Total distance: 150km
Average speed: 21.5km/h
Weather: Sunny
I think today marks the first time I have biked over 100km in a day since the 2014 bike trip, glad to know I’ve still got it in me!
I left Maud & Gail’s house just after 8:30am in the morning and headed towards the terminal for the ferry to Levis. Of course I get lost enroute, but end up going through the streets of Vieux Quebec, which is always nice and brings back many memories.
I watched Chateau Frontenac get smaller and smaller as I said goodbye to Quebec City and crossed over to the southern side of the St Laurence River, a landmark that I shall follow for these two days. There were many other cyclists both on the ferry and on the roads in Levis, and I joined them on a beautiful bike path for about 5km on the other side.
Eventually I found my way onto Route 132 and pedaled into rural Quebec. It never felt super remote though; the towns blended into each other such that there was always a house or farm on the side of the road. And I saw cyclists in both directions the whole day! For my first century ride in a long time the terrain was very forgiving, it was essentially flat with some very gentle rolling hills. However, I was definitely not acclimized to the heat.
I had lunch in a park in the bigger city of Montmagny with many other picnickers, and from then onwards the temperature got hotter and hotter into the low 30s. I filled up my water bottles with ice and took lots of breaks, stopping at the Maritime Museum in L’Islet and many churches (mostly because they were cool inside 😅). The St Laurence widened more and more and looked like the ocean!
Around 6pm I arrived at my host Philippe’s home in La Pocatiere, a small town of around 4000 people. Getting to dip in their backyard pool was the perfect way to cap off a long day in the saddle!
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