Finally, after being postponed for a week due to rain and then moved up by a day for the same reasons, the first part of this year's event has finally taken place!
At 9 a.m., I took the start from the Actiforme parking lot for a loop of some 300 km. I first headed towards Venise-en-Québec along the Richelieu. The road is always pleasant, uncrowded and you come across tractors that give their rhythm to a traffic that is very fluid to say the least. These are the only moments during which we remember that we are not alone on the road. Once in Venise-en-Québec, I take a little hydration break, because the temperature is already around 26 or 27 degrees. The day is going to be hot, it seems, and nothing thereafter will contradict this impression.
I leave then, direction Sutton. The traffic thickens a little because of the villages that are a little more present, but on this morning of rest, I don't meet that many people. I walk along the border with the United States. I shouldn't miss it, I don't have my passport! 😊 From Sutton, I then head towards Saint-Benoît-du-Lac by "Senic Road". If you've never been there, I encourage you to check it out. Moreover, in the fall, it is one of my favorite roads full of colors! It is hilly and there are plenty of turns, no chance of falling asleep.
So I went to the abbey of Saint-Benoît-du-Lac to take a break in this heat. The advantage of the abbey is that it is always fresh. Disadvantage? My motorcycle boots squeak as hell, and that's a massive reason. So I stayed outside the nave to listen to the noon liturgy. It's the first time I've seen the monks pray since I've been there. Of course, a visit to the abbey involves the purchase of their essential blue cheese… and a choco mente spread!!! A discovery.
Then it was time to head back through Eastman. I stopped there for two reasons: to eat a bite at “la Station” while enjoying their air conditioning, because the day was really hot, and to go to the stagecoach soap factory to enjoy their incredible smells!
Finally, it was around 3:30 p.m. that I arrived at the end of the course at R4L Performance after a busy day.
In just over a month, the adventure begins again!
Thanks!!
Comments