Acadia - part II

Friday, 23 July 2010 00:00

It is now a week since we travel the Acadian coast, and as I said earlier, news are faster than a convoy of cycl'aubertein. We do not spend a day without someone approaches us to do we say that we saw yesterday or the day before and he knows it comes from France. The regulars visited campsites spread the word and the most curious to get to the bottom, come see us to talk for a moment.

It was thus able to spend a late evening with Claude, a Norman who settled in Quebec about thirty years ago. Once children are in bed, he invited us around the campfire (and for once the assessment has smoke in his face that repels mosquitoes), to speak up point Time and customs of the country , wildlife and ecology here (it's a green, a true). He even gave us his anti mosquito much less aggressive than what we bought and much more efficient and we are invited to his home in Rivière Rouge if we decide to go that way.
A few words also about the family Thibeault, Marc, Charen and their three children Fabien, Celine and Elyse who welcomed us like great friends, day after a 60 km's day. Rest, pool, family meal with moose meat (Fabien trophy). We chatted very late in the gallery before a beautiful sunset and then before the photo albums of snowy landscapes that we will not see.
We also had our hour of star, and we do not spend more incognito in New Brunswick, fortunately we leave the province soon ;-)
For those that plot, I'll tell you the day. Leaving Jacquet River we stopped by a car in the late morning. The Mayor of Dalhousie who knows who we are, where we come from and everything. He says we're expected to 2:00 p.m. at Dalhousie with the media. With what we have to do and given our pace, it will be short, but we put the turbo. Me, I am wondering if there is no alternative route to zap the appointment ... but no. Shortly before our arrival, a police car comes up behind our convoy to escort us to the rotary beacon. The pressure is mounting as the road for that matter, and the last kilometers are a dancer, in full sun and without stopping with our private escort! Finally Dalhousie and the campsite where we are expected along the Bay des Chaleurs at the bottom (take it all back the next day ...). To tell us, the car takes a few shots of siren history does not go unnoticed. A delegation made up ahead of the Mayor, the Vice Premier of the province, of journalists and officials of the park. Speeches, photos, interviews, gifts and camping facility in the free access to the super pool, granny gives us cookies, a story teller gives us an appointment in the evening. End of day and evening VIP Inch Arran Park where we can admire the Baie des Chaleurs.
We extend a big thank you to all those present and Janet and Jerry met yesterday on the road to the sugar, cream and relationships ...
The next day we are expected to Campbellton to Andre and his family, members of the network WarmShower.org we contacted earlier. This system allows riders to travel to be hosted by other cyclists, history of being on the same wave length, each offering what he can, a bed, a piece of garden, a warm shower, washer ... Andre, Charline and their children Zachary and Martin have crossed Canada from west to east last year about three months. Charline André and we propose their basement to avoid the storm arrives, with real beds. We are invited to meals and rest the next day at home, allowing us to visit the city the next day accompanied by Zechariah. The children really enjoyed the company of Zechariah and we can share our experiences to bicycle a lot in common even though we finally are at the beginning of the experiment.
Our adventure in the media has been extended with the filmed interview for Radio Canada (the equivalent of France Television). Then Andre suggested that he can move us by truck to achieve faster Quebec where we are expected by the family. Finally, a jump of 300 km to Riviere du Loup and won almost a week.
We warmly thank the whole family for their hospitality and kindness!
We leave this area of New Brunswick to return to Quebec. At the same time we back down to one hour time is 6 hours less than France. We also are moving away from the Atlantic Ocean and the beautiful seascapes. And we can say that the Acadian coast is planche (flat), word of cyclovoyageurs beginners. We can also confirm that this is not final, and we found great climbs (and descents) from Bathurst, history does not melt our thighs!

MC