Quebec City, Old Town

Arrived in Quebec City today around 6:30 p.m. after taking 200 miles of back roads from Bromont. The rain was coming down hard early but became intermittent in the afternoon. The last hour was rain free, a wonderful exception to the first three day rule.

I'm actually getting accustomed to riding in the rain. We were going steadily between 60 and 70 mph and though I was hyper aware of all me surroundings, I was a lot less scared.

Unfortunately, the Bluetooth headset on my helmut didn't charge properly last night so Eric and I were incommunicado throughout the day. It was only a problem once as Eric missed the turn to stay on rte 161. I honked, waved and tried to speed up to catch him but to no avail. He finally realized his mistake ten miles later and he stopped to talk. It ended up being ok as we cut through back roads to get back to 161. It was a gorgeous ride with no cars in sight parralel to a river to a small river.

We stopped at Tim Horton's in Victoriaville for lunch. I had hoped to charge the headset there but suprisingly there was not one power outlet in the public area of the restaurant. Very upsetting. I'm going to write a letter.

We ate dinner tonight at Portofino, a nice Italian place a few minutes walk from the Hotel Clarenton in old town where we are staying. I had Pizza Greca. Eric had the Linguini and Shrimp. Both were delicious. I was tempted to buy the bottle of wine that Margot and I loved in Tuscany last spring. Unfortunately it cost 5x more here. If Margot was here, maybe. Eric, no.

I really like old town. Full of history, lots of character and old world charm, many narrow cobblestone alleys, elegant residences and an eclectic selection of nice restaurants. I want bring the family here some day.

After dinner we took a walk to the rocky overhang in front of the incredible Chateau Frontenac hotel overhanging the St. Lawrence. When we looked over the edge we were stunned to see the Queen Mary 2



docked along the shore line for the night. Incredible.

I have to say, I have been very impressed with Eric'a French. He's gotten us out of a couple of binds and helped us make a few friends. I never knew. Some day maybe my Pig Latin will come in handy.

We're thinking we will stick around here for a day and explore the area. Maybe we will head home through Maine on Wed-Fri. We'll see. Depends on the weather.

Celia, thank you for lending me your beautiful motorcycle. Your BMW R1150R, weighs 480 lbs but rides like it is half that. With heated grips, a windshield, air horn, self canceling blinkers, blinking brake lights, high intensity high headlights, engine guards, custom mirrors and more, I feel like a king. Thank you so much.

That's it for now. From beautful Quebec City, have a good night.

G.


- Posted from George's AT&T
iPhone