99 BIKE MONTREAL, QUEBEC & GASPE PENINSULA

August 5, 1999 Thursday Drive to Montreal

Got up and drove at 5:00 am 600 miles to Montreal, Canada arriving at 6:00 pm. Met Carol and Barry Nelson and Lew and Kathleen Frain. Went to the Buffet Vichy near our motel for buffet supper for $26.35 Canadian. Stayed in room 127 at the Motel La Siesta across the river from Montreal.

August 6, 1999 Friday Bike Montreal

Got up and ran 5.1 miles. Biked on a bike path along the river to the Worlds Fair and a park. Biked across the river and into old Montreal. Stopped at a sidewalk cafe on a pedestrian street for refreshments. Biked down the street to Notre Dame Cathedral and walked through it. Biked to the underground and walked around the shops. Ate lunch at a fast food restaurant in the food area underground. When we came out of the underground in the afternoon it was raining. We started biking back and got lost. At one point we had to stop and wait for a freight train to pass. It was raining very hard at this point. The traffic was also heavy and a little hairy in the rain. We finally got back across the river and on our bike path. It also quit raining so it wasn’t bad getting back to our motel after 19.3 miles of biking. We cleaned up and went to the Buffet Vichy again for buffet supper for $28.70 Canadian. Stayed at the La Siesta Motel. Montreal from bike path...

August 7, 1999 Saturday Drive to Quebec City

Got up and packed up. Drove to Quebec City. It is a beautiful day and we walked around the old city of Quebec. We were on the battlements, down the narrow streets, into shops and visited the historical sites. It is very busy with pedestrian traffic. Went to supper at the Frontenac Hotel for $106.49 Canadian for two. It was very good. The hotel is at the high point of the city on the wall at the top off a high bluff. Very scenic day or night. Returned to L’Hotel du Vieux Quebec in the old city of Quebec, Canada.

Quebec's Petite Champlain area...

Classy high wheeler...

August 8, 1999 Sunday Drive to Matane, Quebec

Drove out of Quebec along the north shore of the Gaspe Peninsula 262 miles to Matane, Quebec Province, Canada. It is rainy, windy and chilly. Not ideal biking weather so we didn’t do any. Ate supper at Belle Plage for $60.85 Canadian for two. Stayed in La Signeurie bed and breakfast for $91.02 Canadian in Matane. The house is huge and restored very nicely. It sits on a big lot about an acre back off the street in some trees. The people are friendly and relaxed.

August 9, 1999 Monday Drive to Caplan, Quebec

Continued to drive along the coast of the Gaspe Peninsula for 368 miles to Caplan, Quebec, Canada. The weather continued crappy wet and cold. Ate supper at Au Fin Gourmet for $46.56 Canadian for two. Stayed in room 3 at La Lilas for $40. We paid in American dollars because the charge connection wouldn’t work and we were out of Canadian money. The lady was quite friendly and we talked to her for some time. She was interested in our biking exploits. Her husband was out for the day trout fishing in the national park.

Gaspe Peninsula...

August 10, 1999 Tuesday Drive to Portland, ME

Anne and I parted company with the Nelsons and Frains as we drove from Caplan, Quebec at 8:00 am 500 miles to Portland, ME arriving at 6:00 pm. We had a decent meal at Governor’s for $35.96 for two. It was a big place that was friendly and efficient. We stayed in room 240 at the EconoLodge for $95.34.

August 11, 1999 Wednesday Drive to Columbia, MD

Got up and at 6:50 drove 606 miles home to Columbia, MD arriving at 5:45 pm. We stopped in Port Jervis, NY to eat for $13.96 for two.