We're leaving Ontario today, finally. Our home province is huge, and though this is obvious when glancing at a map, it doesn't resonate quite the same until you've travelled it on bike.
We left Dryden yesterday morning and the weather channel warned of thunderstorms and heavy rain. Our host Mr. Collins, however, guessed that the storm coming through Kenora would bypass us to the north.
The clouds were quite ominous on the highway at the start of our day, and light drizzle progressed into a heavy downpour right as I took my first half hour shift at the front of the line. However, with the humidity the temperature was resting up around 23 degrees at that point, and was only going up, so the rain didn't pose much of a problem. After 45 minutes of precipitation, it ceased for the rest of the day. Strangely enough, by the mid afternoon it had all cleared up and we were riding in the sun.
We were told coming into Kenora that it was beautiful, a cottage country comparable to Collingwood or Muskoka for this part of Ontario. The area for some time has been attracting people from Manitoba, the West, Minnesota, and Southern Ontario. Biking along highway 17, it was easy to see why. Around every single bend there were lakes on each side, clear and sparkling with little crap built up around them. The winding road lay flat for most of our day, with the hills being low in grade and rolling gently up and down. We stopped in Vermillion Bay for lunch next to the water, and though the mosquitoes were happy to greet us, it was a great stop nevertheless. Later on, at the peak of the sun's heat, we pulled off the highway at Dogtooth Lake and went for a swim. It was secluded enough with nobody else in or around the water, and a great spot to rest up and get recharged for the last leg. Rainer also popped another tube, putting him quite far ahead in that department, though with 7 or so popped by yours truly, I still remain in second place in terms of tire problems.
At the day's end we hit 160kms, one of our longer days though it didn't seem that way to me. We bought dinner and ate outside the grocery store, then hit up the residential area to find a backyard to camp. Somehow we managed to find probably the kindest family on the block, the Sweeney's. Mike, the father, kindly drove us back to the grocery store to buy our breakfast for the morning, and their son John told us all about his school in Lethbridge and his aspirations of piloting commercial planes. Very genuine and down to earth people. Mike had finished golfing with John that day and told us about their round, told us about their beautiful camp on Lake of the Woods (it's only a "cottage" in southern Ontario), as well as giving us a lesson in bush planes and railroads, the latter of which was Mike's line of work for many years.
After hearing the thunder and seeing flashes of lightning after heading to our tents for the night, we quickly changed our minds and took Mike up on his offer for us to sleep in his basement. I had a couch and probably my soundest sleep of the trip. This morning we cooked up our eggs and toast and are now packing for the day.
The Weather Channel is promising us (but what is their word worth?) a wind coming from the southeast, which should make our relatively short day past the Manitoba border an easy one. Tomorrow night we'll arrive in Winnipeg and then take a rest day to explore and visit a bike shop. We are very excited for that, as well as Canada Day in Regina!
Cheers, will update again soon.
Tuesday, June 26, 2007
Monday, June 25, 2007
Dryden, Ontario
Hey everybody, just a quick post before leaving the Collins' home here on the outskirts of Dryden. From Thunder Bay we travelled to just outside Upsala, where we ended the day by camping in a secluded, albeit noisy spot between the highway and the train tracks. At least it was free, though the mosquitoes were everywhere.
The following day we biked into Ignace, another 124kms or so, and though we got poured on for the last half hour of the day, we escaped the oncoming mammoth storm. We knocked on a family's door, and they allowed us at first to camp in their yard. After realizing the severity, or at least the threat, of the oncoming storm, they set up cots in the garage for us to sleep on. Dinner and breakfast, as well as a phone for calls home were all provided. Bob and Pam were wonderful people, providing stories of life up north, fishing, working in the mines, tips for the road and routes ahead, and even giving us some beans and muffins for our lunch yesterday.
The Ericksons from Thunder Bay had also generously called ahead to friends in Dryden and that's how we ended our day from Ignace at this great home on the lake. A refreshing swim last night and bbq chicken and potato salad for dinner, a little overwhelming but greatly appreciated.
For now we leave for a longer day to Kenora, with major storm warnings in effect. Here's hoping for the best.
The following day we biked into Ignace, another 124kms or so, and though we got poured on for the last half hour of the day, we escaped the oncoming mammoth storm. We knocked on a family's door, and they allowed us at first to camp in their yard. After realizing the severity, or at least the threat, of the oncoming storm, they set up cots in the garage for us to sleep on. Dinner and breakfast, as well as a phone for calls home were all provided. Bob and Pam were wonderful people, providing stories of life up north, fishing, working in the mines, tips for the road and routes ahead, and even giving us some beans and muffins for our lunch yesterday.
The Ericksons from Thunder Bay had also generously called ahead to friends in Dryden and that's how we ended our day from Ignace at this great home on the lake. A refreshing swim last night and bbq chicken and potato salad for dinner, a little overwhelming but greatly appreciated.
For now we leave for a longer day to Kenora, with major storm warnings in effect. Here's hoping for the best.
Friday, June 22, 2007
8 Days, Continued...
Mike put up some great pictures from our latest 8 day stretch, including a couple landscape shots of Superior and our arrival point at the Terry Fox Memorial.
Here are our last 8 days in Northern Ontario with distances and time travelled:
june 13- espanola to blind river, on - 96km 4:15
june 14- blind river to sault ste marie- 148km 5:53
june 15- sault ste marie - montreal river- 108km 4:33
june 16- montreal river- wawa - 119.8km 5:28
june 17- wawa to white lake prov. park- 138km 5:50
june 18- white lake prov. park- outside terrace bay- 95km 4:55 (windy day!)
june 19- outside terrace bay- outside nipigon, on- 131.4km 6:40 (again with strong headwind)
june 20- outside nipigon- thunder bay on 137km 6:04
Highlights include:
Blind River, our friend Jolinne and her wonderful family had us for the night and great BBQ'd burgers, as well as a quick trip to the beach at the day's end to cool off.
Sault Ste Marie, Adrian's family friend Don Morrison and his wife Ruth had us for a fantastic dinner, then put us up in two separate rooms at the Watertower Inn downtown, what treatment! The hotel had a pool, hot tub, sauna, waterfall, holy....too much.
Wawa, I knocked on the right door and an elderly couple, Italian and Austrian folks, had us camp in their backyard and made us a terrific breakfast. The man learned how to make a violin from scratch and showed us his work, which our resident orchestra man Rainer inspected and gave his seal of approval.
White Lake Provincial Park, where mosquitoes come to feast. The fireflies at our site were amazing nearing midnight.
Terrace Bay, getting almost blown over at our picnic table for lunch. After biking in our normal gear, we had to fleece up and throw on toques once we stopped...Superior winds are something else.
Nowhere in particular, above Superior in the mountains there are times where you're surrounded by walls of jagged rocky faces and sprawling seas of evergreens, complete with spring water rolling down the hills and fresh rivers and lakes in the passes. It's enough to make you completely forget about the commercial-industrial parts of the country all together. There were times where it was reasonable to believe we were already in BC, or even parts of South America, based on the sheer size and scope of the rock and hills towering above us. I recommend everybody get a chance to travel above Lake Superior sometime in the summer months, you will be amazed.
Finally, Thunder Bay. Alexandra, her sister and parents were so nice to us, let us stay in their basement fully equipped with pool table, shuffle board, sauna, bathroom...Went bar hopping our first night to On Deck and then Roxy's, the latter of which got us a shout out from the DJ that sounded all too much like every other DJ at a dance club, "alright party people, who's getting waaaasted tonight?!?!" haha. Last night we went with Alexandra and two of her friends to see Knocked Up, which is incredibly hilarious and highly recommended. A good mixture of jokes ranging from lighthearted to full raunch, we were bursting with laughter. Should provide us with a hearty quotient of quotes to recite as we climb some big hills leaving town today. Finally, this morning we hit up Hoita for breakfast, the Finnish tradition in town where they serve amazing Fin pancakes, super thin with crispy edges...Now it's time to pack up and set off, three days to Dryden, Ontario with not a whole lot in between except nature. Everybody keeps tellings us about the bears, maybe we'll see one soon. Hopefully not as we open the tent zipper.
Cheers, hopefully I'll find time and a computer in Dryden, Kenora, or at the latest, Winnipeg.
Here are our last 8 days in Northern Ontario with distances and time travelled:
june 13- espanola to blind river, on - 96km 4:15
june 14- blind river to sault ste marie- 148km 5:53
june 15- sault ste marie - montreal river- 108km 4:33
june 16- montreal river- wawa - 119.8km 5:28
june 17- wawa to white lake prov. park- 138km 5:50
june 18- white lake prov. park- outside terrace bay- 95km 4:55 (windy day!)
june 19- outside terrace bay- outside nipigon, on- 131.4km 6:40 (again with strong headwind)
june 20- outside nipigon- thunder bay on 137km 6:04
Highlights include:
Blind River, our friend Jolinne and her wonderful family had us for the night and great BBQ'd burgers, as well as a quick trip to the beach at the day's end to cool off.
Sault Ste Marie, Adrian's family friend Don Morrison and his wife Ruth had us for a fantastic dinner, then put us up in two separate rooms at the Watertower Inn downtown, what treatment! The hotel had a pool, hot tub, sauna, waterfall, holy....too much.
Wawa, I knocked on the right door and an elderly couple, Italian and Austrian folks, had us camp in their backyard and made us a terrific breakfast. The man learned how to make a violin from scratch and showed us his work, which our resident orchestra man Rainer inspected and gave his seal of approval.
White Lake Provincial Park, where mosquitoes come to feast. The fireflies at our site were amazing nearing midnight.
Terrace Bay, getting almost blown over at our picnic table for lunch. After biking in our normal gear, we had to fleece up and throw on toques once we stopped...Superior winds are something else.
Nowhere in particular, above Superior in the mountains there are times where you're surrounded by walls of jagged rocky faces and sprawling seas of evergreens, complete with spring water rolling down the hills and fresh rivers and lakes in the passes. It's enough to make you completely forget about the commercial-industrial parts of the country all together. There were times where it was reasonable to believe we were already in BC, or even parts of South America, based on the sheer size and scope of the rock and hills towering above us. I recommend everybody get a chance to travel above Lake Superior sometime in the summer months, you will be amazed.
Finally, Thunder Bay. Alexandra, her sister and parents were so nice to us, let us stay in their basement fully equipped with pool table, shuffle board, sauna, bathroom...Went bar hopping our first night to On Deck and then Roxy's, the latter of which got us a shout out from the DJ that sounded all too much like every other DJ at a dance club, "alright party people, who's getting waaaasted tonight?!?!" haha. Last night we went with Alexandra and two of her friends to see Knocked Up, which is incredibly hilarious and highly recommended. A good mixture of jokes ranging from lighthearted to full raunch, we were bursting with laughter. Should provide us with a hearty quotient of quotes to recite as we climb some big hills leaving town today. Finally, this morning we hit up Hoita for breakfast, the Finnish tradition in town where they serve amazing Fin pancakes, super thin with crispy edges...Now it's time to pack up and set off, three days to Dryden, Ontario with not a whole lot in between except nature. Everybody keeps tellings us about the bears, maybe we'll see one soon. Hopefully not as we open the tent zipper.
Cheers, hopefully I'll find time and a computer in Dryden, Kenora, or at the latest, Winnipeg.
Thursday, June 21, 2007
8 Days of Fury
Our legs deserve a day off. I write this from our friend Alexandra's house in beautiful Thunder Bay, Ontario. We can see the bay on Lake Superior from her backyard and the view is unbelievable. Yesterday we biked 137km into T-Bay, a long day with a black-fly filled wake-up, road construction, inconsistent headwinds, and sunshine all day long.
Our day ended at the Terry Fox Memorial statue located on the highway at the edge of town. We took some pictures there and I'm sure Mike will upload them shortly. Reading the engraving on side of the statue helped to keep things in perspective for us, knowing that however hard our days seem, no matter how much our legs ache, our trip still pales in comparison to the courageous Mr. Fox. From the scenic lookout where the memorial is situated, we could see a highway sign going East saying 675kms to Sault St. Marie, where we passed through on day 2 of our last 8 day stretch. Instilled a little sense of accomplishment seeing that at the end of the day.
I'll write another post later on tonight with the starting and stopping points and distances of our last 8 days, where we saw our biggest climbs so far, unpredictable weather, and the beauty of Lake Superior. We were told by many people heading in that the Lake is something comparable to the Mediterranean, and after biking along its shores and over the massive surrounding mountains for over a week now, I understand the admiration for this body of water shared by so many people in Northwestern Ontario.
That's all for now, time to eat some more breakfast. Another post with details tonight.
Our day ended at the Terry Fox Memorial statue located on the highway at the edge of town. We took some pictures there and I'm sure Mike will upload them shortly. Reading the engraving on side of the statue helped to keep things in perspective for us, knowing that however hard our days seem, no matter how much our legs ache, our trip still pales in comparison to the courageous Mr. Fox. From the scenic lookout where the memorial is situated, we could see a highway sign going East saying 675kms to Sault St. Marie, where we passed through on day 2 of our last 8 day stretch. Instilled a little sense of accomplishment seeing that at the end of the day.
I'll write another post later on tonight with the starting and stopping points and distances of our last 8 days, where we saw our biggest climbs so far, unpredictable weather, and the beauty of Lake Superior. We were told by many people heading in that the Lake is something comparable to the Mediterranean, and after biking along its shores and over the massive surrounding mountains for over a week now, I understand the admiration for this body of water shared by so many people in Northwestern Ontario.
That's all for now, time to eat some more breakfast. Another post with details tonight.
Tuesday, June 12, 2007
Manitoulin, Last Day Off For a While
Here is a picture of us with Ed, a man who's been riding for over 60 years and is heading East from Vancouver Island. We crossed paths just outside of Sudbury, and he has only taken three rest days since he left the Pacific! That is madness.
This is our last day of beautiful cloudless weather on Manitoulin Island before we head off for the remainder of Ontario. Our next expected stop is in Blind River.
But to continue with the story, Christine's cottage was immaculately designed, with a sprawling deck and open living space and kitchen. Our room had four single beds, feeling very much like a camp cabin. We swam in the lake (albeit briefly, a bit chilly), had some beers, watched movies, and mostly enjoyed each other's company and conversation. The Anawati family, including Christine's parents and sister, are all fantastic people and were anxious to learn of our trip, as well as providing their own life stories which we were eager to hear. And the food...Mrs. Anawati made us a great roast, tortellini, salads, burgers, eggs, in quantities even four starving bikers couldn't finish easily. All things said we had a great time in Sturgeon and Field, and so it was onto Espanola via Sudbury.
The first leg of the day was beautiful, with a bit of headwind but nothing difficult. I had the pleasure of leading the draft for the first half hour, and felt great riding at a fast clip on flat farmland highway. As the day went on though I began experiencing increasingly sharper discomfort, then pain, in my left knee, which wasn't unbearable but was still a nuisance because I knew I wasn't riding at my fullest capabilities. Also, knowing Mike had knee trouble earlier in our adventure, those worries began creeping in. By the time we reached Sudbury I couldn't ride uphill very well, one-legging most of the work. By the time we met Ed, in the picture above, just outside Sudbury, I knew I couldn't make it the extra 66 or so kilometers past the city to Espanola with the guys. Luckily, Adrian's mom generously drove up to the big nickel, our lunch stop, and picked me up in the van, which I drove with her to Espanola to wait for the gang. It was disappointing, but probably the right choice. Once the guys arrived in Espanola, we drove to a Murray family friend's home, where our bikes are now stored. From there we enjoyed a scenic drive to Manitoulin Island in the dying light of dusk. The country up here is something else.
Adrian's father Jim was awake and waiting for us when we arrived, and we had our first of many, and I mean many, great conversations about topics ranging from philosophy to women to architecture, music, politics, and the corporatocracy of the world. He has magnified and dissected many of our remarks and fashioned them into colourful, sporadic discussions of anything and everything concerning our lives and life in a broader sense, and most importantly has taught us the importance of appreciating this particular moment in our lives. After listening to him speak, I found that yesterday when the four of us were sailing on the water, that focusing on specific worries and future concerns isn't as pertinent a task as I sometimes treat it. Appreciating the immediate, tangible and intangible things in which we're currently involved, can often bring a lot more happiness than you'd first expect. I guess from our stay here I've really begun to embrace the journey and place less importance on the destination.
I wish I had more pictures of the house and cottage here, and the growing forests surrounding both. It's a very relaxing environment and I'm glad to be here with good friends and a warm, accepting family. The Murrays lead what city-goers would describe as an alternative lifestyle, living off the grid, sharing in community agriculture, and absorbing the world through intelligent literature and provocative music rather than mundane, televised feed. This is one of the places I'll remember most about this whole trip. Like I said before, I don't have pictures, but please check the other blogs listed on the right column for pictures and videos. Mike's camera is our vessel for sharing our trip visually, so check his blog for that sort of media.
Cheers everybody, hopefully tomorrow's bike doesn't bring more leg troubles. I had terrible cramps yesterday but the knee was better, and today both of those problems are pretty much gone. I'm optimistic about the biking to come, and the people we're set to meet along the way.
Monday, June 11, 2007
Manitoulin, Adrian's Amazing Alternative Energy Paradise
Hey Now.
A very unfortunate lack of updates since leaving Ottawa. So much to catch up on, but I'm writing this very late so I'll include the highlights since then.
I write this on our second of three days off in Adrian's home near Southbay Mouth on Manitoulin Island. It is stunning here. The water on Lake Huron is as clear as the night sky, and everything feels tranquil and serene. The house Adrian's dad built by hand is unbelievably unique, running solely on alternative energy generated from solar panels and wind power, with the help of an inverter and other gadgets better described by somebody without a Communications background. Jim tried explaining the amperage and voltage schematics to me, and I get the jist, but at the time of his explanation I was still too overwhelmed by the beauty of the house and the surrounding garden, waterfront, ponds, animals, you name it.
Backtracking though, from Ottawa we set off for Pembroke, but failed to reach it and stopped in Renfrew due to a day of tire popping and crap weather. The following day we were hit by similar conditions and ended in Petawawa with the Lafrance family. Their son is a friend of Rainer and the other guys and Mrs. Lafrance was unbelievable in accomodating us with beds, food prep, tea, television, warmth, laundry, and most importantly great conversation.
From there we travelled in much improved weather through the military lands of Petawawa and finished a good day in Deux Rivieres, camping behind a very gracious general store. If the details on riding seem short or completely absent, it's not because the riding wasn't great, it just escapes me now at 1:00am. The bike shop in Petawawa was incredible as well, bought a new tire to replace one I'd chewed up, as well as some red rear brake pads ensuring I don't smash into the back of somebody in the draft line. Still need more tubes though, running on a spare with a hole in it at the moment, not so smart. Our lunch stop earlier that day brought us to a beautiful spot in Deep River right on the water, where we met a cheery guy named Paul-David, who is riding solo from St. Sauveur near Montreal all the way to Vancouver. He rode with us after lunch for a while until the hills slowed him down and led him to end his day with a camp in the deep woods. Adrian spotted a black bear moments earlier, hopefully our Francophone friend and the curious bear didn't cross each other after we rode on.
From Deux Rivieres we travelled a long day through very hot weather and unpredictable roads. Lots of construction sites and some hills, though nothing we couldn't handle. We made our way through North Bay and then onto Sturgeon Falls to stay with our friend Christine and her family. Quite a long day of cycling, though on the last leg we were cruising along the flattest highway we've encountered yet, easily breaking 30km/hr consistently for the last leg.
At Christine's we stored our bikes, threw our panniers in her Suburban and got a scenic drive to Field, where her family cottage sits by a beautiful lake. We had planned a rest day in Sturgeon, but got treated to an extra as when we were about to leave a neighbor drove by relaying warnings of falling trees and golf ball hail in Sudbury. Not biking conditions that's for sure.
It's getting late, so I'll finish telling the story up until now when we get some computer time tomorrow. Hope everybody is doing well!
A very unfortunate lack of updates since leaving Ottawa. So much to catch up on, but I'm writing this very late so I'll include the highlights since then.
I write this on our second of three days off in Adrian's home near Southbay Mouth on Manitoulin Island. It is stunning here. The water on Lake Huron is as clear as the night sky, and everything feels tranquil and serene. The house Adrian's dad built by hand is unbelievably unique, running solely on alternative energy generated from solar panels and wind power, with the help of an inverter and other gadgets better described by somebody without a Communications background. Jim tried explaining the amperage and voltage schematics to me, and I get the jist, but at the time of his explanation I was still too overwhelmed by the beauty of the house and the surrounding garden, waterfront, ponds, animals, you name it.
Backtracking though, from Ottawa we set off for Pembroke, but failed to reach it and stopped in Renfrew due to a day of tire popping and crap weather. The following day we were hit by similar conditions and ended in Petawawa with the Lafrance family. Their son is a friend of Rainer and the other guys and Mrs. Lafrance was unbelievable in accomodating us with beds, food prep, tea, television, warmth, laundry, and most importantly great conversation.
From there we travelled in much improved weather through the military lands of Petawawa and finished a good day in Deux Rivieres, camping behind a very gracious general store. If the details on riding seem short or completely absent, it's not because the riding wasn't great, it just escapes me now at 1:00am. The bike shop in Petawawa was incredible as well, bought a new tire to replace one I'd chewed up, as well as some red rear brake pads ensuring I don't smash into the back of somebody in the draft line. Still need more tubes though, running on a spare with a hole in it at the moment, not so smart. Our lunch stop earlier that day brought us to a beautiful spot in Deep River right on the water, where we met a cheery guy named Paul-David, who is riding solo from St. Sauveur near Montreal all the way to Vancouver. He rode with us after lunch for a while until the hills slowed him down and led him to end his day with a camp in the deep woods. Adrian spotted a black bear moments earlier, hopefully our Francophone friend and the curious bear didn't cross each other after we rode on.
From Deux Rivieres we travelled a long day through very hot weather and unpredictable roads. Lots of construction sites and some hills, though nothing we couldn't handle. We made our way through North Bay and then onto Sturgeon Falls to stay with our friend Christine and her family. Quite a long day of cycling, though on the last leg we were cruising along the flattest highway we've encountered yet, easily breaking 30km/hr consistently for the last leg.
At Christine's we stored our bikes, threw our panniers in her Suburban and got a scenic drive to Field, where her family cottage sits by a beautiful lake. We had planned a rest day in Sturgeon, but got treated to an extra as when we were about to leave a neighbor drove by relaying warnings of falling trees and golf ball hail in Sudbury. Not biking conditions that's for sure.
It's getting late, so I'll finish telling the story up until now when we get some computer time tomorrow. Hope everybody is doing well!
Saturday, June 2, 2007
Friday, June 1, 2007
OTTAWA!
So the last post was in Trois Rivieres, and much has happened since. Rainer, Adrian and I rode towards Montreal, and actually past it, to my Aunt, Uncle, and cousins' place in Pointe Claire. The West Island is absolutely beautiful, but it took a hell of a long day to get there. Mikey's train got into the Dorval station for 5:00pm and after assembling his bike he had hoped to meet us in Pointe Claire by the time we'd arrived. Unfortunately we took a long time in crossing the island, turns out to be quite a bit longer east to west than we thought, so we only ended up getting there around eight. Mike used the spare time to bike around the neighborhood and get his legs in shape to account for the time he missed in New Brunswick and north eastern Quebec. However, based on how well he biked at the front of the draft on the first leg to Ottawa, I don't think he, or anybody really, should find reason for worry.
In Montreal we had a great time with my family. My Uncle had burgers sizzling on the barbecue when we arrived, and we spent that night joking around with the family and amongst ourselves, playing video games (Top Gear 2 for Super Nintendo, the kids' entertainment for many Christmas Eves in that house) and watching tv.
The following day was a welcome day-off. My cousin Britt took us to Smoked Meat Pete in St. Anne de Bellevue for lunch, because you can't make the visit without a little Montreal Smoked Meat. Afterwards, we drove down the shore to check out the gigantic properties we would end up passing on bike on our way off the island.
My wonderful grandparents, Gaggy (my brother's version of Grandma as a toddler, it's stuck since) and Granddad, hosted us boys for a great take out chicken dinner that night. Granddad at 91 is still sharp and has a hilarious sense of humour. The guys all had a great time and rifled down the delicious food. After saying our goodbyes, we returned to my Aunt's and got ready for a night downtown, where we would spend at Foufounes Electrique, for sure my favorite bar in Montreal. Our flip flops, the most sensible alternate to our bike shoes for packing in the panniers, were laughed at by the doorman. We watched the Sens lose to our delight, and then saw The Saint Catherines close out their Poutine and Cigarettes tour. Raw, energetic punk was exactly the kind of sound we needed to keep us at attention, and we all left the show fans of theirs. Rainer was singing their praises on the way in, but the rest of left with a great first impression. The lead singer had a pair of Macho Man Randy Savage green stripe sunglasses, inside-out leopard print coat, Billy Joel and Elton John tour shirt with sleeves chopped off, and by the show's end he was shirtless bearing a mammoth beer belly. Hilarious stuff. Two dollar pizza closed out the night and we couldn't have been more pleased.
Yesterday we left Pointe Claire and headed halfway to Ottawa, stopping in Alfred, Ontario. We biked at a crazy clip for Mike's first leg back in the tour, going over 25km/hr on average. We camped in a family's yard, cooked up some Chili on our little propane burner and called it a night. Mike and I played poker in our tent until 11 or so, and I hustled him for $5.75.
Today we awoke early, made our signature peanut butter and banana sandwiches for breakfast, and made the short trip to Ottawa, about 80km or so. Pretty good ride overall, very humid with some headwind, and I flipped over my handle bars on the shoulder after a particularly tight squeeze on highway 17. Only a few scrapes, meh. We made it into Ottawa around 1pm, and Mike and I are staying with friends Becca and Nat at their aweseme apartment.
Tonight is our pub at the Cabin, and if you're reading this the cover charge is $3. If you print out the following ticket and hand it in at the door, the money will go directly to CANFAR, the AIDS research foundation we're representing on our trek. Hope to see everybody there, and go to Mike's blog for the ticket because right now the computer won't let me insert an image.....bah.
In Montreal we had a great time with my family. My Uncle had burgers sizzling on the barbecue when we arrived, and we spent that night joking around with the family and amongst ourselves, playing video games (Top Gear 2 for Super Nintendo, the kids' entertainment for many Christmas Eves in that house) and watching tv.
The following day was a welcome day-off. My cousin Britt took us to Smoked Meat Pete in St. Anne de Bellevue for lunch, because you can't make the visit without a little Montreal Smoked Meat. Afterwards, we drove down the shore to check out the gigantic properties we would end up passing on bike on our way off the island.
My wonderful grandparents, Gaggy (my brother's version of Grandma as a toddler, it's stuck since) and Granddad, hosted us boys for a great take out chicken dinner that night. Granddad at 91 is still sharp and has a hilarious sense of humour. The guys all had a great time and rifled down the delicious food. After saying our goodbyes, we returned to my Aunt's and got ready for a night downtown, where we would spend at Foufounes Electrique, for sure my favorite bar in Montreal. Our flip flops, the most sensible alternate to our bike shoes for packing in the panniers, were laughed at by the doorman. We watched the Sens lose to our delight, and then saw The Saint Catherines close out their Poutine and Cigarettes tour. Raw, energetic punk was exactly the kind of sound we needed to keep us at attention, and we all left the show fans of theirs. Rainer was singing their praises on the way in, but the rest of left with a great first impression. The lead singer had a pair of Macho Man Randy Savage green stripe sunglasses, inside-out leopard print coat, Billy Joel and Elton John tour shirt with sleeves chopped off, and by the show's end he was shirtless bearing a mammoth beer belly. Hilarious stuff. Two dollar pizza closed out the night and we couldn't have been more pleased.
Yesterday we left Pointe Claire and headed halfway to Ottawa, stopping in Alfred, Ontario. We biked at a crazy clip for Mike's first leg back in the tour, going over 25km/hr on average. We camped in a family's yard, cooked up some Chili on our little propane burner and called it a night. Mike and I played poker in our tent until 11 or so, and I hustled him for $5.75.
Today we awoke early, made our signature peanut butter and banana sandwiches for breakfast, and made the short trip to Ottawa, about 80km or so. Pretty good ride overall, very humid with some headwind, and I flipped over my handle bars on the shoulder after a particularly tight squeeze on highway 17. Only a few scrapes, meh. We made it into Ottawa around 1pm, and Mike and I are staying with friends Becca and Nat at their aweseme apartment.
Tonight is our pub at the Cabin, and if you're reading this the cover charge is $3. If you print out the following ticket and hand it in at the door, the money will go directly to CANFAR, the AIDS research foundation we're representing on our trek. Hope to see everybody there, and go to Mike's blog for the ticket because right now the computer won't let me insert an image.....bah.
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