Saint-Anne-des-Monts to Lévis

Let's just say...the day started drier than it ended!

The harbour at Saint-Anne-des-Monts

It had rained heavily over night, but we were hopeful that the sky would clear and we would have a dry 450 km run through to Quebec City.

The church and adjoining nunnery are impressive

With only an hour available (6:30-7:30 am) to see a little of Saint-Anne-des-Monts, I set out on a quick sprint around town.

A plaque honours English born Sister Angèle's contribution to Health and Education in the town and surrounding communities.


Sister Angele was born in England

Wood-carving is celebrated throughout Saint-Anne.

Mermaid with seal

This particularly fine example is near the aquarium.

Don ready to depart the Motel Brunante

By 8:30 we were geared up and ready to hit the road again.

First stop, the Windfarm at Cap Chat where there are 75 functional windmills, and one visually impressive but non-functioning vertical axis windmill.

Éole

The vertical access Éole looks amazing, but Ken tells us that the design is flawed. The weight of the axis simply grinds the base bearing to pieces and, so far, nobody has come up with a solution, so the great Éole stands idle.







Lack of time, and a lack of willingness to part with $17 per person to get up close and personal with this "white elephant" leaves us with just this distance shot...but at least we had money left for coffee and a cookie in Matane.
Before we go, we (well Ken and I) take a final look around at the other windmills, while "the accidental tourists" remain focused on their bikes.

Don sits on his bike, Roy checks something important on his.

I know it's time to move on when the conversation turns to "The 5 best ways to disable your ABS"!

How many riding modes?

And yet the quest for culture continues. 

Next fly past (on Roy's watch!!!)... Le Grand Rassemblement (the Grand Gathering) at the Centre d'Art Marcel Gagnon in Sainte-Flavie.

So unusual, it is not to be missed

It really is one of those things that makes you think "Only in Canada, eh?"

"Unique au monde"...for sure

Next stop, lunch in Rimouski.

With sky's blackening around us, rain gear seems the obvious choice to Ken and I. Perhaps it's a naked R thing to dress for rain before rain actually falls?

Alas, we were only half way to Rivière-du-Loup when the heavens opened, and if you've been out that way you know there isn't much shelter along this stretch of highway.

By the time we saw and pulled in to a service station I was still dry, Ken was wet down to the waist, Don was wearing his Goretex suit which is waterproof when all vents are closed. Unfortunately they were not, so he too had "an upper body soaker".

And then there was Roy who had bet the farm on "no rain", and lost!

Thank goodness the rain let up while we were re-grouping at Tim's and the final 100km to Quebec City were ridden under warm, sunny skies.

A night at the Econolodge, a decent dinner and awesome Strawberry shortcake at the Normandin Restaurant next door and things are beginning to look much rosier.

Nothing a good night's sleep and a tumble dryer won't put to rights!