July 15, 2017, Day 55, Vankleek Hill, Ontario to Downtown Montreal 

It’s hard to be excited about getting up when you’re camping in a tent and it’s raining. I heard it, rolled over and went back to sleep. Eventually though, one must get up. And so we did, performing the onerous tasks that just have to be done. The tent was wet and heavy when we packed it. Good thing Charlie, my big strong man, carries it.

After breakfast back at the grocery store, we pointed our noses east, soon crossing into Quebec.  I was so happy to leave Ontario behind that to celebrate and to let Ontario know what I really thought about it, I had a pee just before crossing into La Belle Province! I actually really like southern Ontario. It has everything one could ever want and its a fantastic place to live. But northern Ontario, where we were is a totally different story. I’m surprised anyone lives there. But many do and they’re all happily hunting, fishing and drinking beer.

Hudson, Quebec is primarily anglophone. Well established as a wealthy, retirement community, its livened up by the presence of numerous vendors, restaurants and cafes. The houses are well maintained, the lawns groomed, the flowers full and resplendent.  We rode through this little village all the way to the end, where we took the Oka Ferry, a less than 15 minute ride to the other side.   Our destination for the night was Cotes de Neighes, in downtown Montreal and Charlie asked someone if they knew the way. As this man was explaining, a woman interrupted and said she knew exactly how to get there as she cycled that route regularly. So, thus began a long, hot, confusing journey into and through the heart of Montreal, requiring several backtracks and revisions. I have a poor sense of direction but Charlie is exceptional. Put him anywhere and he gets things figured out pretty quickly. Today though, nothing fell into place easily. Eventually we did get to the home of Peter Seeley’s in-laws where we were to leave our bikes. Peter, a former student at Mount Allison, now Professor  of Arcitecture at U of T has shared an ongoing friendship with Charlie. They have several common interests including a rabid passion for soccer. He, his wife, Dominique and their extremely energetic 3 year old daughter, Agnes, live about a 15 minute walk from Dominique’s parents place.     They had kindly offered to host us for the night but we had to leave our bikes at the in-laws house as their apartment was too small. Showering there and selecting what we’d need for the night, we walked up to Peter and Dominique’s apartment to spend the night. Peter gave us angel hair pasta for dinner and shortly after we all headed to bed, us worn out by our long, hot, confusing bike ride, them worn out from chasing their 3 year old. Thank you Peter and Dominique for hosting us. Have the time of your lives bringing up Agnes and that little boy you’re expecting this coming winter!!!