The next morning, the sun was peeking through the curtains with a promise of a beautiful day ahead. The breakfast buffet at the hotel was plentiful and at 9:30am, it was time to saddle up the bike and make my way east on the Gaspé peninsula. I was fooled by the warm sun when getting ready to ride so I had to stop after 10 minutes to put on some warmer riding gear. It was only 15C/59F so I was glad to have the warm gloves I purchased in Quebec city. Très bien.
Riding along the river, the northern coast slowly fades away in the far distance. As promised in my travel guide, the landscape started changing east of Matane. Rocky cliffs rise up from the gulf and the road is draped around them like garland around a christmas tree. The next 200 kms to Gaspé, the eastern tip of the peninsula, are truly spectacular. Long sweeping curves and breathtaking vistas. Need I say more?
Around 1:30pm, my stomach was calling for my attention so I stopped at a little bistro called "La Broue dans L’Toupet". I have no idea what it means but it sounds pretty cool. One thing is for sure, they serve the best cappuccino and baguettes I have had in a long time. Pleasant French music was playing in the background and the bistro looks out over the gulf. Life is good in Quebec.
Continuing east, the landscape gets more dramatic until it climaxes in Parc National Forillon. Along the way, I came across a sign pointing to a historic lighthouse. Fortunately, the V-Strom is at home on all kinds of surfaces so the 10 kilometers on gravel road was no problem. It was already at the end of the afternoon so the place was deserted. Very nice to lay in the grass for a while and absorb the bright red color of the lighthouse against the green and blue of its surroundings.
This is the edge of The Appalachian mountain range which starts all the way south in northern Alabama. These mountains make their way north all the way up to Gaspé where they make their plunge into the ocean. Now that is a good size mountain range, eh?
It was already getting late so time to find a motel. The sign of Motel Baie de Gaspé welcomed me and I stopped to inquire. I asked the friendly lady the now standard “Parlez-vous anglais?”. She shook her head, and mumbled something. I finished her sentence with “a leetle beet”.
She informed me the rate was CA$45 and asked if I wanted to see the room. I followed her and it turned out that the rooms were pretty nice so I said “C’est très bien!” with excitement in my voice. She looked at me, smiled and said “It’s only $40 for you because you’re such a nice young man”. “I know!!”, I said in a loud voice. Well, I didn’t really say that but I couldn’t agree with her more.
My dinner was a bag of chips and a couple of Grolsch, that I enjoyed sitting in front of my motel room. The setting sun turned the the bay deep red and birds were chirping their last songs for the day. I finished my beer and fell asleep peacefully as soon as I turned off the lights.
Next page
