Avoiding the headwinds

Days 31and 32

June 13 and June 14

Montmagny to St-Jean-Port-Joli

riding against the wind to refuge

St-Jean-Port-Joli is where we have decided to wait out the coming bad weather.  The temperature is dropping and the north wind is getting even stronger.  Rain is predicted for the rest of today and all day tomorrow.  

It is a clear and sunny ride up the coast

We ventured out a dirt road to this little park on the point called Place de l'Eglise

Our host at Au Bois Joli

We find a bed and breakfast and make a deal for two nights.  We are the only guests in this house with six very pretty guest rooms and loads of common space.  Au Boise Joli has been a bed and breakfast for many years, and a young man named Valentine is running it for the summer.  He is taking over for his dad and is a pretty good breakfast chef.  He certainly knows a lot about edible flowers.  

The town is known for its wood carvers and artists and has lots of galleries.  There is a central  sculpture garden and sculptures all around town.  The influence of the first nations carvers is still evident.  

Back at the house, I try to make some progress on the shawl I am knitting and Tom edits some of his hundreds of photos.  All the while we are listening the cold rain drumming on the roof and are very happy to be inside the cozy house alone.  

When the rain clears on Thursday evening, we walk to the only microbrewery in town and try a few beers while watching the most beautiful sunset from our table inside.  The St. Lawrence River is known to be a destination for dramatic sunsets.   It is still way too cold for the deck seating to be open, but everyone is heading out of the bar to take iphone pictures.  

Tomorrow the weather prediction is for tailwinds and warmer temperatures as we head toward Rivière du Loup and then across to the north shore of the river.  That’s where we hope to see the beluga whales! 


Day 33
June 15
Saint-Jean-Port-Joli to Riviere du Loup

Our ride out of Saint-Jean-Port-Joli continued to follow the Saint Lawrence but this time with a strong tail wind.  Our average speed jumped up to nearly 13 miles per hour and we finished our longest day so far early enough in the day to take a taxi from the campground into town to grocery shop, have dinner and a walk along the city park.  The day was capped with another splendid sunset.