to protect it from further injury.

Now it is on to preparing our tofu dinner while dreaming of other protein sources.  I hope you consider visiting again tomorrow as we depart Quebec and enter New Brunswick.