Lanoraie to Trois-Rivières
On the road this morning by 8:00 well rested. Today's ride took us along the Fleuve Saint-Laurent. (How's that for using my limited French skills?). The river really is bigger than any other river we have ever seen. Freighters could be seen regularly heading 'up stream'. We rode past some of the best fields of soybeans and corn we have seen anywhere. The beans were 4 feet high and the corn at least 10 feet in height. I really am unsure if this is normal or if they have just had the 'perfect' year for growing crops. (Maybe it has something to do with the agricultural subsidization that Quebec farmers benefit from)!!! Silos everywhere and numerous dairy farms dotted the landscape. This is obviously one of Quebec's best agricultural regions.
As we rode along the river today we came upon an area that is a 'playground' for para-sailing. Lac Saint Pierre is a shallow area (part of the St. Lawrence) with lots of wind. While stopped for lunch we were treated to quite a show.
We are staying in the Motel Canadien, a small motel that caters to cyclists. It is located on the eastern edge of Trois-Rivières. As the afternoon progressed the sky got darker and darker. Upon learning of the possibility of thunderstorms and the beginning of some rain as we were leaving Trois-Rivières, the motel seemed like the prudent choice over camping in Champlain.
Daily Distance = 93.80 km. Time on the bikes = 5 hours 3 minutes. Average Speed = 18.57 km. Maximum Speed = 34.81 km. Wildlife Sightings = Great Blue Herons, Goldfinchs, Kestrel.
Kevin = 3, Sue = 0, Eric = 1.
P.S. We saw more tour cyclists today than any other day of our entire trip!!!
