July 29, 2010
St. Jerome to Terrebonne: New friends on the trail, J.P. And Marietta
The best parts of travel are often the spontaneous and unplanned moments that lead to special experiences. As touring cyclists with an unusual looking bike, we find that many people (local and cyclists) want to talk to us about our bike and ask us what our flag (BC's flag) is. The bike is a good conversation starter. We met up again with the Burley tandem couple. And as were packing up to go, another couple came up to us to ask about our bike (Marietta and J.P.) and we are so glad they did. They live nearby in Terrebonne and were out for a day ride. They saved us from unnecessary backtracking thru Laval and Montreal and recommended that we cut directly cross country to Terrebonne and then on to Chemin du Roy. We had planned to ride early and have a long day as we had been advised by Tourist offices that we had to follow the Route Verte back through Montreal. They saved us about 50 km. As well as giving us good advice, Marietta and J.P. invited us to pitch our tent in their yard. We had a wonderful evening of spaghetti, conversation, laughter and shared stories of travel. Five years ago, they had retired, sold their home, bought a trailer and were living a "life of liberation". So far they've travelled to every province and all but 3 of the states and trips overseas. As avid cyclists, they gave us invaluable tips about Quebec routes and camping. Their hospitality and passion for life will be memories we will cherish.
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Today's ride: 41 km (25 miles)
Total: 356 km (221 miles)
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