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2018 07-23 > Routhierville


Our morning started off with a great breakfast of fresh fruit with homemade cream, homemade pastries, fresh crepes, coffee, and juice.  After that, we had to put on our rain gear and mount our bikes.    The rain quickly tapered off and the temperatures rose which allowed us to remove our rain gear.

We had a choice of routes today.  The first took us south along the bay and was 70 miles long.  The other route was more direct and only 55 miles long.  With the promise of storms, we chose the shorter route but were disappointed with increased traffic.  About 20 miles into our ride we stopped at a café for coffee and a snack.  After that the route increased in elevation but it was a very moderate climb over most of our ride.  The head winds helped cool us off but at times required that we pedal down some of the hills.

We made one other rest stop at a church that had a gazebo.  There we met Cheryl who told us that she was born and raised nearby and that the home where she lived was in her family a long time, seven generations.  Many of the men in her family either worked for the railroad or were fishing guides.  Her father did both to make ends meet.  We asked about the signs in the towns we cycled thru that indicated passenger train service but we did not see any passenger trains.  She said that the passenger trains only ran several days a week.

For nearly the last 20 miles of our ride we cycled next to the Matapedia River that led us to our nights lodging.  To get to our lodging, a very nice fishing lodge, we had to cross a long covered bridge.  Upon our arrival, Sophia, our hostess told us that our rooms were not yet ready but gave us beers as we sat on the veranda.  We were entertained with many humming birds feeding at the feeders hanging off the roof.  




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