Warning, before you read this blog entry, gather up some good cheese to go with all our wine (whine).  It was a tough day, a long day, a constant climb day, and it was hard.  Get our drift? Today, we went over the mountains that separated the Seaway from the Atlantic Ocean .   Just 1.5 miles from our motel we started to climb.   It was long and steep and after 2 more miles of cycling we had a short down hill before climbing again.   That was typical of our day.   The down hills even had up-hills and the up-hills had false crests requiring more climbing.   The few screaming down hills required diligence to stay out of the ruts and pot holes. Not that we weren’t tortured enough, getting into the town that houses this night’s motel had another climb from hell.   On the brighter side, the views of the Atlantic were spectacular, the motel nice, and the dinner (and beers) were very satisfying.   Even with his electric bike HP is tired an...

We decided on an early start and were tempted to make noise as revenge to last night’s partiers.  However, we behaved and left quietly.  Joe and Jeff pushed their bikes up the steep gravel road to the highway but HP road his electric bike.  He looked like a potentate on a sedan chair waiving and smiling at the peasants.  We started without breakfast but hoped to soon find something.  After several climbs we came to a small café that Antoine, the owner was just opening.  In addition to serving coffee, he also roasts it.  We had Brazilian roasted coffee and home made muffins to fuel the miles ahead.  We soon came to a “screaming” downhill with Joe leading the way and HP close behind.  HP and Joe were not sure that Jeff appreciated the fast descent and wondered if the “screaming” came from him or his breaks.  At the bottom, they pried Jeff’s hands from his handlebars and knew where the sound came from. We cycled along the Seaway for m...

(Sorry, but do to the lack of an internet connection, we could not post this entry yesterday.) We left the hostel without breakfast but with the hope that something would be found along the route.   While their have not been many places to get food on our route, we lucked out about 5 miles into our ride.   It was a relatively new restaurant and we were its only customers.   As such, we received excellent service and food. The early part of our ride had many hills and each one was a little longer than the last.   While none of them were steep, they were tiring.   The middle of the ride was flat but we encountered head winds which weren’t so bad.   In fact, they helped keep us cool in the warmth of the afternoon.   About mile 40, in a 52 mile day, we got off the highway and cycled thru a “one-street” town that was nearly 5 miles long.   The town had numerous hotels and restaurants all calling us to stop.   However, we moved on, encoun...

To sum up today; the cycling was wonderful; the weather just moderately warm, the beer was tasty, the people interesting, and our lodging is nice.   So where to start? We left our hotel around 8 a.m after a full breakfast and headed north east on route 132…the only route around the peninsula.   For those who know that we are compulsive early risers and like to hit the road before most even think about waking, this must come as a surprise.   Yesterday’s ride, was short (but unloaded) allowing us to ride at 15-17 mph. Today, we had all our gear loaded on the bikes but still managed 13-15 mph.   The ride was mostly flat with just a few short climbs.   Route 132 currently bypasses most of the small towns that it once bisected.   While the traffic on the highway was relatively light, every chance we had we diverted to the “old” road thru the towns and along the St. Lawrence Seaway .   The towns were mostly just housing with folks sitting on porch...

We arrived in Ste. Flavie yesterday (7/13).   Joe and Jeff drove 12 hours from Poughkeepsie , NY because HP was also arriving the same day.   HP, from Switzerland , cycled 400 miles from Montréal for the start of our trip around Gaspe .   After some warm greetings, we had dinner and then spent some time over a bottle of wine before calling it a day.   We woke to overcast skies but Joe and Jeff decided to get on their bikes and ride 6.5 miles east to the famed Reford Gardens .   HP used the day to rest and get ready for the remainder of our adventure.   Reford Gardens has 3,000 species of native and exotic plants in 18 gardens as well as many sculptures both traditional and modern.   According to our guide book, it is “the most renowned and internationally recognized gardens in North America .”   While, we don’t know if this is a valid claim, the gardens were spectacular.   The light rain didn’t dampen our enjoyment of their ...

Three friends are off on another adventure.  They met in 2002 on a bicycle trip across the United States.  HP is from Switzerland, Joe from New York State, and Jeff from Virginia.  Some of their other adventures can be seen at http://yellowbiketales.blogspot.com/  Please follow along with us as we explore this beautiful part of Canada.  The Gaspésie (official name), or Gaspé Peninsula, is a peninsula along the south shore of the Saint Lawrence River to the east of the Matapédia Valley in Quebec, that extends into the Gulf of Saint Lawrence. It is separated from New Brunswick on its southern side by Chaleur Bay and the Restigouche River.  The origin of the name "Gaspé" comes from the Mi'kmaq word gespe'g, meaning "end", referring to the end of the land. The Gaspé Peninsula is slightly larger than Belgium, at 31,075 square kilometres (11,998 sq mi. The population was 140,599 in the 2011 census.