COLUMN: Viewpoint – A cycling trip to remember

I drove over cobblestone streets and ancient stone bridges. I saw street signs and menus in another language and quaint farmhouses from the 1700s. I ate new foods.

Was I in some foreign country? No I was in Canada, on a week-long bicycle trip through the eastern townships of Quebec. What a beautiful, interesting part of our country!

Did you know there are hundreds of kilometers of designated cycling paths in Quebec patrolled by local volunteers who carry maps, first aid equipment, water and repair kits ready to help visitors on the trail who might need assistance? When the chain fell off my husband’s bike, a friendly fellow stopped in minutes to help him repair it.

The rural roadways we traversed were gorgeous, lined with tall rustling grasses, unique wildflowers, different varieties of fragrant pines, singing birds, meandering streams, sun-dappled lakes, rushing rivers and rich farm fields filled with waving wheat, ripening soybeans, and bright sunflowers.

We cycled through small communities and stopped at family establishments to sample luscious pastries, steaming plates heaped with freshly made french fries, seafood from the St. Lawrence, locally brewed beer and Quebec wines. One of the hosts at our accommodation in Magog, was a former professional chef. Our breakfast consisted of a strawberry banana smoothie, a dish of creamy panna cotta, a perfectly grilled sandwich filled with cheese, ham, apples, mushrooms and onions, served with a potato compote and carrots sautéed with parsley and garlic. Our meal was topped off with a french crepe covered with orange bits, chocolate and whipped cream. Needless to say, we needed our daily 70 km of cycling to work off those kinds of food experiences.

The tour company who organized our self-guided adventure had booked our accommodations along the trail and each one was so unique. We got to stay in a fancy resort where our room had its own huge hot tub, a charming old country inn, a grand hotel that resembled a stately mansion, a cute little bed and breakfast and a Holiday Inn with an award-winning Asian restaurant on the premises.

One afternoon we cycled along the scenic Chambly Canal. It has nine locks first built in the 1840s. Each lock had a small green and white cottage that used to house the lockmasters who worked 24-hour shifts operating the locks for passing boats. When the locks were rebuilt, the little cottages were preserved to maintain the historic landscape of the canals.

Another morning, we stopped near Farnham, Quebec because right beside our cycling trail competitors for the upcoming Canadian Skydiving Championships were practicing. We watched in awe as divers come sailing down over a pond and rolled to a perfect landing in a grassy field. Winners of this national contest would go on to compete in an International Sky Diving event in Slovakia later in the year.

One day we spent time in Knowlton, the Quebec community which has inspired the setting for internationally best-selling mystery author Louise Penny’s books. She launches all her novels at a local shop, Brome Lake Books. They have a special corner dedicated to the author. You can have your photo taken by a bronze artwork that recognizes the way Louise Penny’s writings have put Knowlton on the map for thousands of book lovers each year.

In the past we’ve often gone to American cities for our holiday adventures, New York, San Antonio, Chicago, Phoenix, Atlanta, Palm Springs or Minneapolis. But like many of our fellow Canadians we wanted to support a destination in our own country with our tourism dollars this year. What a good decision that was!