It was a real shame to leave Quebec so early this morning. I will be back soon. The first, arguably most crucial stop was at St Henri, a good Montreal-based coffee roaster that expanded recently to Quebec. After a cappuccino and a croissant I raced to the ferry. It runs hourly on Sunday morning and in classic fashion I arrived just in time. There was heavy bike traffic on the ferry, in fact all through Quebec there has been a steady stream of people out enjoying the province’s many bike routes and trails. It’s great to see after the solitude of the prairies and Ontario.

Once across the river I pointed the bike toward Rivière du Loup, or so I thought. Many intersections along the Route Verte are poorly signed, as in not at all. After a couple of minor detours I sorted things out and got moving. A stop for provisions was in order, and I took advantage of the civilized liquor laws of Quebec and added a small bottle of wine to my haul. This proved beneficial at lunch, where I would have been the only person at the picnic area without a glass of wine. When in Rome…

After lunch the wind really picked up. It was blowing 30+ km/h, gusting to at least 40. Thankfully it was generally behind me, I saw lots of cyclists struggling to pedal against the wind.

Ultimately I stopped 30 km short of Rivière du Loup, owing to the slow start this morning. My campsite has a brewery next to it, obviously I checked it out. They had a couple of collaborations with my favourite brewpub in Montreal, Isle de Garde. It was not Quebec’s best offering, but a competent lineup and a big (and young) crowd for a Sunday night. Tomorrow’s goal is to reach Mont Joli, which means a long day in the saddle. The next five days will easily be the longest five-day stretch, a big push which will be rewarded by seeing all my friends in Halifax on the weekend. As long as the rumoured hurricane passes before I get close enough to feel its wind & rain this should work out.

Today’s distance: 164.6 km

Cumulative distance: 5,466.3 km

Today’s climb: 618 m