La Route Verte 2007
Day 9 August 30, 2007, Thursday
Trois Rivieres to Quebec City
Trois Rivieres
Having spent some time in Trois Riveries about 10 years prior I had a sense of where some things were in town. Trois Rivieres Having settled into the Hostel in town we did some sightseeing the day before and walked down the Boulevard Rue des Forges (photo at left: Claude Boucher, Wikipedia). The whole central district is easily walkable and although not as touristy as Quebec City, there area plenty of restaurants on the main boulevard. It is not totally evident from the photo but Boulevard Rue de Forges is lined with all types of Restaurants from Spanish to Greek, from casual to formal, from pubs to bistros.
What amazed me however was that in a town of just over 100,000 on a Thursday night all the restaurants were busy both inside and out on the street. I tried to imagine any comparable U.S. city that would have such a crowd out walking and dining, and you know I just couldn't name one. Any suggestions out there?
What was nice about staying a the hostel and being so centrally located we could just leave the bikes and walk to the restaurant district, amble around and watch the people with out having to lock up our bikes. Riding's fun but it's nice sometimes to just get off the bike and stroll. We would also have that opportunity in the old town area of Quebec City.
As I had stated in previous posts if you cannot find a tourist office (? information touristique) in any Quebec town or village, well your just not looking. Look at the photo at right not only are there signs on lampposts but also in the street and signage informing you that you can park for 30 minutes for free if you use the office.
Lucky for us we found a fantastic Belgium Bakery, known as Nys (Patisserie Belge Artisanal Nys). After some palmiers and some espresso we ordered a couple of baguettes, wrapped them and stuffed them in to the back pockets or our Jerseys and were on our way.
Trois Rivieres to Quebec City
The trip today would be about 90 miles which is definitely doable, especially with the flat route along the St. Lawrence River. But with an early morning cool rain storm and a nice headwind it would definitely be challenging. Now that we were traveling along the St. Lawrence what little history I read about the region was beginning to make sense. The first European exploration of New France (Quebec) was by Jacques Cartier in 1534. The first permanent settlement of the area would be located in Quebec City some 50 years later by Samuel de Champlain (Lake Champlain).
These small fiercely french villages still retain much of the flavor of the old country. The grid based land and urban system so typical in the United States is not present here. In fact looking at Google Maps or Google Earth look at upstate New York with its grid or square and rectangular farms and grid based town maps. In Quebec you will notice that abutting rivers, landowners had a small frontage but the land extended back from the water in large strips.
Most of the development on the lower St. Lawrence takes places on the south-east side of the river, so the ride to Quebec City along the northern side is prettier and more direct; skirting closely to the side of the river without substantial truck and auto traffic exiting the provincial freeway. The road enters many small towns with a decent amount of farmers stands to stop f
or produce and food.
One small town (small being less than a hundred buildings) Deschambault, which is built a small knob sticking in to the Saint Lawrence had this great little bistro. The owners; a husband and wife team built the restaurant in an old converted two story Victorian era house. The wife, who is an artist, redid and outfitted the whole house in stunning antiques and works of art, while the husband focused on the food.
I order a smoked salmon bagel with an additional wrap. Just as we were wrapping up our lunch, a couple from Toronto mentioned that they were on their way to Quebec for the --get this--, "Accordion festival". Before you knew it Dave grabbed the restaurant owner's guitar and started playing some improvisation right there on the spot.
It sure made for an entertaining rest from the rain and the wind just an hour prior. But now we had about another 40 or 50 miles before entering Quebec, so it was time to say our goodbyes and hit the road.
Trois Rivieres to Quebec City
Trois Rivieres
Having spent some time in Trois Riveries about 10 years prior I had a sense of where some things were in town. Trois Rivieres Having settled into the Hostel in town we did some sightseeing the day before and walked down the Boulevard Rue des Forges (photo at left: Claude Boucher, Wikipedia). The whole central district is easily walkable and although not as touristy as Quebec City, there area plenty of restaurants on the main boulevard. It is not totally evident from the photo but Boulevard Rue de Forges is lined with all types of Restaurants from Spanish to Greek, from casual to formal, from pubs to bistros.
What amazed me however was that in a town of just over 100,000 on a Thursday night all the restaurants were busy both inside and out on the street. I tried to imagine any comparable U.S. city that would have such a crowd out walking and dining, and you know I just couldn't name one. Any suggestions out there?
What was nice about staying a the hostel and being so centrally located we could just leave the bikes and walk to the restaurant district, amble around and watch the people with out having to lock up our bikes. Riding's fun but it's nice sometimes to just get off the bike and stroll. We would also have that opportunity in the old town area of Quebec City.
As I had stated in previous posts if you cannot find a tourist office (? information touristique) in any Quebec town or village, well your just not looking. Look at the photo at right not only are there signs on lampposts but also in the street and signage informing you that you can park for 30 minutes for free if you use the office.Lucky for us we found a fantastic Belgium Bakery, known as Nys (Patisserie Belge Artisanal Nys). After some palmiers and some espresso we ordered a couple of baguettes, wrapped them and stuffed them in to the back pockets or our Jerseys and were on our way.
Trois Rivieres to Quebec City
The trip today would be about 90 miles which is definitely doable, especially with the flat route along the St. Lawrence River. But with an early morning cool rain storm and a nice headwind it would definitely be challenging. Now that we were traveling along the St. Lawrence what little history I read about the region was beginning to make sense. The first European exploration of New France (Quebec) was by Jacques Cartier in 1534. The first permanent settlement of the area would be located in Quebec City some 50 years later by Samuel de Champlain (Lake Champlain).
These small fiercely french villages still retain much of the flavor of the old country. The grid based land and urban system so typical in the United States is not present here. In fact looking at Google Maps or Google Earth look at upstate New York with its grid or square and rectangular farms and grid based town maps. In Quebec you will notice that abutting rivers, landowners had a small frontage but the land extended back from the water in large strips.
Most of the development on the lower St. Lawrence takes places on the south-east side of the river, so the ride to Quebec City along the northern side is prettier and more direct; skirting closely to the side of the river without substantial truck and auto traffic exiting the provincial freeway. The road enters many small towns with a decent amount of farmers stands to stop f
or produce and food.One small town (small being less than a hundred buildings) Deschambault, which is built a small knob sticking in to the Saint Lawrence had this great little bistro. The owners; a husband and wife team built the restaurant in an old converted two story Victorian era house. The wife, who is an artist, redid and outfitted the whole house in stunning antiques and works of art, while the husband focused on the food.
I order a smoked salmon bagel with an additional wrap. Just as we were wrapping up our lunch, a couple from Toronto mentioned that they were on their way to Quebec for the --get this--, "Accordion festival". Before you knew it Dave grabbed the restaurant owner's guitar and started playing some improvisation right there on the spot.
It sure made for an entertaining rest from the rain and the wind just an hour prior. But now we had about another 40 or 50 miles before entering Quebec, so it was time to say our goodbyes and hit the road.
An hour and a half into the ride and I was already feeling somewhat tired. As we passed a town (although it look more like a typical American freeway stop) just off the highway, I noticed; strewn over the roadway paper cups, wrappers and bags courtesy of McDonalds. I was a little shocked because I had not seen the typical scene of hyper-litter that now is present on most American roads. It had been over a week now and I really didn't recall seeing any litter until now. This is one of the few; in fact I think the only McDonalds we had seen in Quebec, and as a reminder we were now being blessed with an unsightly roadway garbage to make us feel at home.
Well the afternoon was getting late and I was completely drained of energy. I didn't remember Quebec City being so large. As a tourist you think of the city as that which is within the fortress walls but it has expanded outwards about 20 miles from the walls along the river. I knew that if I just follwed a general path along the river I would reach the auberge. Finally at around 8:00 PM I reached the gates to the "old city". The next few days would be focused on rest, relaxation, and tourist activities.
It was an end to a long day.
Publish Post
It was an end to a long day.
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