Quebec to Quebec, day 1

My route this year doesn't sound nearly as impressive as last year's Minneapolis to Boston ride, but if day one is any indication, it will be just as much fun.  I have joined many of the same people I biked with last year for a month in Quebec, Canada.  We are doing two big loops, one up the St. Lawrence to the Saguenay River and Lac St. Jean, returning to Quebec City, and then heading down river to Montreal and again returning to Quebec.

Our group, 16 of us on the first loop, arrived in Quebec City on Sunday and Monday.  After a day of exploring the old city in the rain, we set out for real in great weather today.  The well-marked bike paths made Quebec the easiest city to depart by bike that I have encountered.  Since we return twice and leave once more, this is definitely good news.

Quebec is very bike-friendly in general, we are discovering.  Out hotels greet us with this cheerful sign, which tells us they have safe storage for our bikes and offer basic tools and support.  We hope it also means that they welcome, or at least are used to, large and sometimes both noisy and noisome groups. 

Our route today stayed close to the river as we travelled 42 miles to Montmagny, wandering through several peaceful and lovely little towns on the way.  If your eyes are good, you may spot a parasail on the river.  And if my blogging skills were better, I would include a video of the sailor launching himself quite impressively out of the water.  Of course, we always keep a look out for interesting sights, such as this charming playhouse.

Sunshine, tailwinds, and gentle hills.  We hope for more of the same tomorrow.