The Quebec Welcomes Us
Guided by the Breath of the Wind, We Cycle on the Nordet.
It is one of the mythical roads in Quebec. It passes through the mountains of Lanaudière, and includes steep climbs with slopes of more than 10%. The landscape is absolutely grandiose. The round-shaped mountains are all around us. They are covered with deciduous forests that are in full transformation. They are adorned with their most beautiful colors. These leaves create luminous paintings with bright colors. At the top of the passes, after the intensity of the effort, the earth offers us its most beautiful scenery.
We take the bicycle paths of Quebec to plunge into the heart of the magnificent deciduous forests. It's been a long time since we've been through one. The leaves sing in the light breeze. This soft whisper will remain one of the most striking impressions of this province. These bike paths allow us to reach the heart of Montreal, on this island at the confluence of the Ottawa and St. Lawrence rivers. Montreal and its metropolis are a center of 4 million inhabitants. A symbol of Canada's immigration policy, the Montreal community is multicultural. Yet, the city is asleep. We are in the midst of the pandemic.
Apples as a reward!
On the small roads that undulate in the heart of the forests, we discover many wild apple trees. Their small acidulous apples comfort us along the climbs. Nayla is delighted to jump off her bike to pick some.
She selects the most beautiful one, sometimes makes several jumps to catch it, then takes a second one for her sister Fibie, who is resting in the charriot.
We take a real pleasure to camp in the heart of the forest. Nayla and Fibie build tipis with branches and then cover the ground with dead leaves. There is nothing to stop the children's activities, neither the cold nor the rain... In the middle of nature, everything is an excuse to compose imaginary games that change according to their inspiration.
They connect with the Spirit of the Forest and Nature. They plunge into these universes with a smile on their face, mud on their clothes and a runny nose. These moments are so powerful that there is no limit between imagination and reality. The games are entirely part of their life and their truth.
In The Vast Prairies
In Alberta, gigantic prairies stretch out into the horizon, like the great Mongolian steppes or the ones in Central Asia. They bewitch us with a deep sense of freedom. Darren joins us there. The girls are thrilled to have a companion on the road and his presence brings a joyful and sparkling atmosphere.
The Montpetit family stops there with their RV to offer us ice cream and cold drinks. It was their encounter that traced our itinerary and that is how we chose the Northern Saskatchewan route to meet them again in Bruno. Their presence touched us by their sincerity and openness of heart. We were also grateful for the welcome we received all along the prairies, despite the world situation. A heat wave has set in on the territory. The heat hits us and rises from the road like the breath of a furnace. We are compelled to find shade. But the prairies stretch as far as the eye can see without trees on the horizon. Only the surroundings of private properties have saving shade. We are then pushed to ask for a shady spot to pitch the tent. We never had to ask for a second time.
"I want to ride my bike by myself! "exclaims Fibie
We take "les routes vertes" of Quebec, where Fibie can cycle. She is so excited that she rides 15 kilometers, and she is just three years old. She is so proud to be on her bike and excited to be able to ride for such a long time. The climbs are tiring, so we enjoy lots of small breaks. At just three years old, she is riding her bike and now she is swimming too!
At the gates of winterears
Every day, the colorful trees are becoming more and more naked. The power of the wind speeds up the process. In the early morning, the air is now bitterly cold. It is -8°C. Our water bottles are just a big ice cube and the fog has created beautiful frost formations on our bikes and panniers.
Even the inside of the tent is frozen. The ambient humidity makes the cold penetrate our bodies. Every morning, the tops of our sleeping bags are wet, just like our tent. Every day, we wait for the arrival of the Indian summer. For the moment, it is only the premise of winter that welcomes us. Yet, we marvel at the passage of migrating geese and birds..