In Summary - Retirement Rides - July 2022

 It was really great to be able to do another long ride after having to postpone them due to COVID.

The 4,127 kilometre trip lasted 17 days and involved travelling in four provinces (Ontario, Quebec, Nova Scotia, New Brunswick) and Maine. With the exception of the low-beam bulb that failed early in the trip, my trusty BMW R1200RT motorcycle performed brilliantly while consuming only 186 litres of gas, a very respectable 4.5 litres per 100 kilometres. I took two ferries, the CAT high-speed vessel from Bar Harbor, Maine to Yarmouth, Nova Scotia, and the larger and slower ship across the Bay of Fundy from Digby Nova Scotia to Saint John New Brunswick.

Among the most impressive sights were Lac Mégantic, on the day of 9th anniversary of the tragic rail disaster that took the lives of 47 people, the ride through Maine from the Quebec border to Bar Harbor, the interesting segments on impressive inland highways that criss-cross the Gaspé peninsula following the course of some of the countries most well-known salmon fly-fishing rivers in the shadow of high mountains of the Upper Appalachian range, and the Gaspé coastal highway along the Gulf of St-Lawrence and the south shore of the river of the same name. The road conditions for the whole trip were generally very good. There were a few highway construction zones but, except for one section of gravel road, the roadwork did not complicate or materially effect the enjoyment of the trip.

I enjoyed some exceptional meals, too few I am sorry to say, in Québec City, Percé, Notre-Dame-du-Portage and Trois Rivières. 

Here are screen shots of the routes I followed on three parts of  the journey.

Another great ride, it’s great to be back home. Thanks to Jane for being supportive and indulging me in this passion. Hopefully there will be a 2023 version of Retirement Rides; your suggestions are welcomed.

Home again, home again, jiggidy , jig!

Just to let you all know, I have safely returned home after completing the 2022 version of Retirement Rides. Once I have tabulated all the information I will post a final instalment with summary information on distance travelled, etc. and overall impressions.

For now though I will just write a few words about the ride from Plaster Rock, New Brunswick, somewhere that probably few of you have visited, to Notre-Dame-du-Portage, where there is a really great Auberge with a dining room that never fails to impress, and finally Trois-Rivières, a great place to spend a last night on any eastern provinces return trip. Here is a view of the St-Lawrence from the balcony of my room at the Auberge in Notre-Dame-du-Portage.

While the weather has generally been very good for this year’s trip, there were a few times, including on Tuesday morning and again yesterday afternoon, where rain, sometimes quite heavy, made riding let us say challenging. For example when the water from the puddles on the road splashes up on your legs when you race through them, or when you have to ride through pouring rain with the four-way flashers on in order to be more visible, let’s just agree that it’s a bit of an adventure; but then again it’s also those moments one remembers most vividly.

I may have mentioned that the gastronomic dimension of this year’s trip was not uniformly great. I have mentioned some outstanding meals in earlier posts in this series and such was not the case in Kamouraska where I had a fantastic lunch of scallops and shrimp on rice at a poissonnerie, at the Auberge in Notre-Dame-du-Portage where both the dinner, a perfectly prepared piece of haddock with potatoes, pea pods, and a delicious sauce, and the breakfast were top notch, and at Épi, à Trois-Rivières bistro that focuses all its small-plate dishes on local ingredients that can be paired with interesting, in some cases Québec, wines. 

Continuing to criss-cross the Gaspé Peninsula

 Yesterday I rode from Matane to Campbellton New Brunswick on Highway 132, a route that, for a long way, follows the course of the Matapedia River, another famous salmon river in the Gaspé. 

Though we do not see any in the pictures I have posted in this blog, I can assure you that there are many fly fishers who stand in the shallow waters along, or on boats on these rivers trying to catch salmon. 

Another frequent sight along the roads in this area are wind turbines, sometimes in dense clusters on the tops of mountains in the Appalachian range that extends beyond the Chic Chocs to the tip of peninsula. 

I do not know what percentage of the electricity used in the region is generated by these turbines but it certainly has to be a significant source of Green Energy.

Now it is time to continue with our list of motorcycling hazards. I would like to add the following:

Note that in New Brunswick, the first photo, a moose is called Attention (with an exclamation point) while in Québec, as we are informed on other large roadside signs, it is called Imprévisible. As we have learned in previous trips through Québec, the no less formidable albeit smaller threat is called Prudence and is shown here in its classic leaping onto the roadway in front of an unsuspecting rider pose.

Last night I stayed at Maison McKenzie, a fine B&B in Cambellton owned and operated by Michel Bujold who is helped by his 94 year old mother who as it turns was a teacher for a short time in Miguasha, a suburb if one can call it that of Nouvelle, my mother’s birthplace. Michel and I chatted as he served me breakfast before I set out for today’s ride along part of the Appalachian Range Route, essentially a modern logging route that goes through vaste areas where, but for the borders next to the highway itself, whole forests have been clear cut. Avoiding the Trans-Canada highway I followed some smaller side roads from Saint-Léonard, through Grand Falls and Perth-Andover, to Plaster Rock where I have a motel room for the night.

For those of you who have followed my Retirement Rides blog over the years you know that I try to fill you in on the meals I have along the way. While there have been a few excellent meals along the way, which I have mentioned, the truth is that, thus far, this trip has not been a gastronomic adventure. For example today's meals consisted of pancakes at the B&B, a burger, fries and a milkshake at 

in Perth-Andover as there was no other option, and a plastic-wrapped submarine sandwich and a can of V8 from the service station in Plaster Rock.  Oh well, things should pick up tomorrow as I head back to the South Shore of the St-Lawrence.

De Percé à Matane

 I had one of the very best meals of this trip two night’s ago in the dining room of the La Normandie Hotel in Percé. From my table in the airy and bright room I could see Rocher Percé bathed in the evening glow of a slowly setting sun, much as it appears in this picture from the hotel’s website that was taken from the table where I was actually seated.

The service was excellent and the meal, accompanied by a couple of glasses of white Orpailleur, was delicious, each course very well executed and presented. Of particular note were the scallop ceviche with very ripe pineapple, crushed almonds, and other delicious stuff, and my main course, a Gaspésienne bouillabaisse served in a conch shell inspired dish, which consisted of half a lobster tail, scallops, mussels, salmon and cod, and two kinds of shrimp swimming in a perfectly seasoned fish broth. Complimenti to the chef.

After dinner I retired to my room at the B&B across the road from La Normandie where I had a good night’s sleep and a delicious breakfast of coffee, o j, and pancakes with banana and real maple syrup, before setting out on the ride along the 132 West to Matane.

The 132 is a great highway that goes all the way around the Gaspé Peninsula and as such hugs the coasts of the Baie des Chaleurs, the Gulf of St-Lawrence and the river of the same name. It goes through many small villages set in coves and bays along the route. Here is one such typical place, Grande Vallée.

 I had forgotten how different parts of the road are; there are alternating stretches of wide pavement with passing lanes and a posted speed limit of 90 kph, which is clearly just suggestive as no one drives that slowly, and then other sections that are reminiscent of the Pacific Coastal Highway,  narrow road surfaces with repeated steep inclines and declines and connected curves, including even switch-backs, with speed limits as low as 35 kph that one would do well to respect.

There are many places to turn off the road to take in the scenery and sights including the lighthouse at Madeleine-Centre.

Finally today, another lesson on the ever-present dangers of the road to watch for. You will recall that I previously posted and warned about falling rocks and snow, waves that eat cars and bicyclists. Today I would like to highlight two additional risks. The first are motorcycles that do crazy things in certain areas. Where is the rider I ask?

And finally the EXCLAMATION POINT, that hides just over the crest of a steep hill. 

Yes, you’d be more than a little surprised if, at 90 kph, you unexpectedly came upon one of these in the middle of road ahead of you! Fortunately, and I hope my luck hold out, I have not encountered one, nor the moose that we’re often warned about. Riding certainly is an adventure!

Tomorrow I am planning to ride from Matane to Cambellton New Brunswick.

Some catching up is required

 When I last left you I was getting ready to ride from Shediac to Caraquet which as you all know is on the east side of La Baie des Chaleurs. I followed the Acadian Coastal Drive which, as the name suggests, runs along the Northumberland Strait going through such places as Bouctouche, where I had breakfast at a restaurant called La Sagouine, Richibucto and Grande Anse where I took these pictures.

Caraquet itself was a bust. There was nowhere good for dinner. After waiting half an hour after ordering a small pizza, which was after 15 minutes had first been wasted waiting to place the order, I bailed. I think it’s the first time in my life that I have left a restaurant after having placed an order for food. And my reward was to cross the street and have a Teenburger at A&W.

Wednesday I rode from Caraquet to Carleton-sur-mer, an interesting enough route along the coast. I stopped at a small shoreside park to examine an interesting rock formation, a kind of mini Bonaventure Island with hundreds of birds nesting on the top.

Carleton-sur-mer is a pretty tourist destination but not a place where I was able to find a good meal. But the beer at the local microbrewery was good and I was able to go out and walk along the shore.

Thursday was a busier day. I started off by going to visit the graveyard in Saint Siméon, my father’s birthplace, and I found the final resting places of my grandmother, Salomé Babin, my grandfather, Jean Bujold, and a number of aunts and uncles. The cross marks her gravesite while her husband’s which is right beside hers has lost its headstone.

From Saint Siméon I backtracked to New Richmond where I took the 299 which cuts across the Gaspé Peninsula. When I asked the person at the tourist information stand at the bottom end of the road what was  absolutely essential to see along the road she said: “rien, seulement les montagnes et les rivières”. But nothing didn’t really mean nothing. The scenery was amazing. The Cascapédia River, a very famous salmon river follows the 229 and there are marked spots where fly fishers can gain access to the gravel shores of the waterway. I saw many cars and pickup trucks with very long fishing rods attached to them with special holders. Except for a brief spell of rain the ride was great.  I arrived in Cap-Chat early enough to find a place where I could wash some clothes and book into my motel room for the night.

After a late forgettable dinner in probably the noisiest restaurant I have been in, not because of any music but the loud competing chatter from large groups at tables celebrating birthdays or whatever, I rode back to my room for some sleep.

When I got up this morning the sky was partly overcast and the temperature was around 17C. Highway 132 East literally hugs the shore of the St Lawrence and there are dangers along every stretch, from rocks and snow that can fall from cliffs, to waves that can eat up cars, and probably more troubling than anything else, bicyclists. 

But there are also some stunning sights along the route. I will leave you with a few more pictures including some of the most impressive Rocher Percé where I am now waiting until my 6:00 dinner reservation .

Yarmouth, Digby, Saint John, Shediac

 It’s been a while since I posted so let me try to catch you up.  The B&B I stayed at in Yarmouth wasn’t great but it had something that any fine establishment should have.

Many of you will remember this as a “church key”. 

Saturday morning I rode from Yarmouth to Digby along the more scenic Route 1 which goes through many small towns including Clare where the tallest all wood church, Sainte-Marie is located.

After walking in front of the church I restarted my motorcycle to continue on to Digby and a warning light came on announcing that my front running light was not working; that’s a bummer but not a big deal as the 2018 R1200RT is equipped with two rings of LEDs that come on when the bike is under power and that essentially act as running lights. Replacing the burnt bulb will have to wait until I am back in Ottawa.

Saturday was the last day of the Digby Lobster Bash, with vendors lining Main Street and the wharf and entertainment on various outdoor stages. The weather was perfect and families were out enjoying the festivities. I had an exceptionally good bowl of chowder filled with pieces of lobster, clams, smoked salmon and haddock, followed by a seafood sampler with baked bacon-wrapped scallops and shrimp, fish nuggets, and deep-fried clam strips all accompanied by a lovely glass of Chardonnay. 

On Sunday morning, early as it turns out, there was this amazing sunrise that I was able to capture and which I now share with you.

These pictures were taken from the small deck at the back of my room at the B&B in Digby where incidentally I had a very good breakfast before leaving for the ferry that would take me across the Bay of Fundy to Saint John New Brunswick on Sunday. You know, things are pretty quiet on a Sunday in Saint John; but I did manage to find an on-street patio across the street from one where a band was playing some popular tunes of the 70s, 80s, and 90s much to the delight of the patrons of both establishments. 

Today’s ride took me from Saint John to Shediac along some beautiful secondary roads that run closer to the Fundy Coast. I managed stops at two well-known and well-visited sights, ‘Cap Enragé’ and Hopewell Rocks. The skies were clear and the temperature in the mid-twenties, ideal weather for riding.

Here is a picture of the lighthouse and fog horn at the Cape,

and a few others taken at the Hopewell Rocks where one can walk down a steep trail and many steps to the shore to walk amongst the monumental rock structures that have been carved by the powerful flowing and ebbing tides in the bay.

Tonight I am in Shediac, a place I had visited on an earlier Retirementride, where there ain’t much happening; though I imagine it wasn’t the case on the weekend when crowds were here to celebrate the end of the city’s annual lobster festival. 

Tomorrow it’s off to Caraquet. I will try to keep you informed as my journey unfolds.