At 10 days and 3,058 kilometres, this June`s 10th anniversary destination journey on my trusty 2006 Beemer, was the shortest multi-day retirement ride on my motorcycle to date. The route was through Quebec, the South shore of the St-Lawrence River, New-Brunswick, and PEI. Once again I discovered that, while the speed limits are lower and the road surfaces not as smooth, it`s always more fun and interesting to take meandering secondary roads that often follow rivers and streams and go through small towns and villages.
I slept in 3 hotels, one Hotel Oui Go in Trois Rivières was a great choice conveniently located in the centre of the city, 3 B&Bs, with the best by far being Bulwinkles Place in Souris of which I`ve already written in an earlier post, and the Auberge sur mer in Notre-Dame-du-Portage where the restaurant alone is well worth a trip. Speaking of food, as I tend to do a lot, in addition to the delightful dinner at the Auberge sur mer, I enjoyed wonderful meals at the Blue Fin Restaurant in Souris, and at Les Pas Perdus and La Table des Roy in Cap-aux-Meules. Oh, and there were delicious lobster rolls consumed at different times and places in the Maritimes.
As for the highlights, were it not for the non-stop wind, rain and positively cool temperature that forced me to rent a car to discover the sights, the Iles de la Madeleine was definitely a worthwhile destination. I can see why the ferries in July and August were all booked when I tried to arrange a trip there.
And on the negative side, riding a motorcycle, even one as stable as my touring bike, in the rain sucks, especially when you are momentarily lost in the cloud of fog and mist created by passing trucks on highways or on a bridge deck high above the St Lawrence River.
This June`s trip was fun, and while I enjoy my retirement rides immensely, I am always happy to return home to loved ones.
Here is a final selection of pictures from this trip;
my room at Bulwinkles,
fishing vessels at one of the ports on Iles de la Madeleine,
hotel Oui Go, Trois Rivières,
a lighthouse on Iles de la Madeleine,
a monument to fishermen, Iles de la Madeleine,
and a nice house on the island.
Stay tuned for Retirement Ride 2019-II in August.
Until then, take care!
