OUI, OUI - Quebec City, Quebec

SNM Tour Day #50
Can you believe it??? - FIFTY days on the road as of today!!


Monique can believe it, she's getting a bit homesick- I can't believe it, I looked at the weather in Calgary as well as Kelowna and I'm more than happy to be right here. Right here is Quebec City and it's a beautiful late summer, warm but not too warm, sunny day.  Could not ask for a better day.  Morning run along the waterfront coming out of Trois-Rivieres and then a meandering course along the smaller roads which hugged the St Lawrence River system.  For the most, part we followed Le Chemin du Roy or the Route Verte, the Green Route which is essentially a cycling route and is sometimes a bike path and other times a small road shared by cars and bikes.  This cycling path is well established and numbered (out of Montreal we were on #1 and lately have been following #5, important only to note that there are several and while the roads themselves are not always the best (an understatement), the clear importance placed on having specific designated routes for cycling is fantastic. There were no big trucks, no issues whatsoever with cars (if they don't like sharing with all the bikes they just use the major highways) and there were a lot of cyclists out using these roads!

We passed through some pristine farmland - many cornfields, as well as some regions of apple orchards. The Autumn produce was being sold at many roadside stands with a prominence of Macintosh and Lobo apples, tomatoes (cherry to massive size), potatoes, garlic, squash and piles and piles of pumpkins. 

The homesteads were almost all very well kept, many with an abundance of floral arrangements. The stone work on many of the homes was quite impressive as was some of the fancy lattice work and just the attention to detail to make so many stretches of road so interesting to travel past.  

Of course, there was an old Catholic Church (and nearby cemetary) in virtually every small town we passed, a slowly fading symbol of the strong French Catholic influence.  There were many small marinas and a variety of sailboats, yachts and motor boats.  

We passed a particularly vivid stand of sunflowers just off the road and as Monique eased along the side of the road a bunch were trapped in front of the topper of the RV - a SAD no more classic, all the colours matched perfectly!

Ah La Belle Province - really was a great pleasure to run and cycle today and just enjoy the day.  The pace was steady but leasurely, we stopped when we wanted and took a lot of pictures.  It was an idyllic Sunday.

Tour Day Sponsor - Canada Diagnostic Centres, thanks again for your generous support of the tour

Random quotes of the day

No man (person) who is occupied in doing a very difficult thing, and doing it very well, ever loses his self-respect
George Bernard Shaw

Modern man is just ancient man with way better electronics
Unknown

Experience is not what happens to a person. It is what a person does with what happens to them.
Aldous Huxley

Even in a time of elephantine vanity and greed, one never has to look far to see the campfires of gentle people
Garrison Keilor

On day #50 we thought it only proper to tell you

50 GREAT THINGS WE'VE EXPERIENCED in CANADA over the past 50 DAYS

(in no particular order)

50. Poutine (Monique's)

49. Maple Syrup (mine!)

48. Potholes, ruts, detours, construction (because it makes you appreciate #47 which might otherwise go unnoticed)

47. Newly paved highway - ah...........

46. Rumble strips at 60 km on a bike

45. 10 degree grade of highway (up - groan, but for every up there must be...)

44. 10 degree grade of highway (down - ooh la la)

43. "Borrowed" apples off the tree

42. Campsite showers that are clean, with hot water that you don't have to put quarters in to start

41. Walmart parking lots (lots of lots) - get an RV and you'll appreciate this one

40. Provincial Parks in every province

39. National Parks almost in every province

38. Wine at the grocery store (Monique's)

37. Small town newspaper reporters

36. BBQ'ed apple pie

35. prairies (the sky, the winds, the fields et al)

34. Mile 0 in Victoria (and soon Cape Spear Nfld)

33. the Rocky Mountains

32. the North Shore of Lake Superior

31. the Kicking Horse Canyon bridge

30. a moose (but only one so far)

29. a torrential downpour in Brandon MB

28. many, many spectacular sunsets

27. Vibrant, artsy, proud towns and their people

26. The brave fight of dying towns

25. Homemade date squares in Grindrod BC

24. Special time with old friends

23. Our nation's capital

22. The cry of a loon, the soaring of an eagle, the majestic great blue heron 

21. Lakes of every size, name and description

20. Pizza at Mama Alfa's in Thunder Bay second only to the homemade Pizzas at the Atwell's (Cowichan Lake BC)

19.  Daisies on the side of the TransCanada highway throughout Saskatchewan

18. The generosity of people who didn't know us

17. Cyclists of all ages, shapes and sizes

16. Daily fresh vegetables and fresh fruit

15. Doug and Denise and Fort Street Cycle in Victoria, BC

14.  24/7 Jack-of-all-trade mechanics in small towns

13. The Terry Fox Monument and more importantly his life and legacy

12. Only 2 bike tire flats in over 5,000 kms

11. Glen and Jeanette Richardson from Calgary

10. The support of every person who stepped up to the plate and into the RV for a day or more

9. COSMIC cookies and everyone who baked them

8. The generosity of everyone who has supported this tour financially and in spirit

7. The support of all the friends around us who contributed in an abundance of exceedingly helpful and creative ways

6. The support of both our families

5. The MIAW national campaign 2010 (only partially experienced to date and great already)

5. The strength and resilience of so many suffering from debilitating mental illness

4. Stunning sunrises, especially on morning runs

3. Being homesick for "home" (Monique) - means we have a home that we love

2. How great it is to be married to Monique (Ted) and to have 2 great adult children (both of us)

1. How proud we are to be Canadian

Tres Bon, Trois-Rivieres, Tres Terrific

SNM Tour Day #49

Headed out of L'Ile Bizard (past the home of Guy Lafleur and a lot more massive stone castles a la Hudson, maybe even more palatial if this is possible) in the dark to pick up one and drop off another and move further into the coeur of Quebec.  But first let me say thanks again to Marc and Liliane for their hospitality and for a wonderful evening of funny and heart breaking stories and very, very good Indian food in Ste. Anne de Bellevue, a funky waterfront district of the island. It was a pleasure to get to know them both and we wish them well especially in the weeks and months ahead.

Goodbye to Gabrielle who spent the last few days with us and thanks for everything.  She started out with us and has seen the progress of the tour from the true inside and she was ready to pull her hair out (as well as disown us both) on the first leg and probably only a little less so on this part of the tour - it is a very intense experience to travel 30 kms on a highway for hours on end, eat, drink and sleep in close quarters for days on end - just ask anyone who has done it with us. Better yet, don't ask them unless you have plenty of time to do a little informal counseling to manage the inevitable melt down that they will have in front of you. 

Hello to Sean - a "real cyclist" who joined us today for the ride.  Sean moved from Calgary to work in Montreal some 7 months ago and it was great spending time on the bike with him catching up on how both our lives keep evolving.  With the sun shining the entire day, and a nice little tail wind, we made exceptionally good time.  This was even further enhanced when we met a group of 3 cyclists going from Montreal to Quebec City for Breast Cancer.  The pack effect and their need to keep a good brisk pace to get in this kind of mileage kept us moving with minimal breaks, getting in just over 160 km in what seemed like no time at all.  

We traversed a lot of beautiful rural Quebec farmland and passed through quite a few little towns.  Many "garage/yard sales" just off the side of the road, antique shops and scads and scads of motorcycles everywhere.  Much of the trip was next to water, and all of it was very pleasant - the way I envisioned a late summer day would be like on this tour.  I think everyone realized there may not be too many nice weekends left so got outside and enjoyed the sun.

Tour Day Sponsor - Robert Hobbs.  Thanks so much again for your support

Random quotes of the day 

Sweat silently. Let's have no squawking about a little expenditure of energy

Martin H Fischer

 

Smoking is one of the leading causes of statistics

Unknown 

Art is the struggle to understand

Audrey Foris

Life is not accountable to us. We are accountable to life.

Denis Waitley

Off to Quebec City tomorrow to enjoy a little history and more of what this province has to offer.

Merely a Moment in Montreal

SNM Tour Day #48
Could get used to this sleepin' in thang.  No early morning commitments or plans, so we got some much needed sleep and enjoyed the morning catching up on the hundreds of things that needed to get caught up on (and there's never enough time to do so). The rain last night was unrelenting so it was very nice to see a bit of sun this morning and let everything dry out a bit. Nothing to complain about here, we've been getting reports back about Calgary's weather and we are happy to be on the road and not experiencing the perpetual wet and COLD that they are seeing - what gives??

As it was Monique's birthday yesterday and Gab was with us, we were reminiscing about things.  This probably was set off when looking for old photos for Byrnes who is putting together an inspirational / educational video for SAD and the tour. (Part of the script talks about family and past work so a few old photos were needed to be used in the video). Luckily we had one folder that did have a few old photos from the past.  What we really got talking about was what music we listened to when Eric and Gabrielle were kids and we were on the road (which was fairly common, traveling back and forth from ON to MB or on driving vacations we took to the coasts). 

In no particular order, these WERE the tapes and later CDs (we never did 8 tracks) that we listened to over and over again and which have subsequently infiltrated and distorted all our brains
k.d. lang
John Cougar Mellencamp
Joni Mitchell Joni Mitchell Joni Mitchell (for me mostly - but I got my way quite often when it came to music - now it's Eric who has weasled in and has the upper hand in music selection)
Bare Naked Ladies
Moxy Fruvous (the most under-rated Canadian talent in their day)
Spirit of the West (we literally wore out their CDs )
Blue Rodeo (only when Monique insisted and pouted and pined for Cuddy)
later Martin Sexton (Black Sheep CD likely reached the 1000 plays mark)

probably forgetting quite a few - I'm sure Gab and Eric may remember the musical "torture" they were subjected to in their youth. Both of you please feel free to add the good, the bad and the downright painfully ugly (and don't you dare say Joni)

QUIZ WINNERS (see Rallying in Rigaud post re all details)

B+B

YEAH!!!

Tour Day Sponsor - Marc and Rita. Thanks again for the support, even if you are fans (that's an understatement) of the Alouettes, I won't hold it against either of you (much...)

Random Quote of the Day
Does age poison us, or do we poison age?
Astrid Alauda

who knows what the rest of the day holds for us - time to re-organize and think (a deadly combination).

Out with Marc and Lilliana tonight, they have been gracious hosts during a particularly busy time for them - hospitality when needed, time and space when required - couldn't ask for more. Thanks so very much for all the little things - together they become a nice, big thing. We are grateful for this!

Tomorrow back on the road and off to Three Rivers with Sean, that would be Trois-Rivieres avec Sean.

My oh My, Mesmerized, Meandering then Motoring into Montreal

SNM Tour Day #47
What a totally different tour day.  Right off the bat, I must tell you that it as Monique's birthday today.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY MONIQUE! (shhhhhh - she's busy..........)

So, I was told that there would be no alarm clocks set.  As our mileage was very low today, I obliged to a civil "late start".  Sean had suggested a "picturesque" back route way into Montreal and we had "all the time in the world" to meander our way to our final destination.  And meander we did, oh boy!!

We made our way through to Hudson, jaws dropping at every second house, shall I say mansion, shall I say massive stone castle? WOW - who lives in Hudson?? The Main St running into and through the town was spectacular particularly on the river side. The town itself appeared as a little sleepy, very artsy and well kept.  Clearly there are a lot of wealthy retired folks in this area who have the time and money to do things right.  We passed a film crew shooting a movie in the backyard of a mansion, very interesting set up with brightly coloured clothes on a number of clothes lines as a back drop to the property and river. Also passed a huge crucifix outlined in a neon light - bizarre. 

this was the maid's quarters for one of the castles

We stopped in at a few shops including Pure Art which sold a great variety of clothes and jewlery made in colloboration with artisans from Peru and Tibet, and whose proceeds are going to helping these communities with water and schools etc.  Given Monique's birthday and the great things (and goodness) in this store, it is no wonder that we had to buy out half the store, pawn the RV and put the tour on hold as we hitchhiked back wearing very colorful clothing and beautiful jewelry.  (I jest, we only bought out a quarter of the store and had to only pawn off the spare tire and my guitar. The tour goes on...)

Then we went on a ferry over to Oka (yes the infamous Oka) and then on a bike path through Oka National Park. Thereafter it got a bit dicier as the path left the highway and we got disconnected for a bit longer than Monique was comfortable with, then it started raining and we started running a bit short of time, all of which magnified when we finally made it to the second ferry only to find out that our RV was too large to go over.  We were but a few kms from our destination at this point, but without the ferry, we needed to get to a bridge (some 30 minutes away) and next thing we know we are racing to get to Marc's house to get ready for the educational event tonight which was getting increasingly far in distance and closer in time.  As the rains got heavier and heavier, so did the traffic until we were essentially in a slow moving parking lot, Bonjour rush hour Montreal.  

We eventually made it (just) and the presentation was excellent, every seat taken with an inquisitive group of family physicians who seemed very pleased with things.  The slow moving, enjoyable day had instantly become a blur of rushing around and wondering how we got into this mess in the first place.  As it usually does, it all worked out in the end.

Tomorrow is a rest day off the road in Montreal and hopefully a few media things will pop up and be dealt with.

Tour Day Sponsor - Marc Klasa (and Rita), thanks for the very very gracious and generous support. GO ALS GO (all the way to the Grey Cup where you will be soundly defeated by the Stamps............again................)

Random Quotes of the Day

Tomorrow is the only day in the year that appeals to a lazy man
Jimmy Lyons

Most people would rather be certain they're miserable, than risk being happy
Robert Anthony

Rallying in Rigaud

SNM Tour Day #46
A LANDMARK DAY!

A vey different, extremely pleasant day on the road today.  Started my run along Rideau Canal to a very orange cloudy sunrise, past the Parliament, then onto Sussex Drive and through Rockcliffe Park and essentially on, out of the city along a bike path.  Thereafter cycled almost exclusively on bike paths, through residential streets or on smaller roads almost the entire day apart from approx 5 kms on the actual Trans Canada Hwy. The day was never really warm, but the sun shone for most of the morning so it was quite pleasant overall.  The small campsite outside of Rigaud seemed about right for a total distance of 140 kms or so and finished the day just after noon. 

Thanks again to Patrick and Ryan for being such gracious hosts and helping us out with directions and rides and desperate phone calls etc etc. - thanks!

As part of my run, I did go along Sussex Drive and I did indeed run right past 24 Sussex Dr.  Did I see the PM, did I get a chance to talk with him as he drove with his children to school and shook their hands to support the start of their day?? Well....... I did indeed talk to Stephen at length today.  (Unfortunately he wasn't there to hear me, and the security around his residence wasn't too keen to engage me in dialogue either).  Oh well, one sided conversation may be better than no conversation at all, so I certainly felt better after venting.

So the "event" of prominence today is that we have completed another province. Just a few kms shy of 5,000 total, we have now passed through 5 provinces and have entered Quebec, approx 2/3 of the total distance (running/cycling) that is planned!! (where did the time go - it's the middle of September already and we will be in St John's Nfld in just over a month. 

Given the completion of half of the provinces - it's time for a little picture quiz. Below are seven photos (taken on my iphone) - one of which was taken in each of the 5 provinces we have traversed.  Match the province with the photo - the first one with the correct answer wins - and we have an AMAZING prize for the winner. Watch out, there may be a few tricks (but overall pretty easy, I think) - see how good you are at Canadiana trivia pix.


As you see there are seven pictures - so 2 provinces have 2 photos (to make it at least a little more challenging)

For answer, please use
BC = #1
AB = #2
SK = #3
MB = #4
ON = #5

                                                  Photo A

Photo B

Photo C

                                           
                                               
                                                  Photo D

Photo E

                                              

                                                  Photo F

Photo G

Tour Day Sponsor is Boehringer Ingelheim - thanks again for your encouragement and support.

Random quotes of the Day

Children need role models more than they need critics
Joubert Joseph

I speak truth, not so much as I would, but as much as I dare; and I dare a little more, as I grow older.
Michel de Montaigne

Happy Anniversary to Yvette and Emmanuel -may you have many, many more happy years together!!

Over the next few days I will be running and cycling in French - wish me luck, oooops, I meant to say wish me "Bonne Chance".

Capitalizing in the Capital - Only in Ottawa

SNM Tour Day #45

Short blog today.  Day off the road.

Very interesting lunch presentation at Foreign Affairs Canada for their internal staff, very large and attentive audience with excellent Q+A. Kiosk presentation with health and wellness group at University of Ottawa for university students this afternoon. Given the set-up and standing by a table full of hand-outs with my banner, I felt like I was selling something like VISA cards or extra Air Miles plans, so this was a bit odd.  Had some good discussions with both the staff and students and I think the legacy of the event and all the information left will resonate further in the future as it is used on websites and more students have access to this information.  Thanks Patrick for helping to orchestrate both of these events. These were different than the usual events that I have been involved in to this point of the tour and each new experience / different venue is also a learning one for me.  This evening had a dinner presentation for family physicians, smaller group, but again attentive audience with excellent Q+A.  So the day of rest was quite full of awareness and education and was very eventful - this is why I am here!!

Unfortunately no media today. In our nation's capital, SAD is not newsworthy?? Not sure what this means, but this was very disappointing.  I will be back in town for the MIAW campaign - Champions of Mental Health Gala in October. This event will make national press with coverage in Ottawa and across Canada so my story and the tour will get press in Ottawa (just not this time around).  I will be patient, but I will also be very persistent!!

Back on the road tomorrow as we move again to the next province of Quebec.  Comparatively speaking, Ontario was a long, hard trek.  We have put in significant mileage to this point and will cross another major hurdle soon.  The next few days will not be that onerous and I am looking forward to enjoying La Belle Province.

Tour Day Sponsor is Brian Hunter....thanks again!

Not so Random quote of the day
If Ottawa giveth, then Ottawa can taketh away.
Stephen Harper

 

On in Ottawa - Playing the Parliament

SNM Tour Day #44

Let's just forget about the first 30 minutes of the ride today and the rest of the day was very, very good.

We started in the dark, trying to beat the rush hour traffic and the closer we got to downtown Ottawa, the heavier the rains and the more dense the traffic with increasingly complex merges, which started as single lane and then became double lanes and then became just plain dangerous to the point that we had to get off the road, stop and recalculate things - Monique's call and rightly so.  I was not at all happy, but the safety of both of us was more important than this last small bit of sheer and utter chaos.

Given the circumstances, we ended up at Patrick's quite early, which allowed for time for much needed cleaning (of everything) after all the wet weather.  We were at Parliament hill for a video shoot and interview just before noon, all of which went extremely well and picked up Gabrielle at the airport while there was a torrid rainfall.  Thereafter, all seemed to clear again and we had a great afternoon walking along the Rideau Canal and Parliament buildings in glorious and much needed sunshine.

Tried to talk to Stevie H. (as Byrnes calls him) but didn't get very far (those nasty security guards are really quite good at what they do). Oh well, there's always tomorrow to scoop the political scene in between media and presentations.

And look who met us at the hill - yes Amna, from the Brentwood Clinic in Calgary who is attending U of O has been keeping in touch throughout the tour. It was great to see her - probably more important than seeing a lot of stuffy old diplomats and dignitaries

                        Monique and I on the hill with our very own "spy"

Tour Sponsor of the day is William "Al" Mclean, thanks so much for the generous support and encouragement.

Random quote of the day

No day will ever erase you from the memory of time

from the Aeneid, by Virgil 

(seen on wall off bridge by Rideau Canal walkway)

                                            my "art shot" of the day