The Scenic Bike Trip to Ottawa (18B)

The Deed is Done. The Ride Home Begins.

I drive the Yamaha Virago 1100 (now lighter by 40 pounds) to Fredericton

For my two-week-long adventure - to Halifax to bury my father at sea, and back to London - I certainly knew how to pick the weather. Some rain did threaten to fall, but only a few drops landed on me!

That being said, the wind I hit between Nova Scotia and New Brunswick was a strong one and I had to ride with care. So, few pictures from the side of the road are on file, but I did arrive in Fredericton safely and in time for a great supper at Isaac's Way (pork tenderloin and jus du apricots).

Photos from along the way w some chatty commentary:

 As I exitted the city of Halifax via Springmarket St. I spotted a fav pub

 I made a short detour to see if I could find a historic house

 This might be my wife's first home (but the address numbers had all changed)

 No. 2 Highway was fast but a parallel two-lane road proved quieter

 One problem with pit stops. I had to follow that truck quite a while!

 Back on four-lanes. Note the coffee thermos beside my bike.

 Safely parked beside my hostel in Fredericton

 The hostel was formerly an accommodation for nuns

 Walk-abouts are a lot of fun in my opinion

 Did a rail line bisect downtown Fredericton long ago?

 At the edge of downtown Fredericton

 Part of the Historic Garrison District speaks of British military presence

 Could that be Isaac's Way? I'm famished!!

 This fine restaurant with lovely, local craft beers is now in a new location.

I learned that news on my return trip four years later

The next morning I was on my way to Ottawa, including overnight stops at hostels in Riviere Du Loup and Trois Rivieres before getting back to my home province.

More stops at the side of the road, including my favourite brewery (brasserie) in Kamouraska country:

 The St. John River accompanies me - toward Riviere Du Loup

 I'm again on a quieter secondary highway, and closer to the river

 I'm heading toward Woodstock, NB

 Before Woodstock, I stop for scenic views and... 

 ...more scenic views and another cheeseburger at Carl's Dairy Bar

 Another traveller - on a rare bike - sports sturdy luggage racks

 I am safely parked - and unpacking - at Riviere Du Loup hostel

After a free breakfast I'm on the road to Trois Rivieres

 A quiet spot beside the south shore of the St. Lawrence

 Hey! Two key words in French: Brasserie (brewery), ouvert (open).

 This is the brasserie. Let's go see what we can see

 Are these the names of their beers?

 I park my bike and start looking for the room with taps

 This ain't it but I do like that old door!

 This looks inviting. What's it say over the window?

 BINGO!!

 I step inside and back in time. Who would not want to sit down here?

 I found bottles and taps and Maria (owner's partner) and a chair

The best part of the day occurred next as well as one of the trip's funniest moments. 

Maria spoke little English and I spoke even less French but together we were able to sort out that she was offering samples and I was willing to try them as well as buy a few bottles. That filled 10-15 minutes with short, unintelligible sentences and a lot of nodding and smiling to fill in the gaps between us. 

After she placed 3 - 4 bottles of delicious beer into a paper bag and handed me change, she said something very quickly (I didn't catch a word) but she seemed happy about something.

And why not, I thought.

"Yes, sure," I said and nodded with a smile because I was happy to have a bag filled with beer and she had been very helpful and made some money.

But then she made a few gestures that were even more confusing. This is where stronger second-language skills - for both of us - would have come in very handy.

She gripped the sides of her floor-length old-fashioned skirt, showed me she was wearing rubber boots and gestured toward the door. She obviously wanted to show me something. And though I wanted to get going - what with about 300 km to go 'til I get to my next hostel - I fell back into my default position.

"Yes, sure," I nodded. (What am I getting into here? I don't really know this woman. She's not an axe-murderer, is she?)

She said something else (??) and headed toward the door. 

Okay. I guess I'm going too!

She walked and trotted quickly ahead of me - skirt hitched up so she wouldn't trip over heavy boots - passed my bike, passed an old out building and around a corner to our left. What will we find there?

Maybe an axe?

Well, it soon became apparent she wanted me to look at what lay before us. A field.

What? A field of onions? Maria, you want me to look at onions? You want me to buy your onions? 

No. She wanted to show me her garlics. Lots of garlics. She said so... in so many words!

I guess they were the best, biggest, healthiest garlics in the world. And who was I to argue? I mean - as she picked a few, scrubbed dirt off, peeled back a layer of this or that, and handed them to me - they looked pretty awesome to me.

 And here we see Maria's world-famous field of garlics, or du l'ail.

I returned to my bike, laughing all the way

I stopped at a motorcycle shop - closed. Plus, it was a wreck : )

My motorcycle stops for birdhouses

Along the south shore of the St. Lawrence River

 Sampling Maria's beer while in Trois Rivieres hostel

 The next day I am on way out of Quebec and into Ontario, toward Ottawa

I claim this park for the Harrisons. Now move over!

Next stop, Ottawa. First I will finish my ice cream cone.

That was one good ice cream cone. But my hands smelled like garlic. World famous garlic.

: )

Next stop Ottawa, home of much Canadian history. It was where I became deeply impressed with the Canadian War Museum and planned for a return. And after the return visit I found newspapers in a bag at my front door (The Norwich Gazette, my Dad's hometown paper) and articles - by my father about his navy days - that turned my head and my research/writing around. More details later.

Please link to A News Dispatch from Ottawa (18)

Photos GH