Slow Rolling with Adele - 4-days in Canada

Photo credit; Adele

Just like last year's solo Quebec Orchard and Vineyard Tour I proposed that my friend, Adele, and I begin our journey aboard a commuter bus and leave our cars at home. Easy peasy! 

(For a map of our route, check out Canada's Eastern Township 4-day tour.)

Stopping at the Enosbrugh Falls depot (converted to museum) to refill our water supply.

By 8 am we were pedaling, sailing with a tailwind, heading north on the Misissquoi Valley rail trail a direct route to save time rather than roll on preferred paved farm country roads. We had to ride 50+ miles on our first day - a stretch for both of us - to arrive at our first accommodation.

Heading to Sutton and beyond on Quebec's bike route - Route Verte #4.

After an iced coffee and lunch break in Richford's town park, where we consumed Adele's homemade risotto and side of sauteed green beans, (little did I know this would set the tone for the gastronomic feasts to come!) we crossed the border into Canada.

Chocolate store treasures.

In touristy Sutton, we checked in with Information, picked up more maps, discovered a chocolate shop, ate their homemade ice cream (I tried chestnut - yum!) and generally cruised the main drag. We planned to stay in Sutton on the 3rd night, so any time spent in the village was considered research for later - or so we told ourselves.

Adele wanders into a clothing store while I stay with the bikes.

This is what I love about traveling with Adele. She likes to explore, I like to explore, and we both like to eat! Adele is older than I am and no longer relishes camping. I love to pick out routes (bring on the maps!) and she loves to research indoor accommodation. Both of us could care less about how fast we ride or miles traveled, so our pairing is unique. 

Adele doesn't mind if I stop to photograph adorable red and white cows.

After a long day first day, propelled by wind, and two odd meet-ups with Sutton's friendly and super helpful information lady (on the street in Lake Brome and shortly after in the local liquor store) we rolled into Auberge Lac Brome around 5 pm. Views of the lake were lovely. It was a grand residence with quirky details: room hovered at 85F and had to contact front desk to locate controls, shower lacked adequate soap, I locked myself inside bathroom for a moment until I figured out handle mechanism. The list goes on, however, we began to laugh because the included 4 course meal was exceptional (our picks): local duck, fois gras, venison, roasted veggies, egads! We didn't mind that salt and pepper weren't set on table or that we had to summon the waiter for dessert spoons...for creme brulee.

Having come this way many years ago, I recalled having to surmount the hill in the distance,
yet promised Adele it was much easier than it looked. Photo credit: Adele

Fortified with a 2-course breakfast, we retrieved our bikes from the hotel's basement and set out on another sunny day. With a shorter distance planned for day 2, we followed Route Verte #1 on a graveled section beneath power lines, along rolling country dirt roads and steep paved ascents.

Adele summits the hill in the previous photo.

Adele is much faster on descents, while I tend to climb much better with lower gears. We would often leapfrog each other and sometimes we walked a particularly gnarly pitch together.

Before attacking the graveled path section through Mont Orford we veered into Les Serres Simard gardens, planning to ask directions to an eatery. However, we were easily captivated by the sculptures and, as it turns out, the head gardener was also an artist.

Elaborate chairs and table sculpture.

Garden carts using bicycle wheels! In the distance, a mechanical merry-go-round constructed from tractor wheels and seats.

A personal favorite: metal sunflower.

It seemed that everywhere we looked, we discovered a new treasure. But of course, there were greenhouses full of flowers and one reserved for gargantuan tomatoes - plants towered 8 feet high - their organic produce sold on premises.

Upon leaving, with directions to a nearby cafe, Adele notices upper window ingeniously pivots for ventilation.

I could resist snapping this photo in restroom.

We detour to Eastman and eat delightful cafe salads while relaxing on a terrace overlooking a stream. Good food equals good cycling!

We head back on course and begin climbing the route around Mont Orford Park. We were both a bit leery, alerted to an early black fly season, but fortunately a few pesky gnats were all that we encountered.

Adele seemed worried over the rough surface - her skinny tires are more of an effort - but she was a trooper and we circled the park, stopped for a brief break at the Information/Ranger station, then bypassed the remainder of Route Verte's snaking, seeming needless miles, in favor of a direct route into Magog.

Simon prepares a lovely meal. Adele displays Ceviche. a favorite course, served on La Maison de Ville's front porch.

At La Maison de Ville in downton Magog, the proprietor welcomed us with open arms. He stowed our bikes safely inside his basement and showed us around his comfortable home then left us to settle in. I relaxed in a common room, devouring magazines, strolled onto the second story porch, and concentrated on our maps, checking out the next day's route. We were expecting heavy rain and I contemplated several alternate roads that might lessen mileage.

La Maison de Ville, Magog.

Adele and I were treated to another first rate 4-course meal, by now we were spoiled of course, but we were beginning to understand this was typical fine dining in Canada, one of the truly unique reasons we both love visiting the Quebec region. Not only is French spoken, most people easily switch between their native language and English, but in all aspects, Quebec, Canada feels and is truly a foreign country. This culture is remarkably only 100 miles from our home in Burlington, VT, one of the reasons Adele and I often visit our northern neighbors.

During our evening and relaxing morning, I never set foot outside to explore town. I was completely comfortable, lounging and reading while Adele explored the city. I had visited Magog twice before. It's a lovely little city on Lake Memphremagog's northern shore.

Simon, preparing breakfast.

Adele's early morning stroll to visit the waterfront.

Adele photographs the tour boat on Lake Memphremagog.

Late morning we set off south along the western side of Lake Memphremagog, eventually detouring a mile onto a peninsula to visit Saint-Benoit-du-Lac Abbey.

A farm on the mile detour to the abbey with Mount Sutton on the skyline.

Since discovering the place was mentioned in Louise Penney's murder mystery series (a favorite of mine) plus the monks make blue cheese and chocolate, and we could attend a service and listen to singing, well, the abbey was a must-see stop on our itinerary.

In accordance with a house of worship, we pulled skirts over our shorts, and went inside.

Photo credit: Adele.

As we walked the silent corridor, detecting voices and song emanating from the far end, we quickly realized we'd misjudged the mass time, and slipped into an empty pew. All the monks sang the mass, with a choir director leading an inner circle of 8 monks, obviously elevated to special status. The monks did not chant, like the Gregorian chants I love to listen to on CD, but rather sang each part of the mass, accompanied by a black-robed monk playing an organ located along the side of the church.

Afterwards, we visited the gift shop, buying cheese and chocolate, to support the monastery.

"Hang in There!" mug on table at Bolton Center refuge, as if meant
especially for our journey. Photo credit: Adele.

Rain fell in sheets, just as we departed. We took turns, putting on rain gear, and in my case, my first foray touring in a poncho in place of traditional pants and jacket.

Wind whipped sideways, often a hindrance, sometimes a tailwind. We kept our spirits up and in a few miles took a break at a crossroads in Bolton Center beneath a funky, possibly private, shelter. We munched on Adele's energy cookies. The spot was constructed atop broken concrete, with recycled building material, plants, a mannequin propped along one pole, costume jewelry, etc. Surely, this place had an interesting story, but as the conditions were nasty, we soon set off, enduring the next miles.

We traveled on paved back roads with little shoulder, often rough, but had we kept going we would've retraced a route ridden two days ago, so we stuck with a plan to try a dirt road that might cut several miles off our itinerary and possibly arrive in Sutton at our B&B earlier. Or so we hoped!

Spreading wet gear out in our room to dry.

As soon as we veered off the paved highway, dirt Stagecoach Road climbed steeply for a mile and never let up. We walked the whole incline, the mud and mess reduced us to laughter. The wind picked up, my poncho flapped, and my bare legs were wet, but we pressed on. In hindsight, I wished we'd stayed on the pavement, because even with extra miles, I felt we could've made better time and bypassed steeper hills. However, we kept at it, but clearly Adele was slowing down. I began to chill down, refusing to put on tights, my only warm leg wear, so I kept pedaling, waiting atop each hill. By 4 pm, Adele called the B&B owner to let her know we'd be late, and fortunately the kind lady offered to pick us up. We agreed to meet on the road, so Adele and I kept moving to stay warm, adjusted our route due to possible bridge construction (hard to discern the French sign) and met wonderful Linda on an ungodly series of steep, muddy hills. She helped put our filthy bikes on her rack, she'd placed towels on her seats (good plan!) for our muddy legs, and cranked the heat on in her car (thank you Linda!). Blessings come in many ways.

Adele and I enjoy the red beer and pub food at A L"Abordage - a break from the fancy 4 course meals.
It was the best fish & chips! We loved the beer so much that we split a second glass.

After a pot of herbed tea, showers, and lovely conversation with Linda and Jay at Vert Le Mont B&B Adele and I braved more showers and walked to a recommended brasserie (micro-brewery), À L'Abordage.  

On the 4th morning, the skies were clearing, and after we consumed our 2 course breakfast, Adele also set up Linda with Vermont marketing ideas and connections, we hosed, re-oiled, and wiped our bikes, then set off with a fresh outlook.

Vert Le Mont B&B, Sutton.

Today promised headwinds, but sunshine overshadows minor inconveniences.

My husband and I have seen this odd building under construction over the past several years.
Photo credit: Adele.

Before heading west to visit Domaine du Pinnacle and their free cider tastings, Adele had to investigate a monstrous residence with colossal Greek statues. She suspected the statues were constructed with cement, but indeed they were amazingly carved in marble. We'd heard the owner is an egg farmer, and we hoofed it up the dirt road beside it to find massive buildings behind. I felt like we were trespassing, but Adele's curiosity and outgoing nature often opens doors. She went inside one of the buildings and emerged a few minutes later. It turns out it's not open to the public, but she did have a nice chat with a worker. 

Back roads around the Sutton region are beautiful and often challenging.

As I wait for Adele, I admire the farms and expansive views. I would like to return to this part of Canada in the near future.

Annie scores ice cider. Photo credit: Adele.

I love ice cider, which my family would consider an understatement, so the free tasting at Domaine Pinnacle was an immediate attraction. Of course, I couldn't resist bringing home 4 bottles, 3 different kinds of ice cider. Fortunately, I'd planned ahead this time around, replacing flimsy hooks on my panniers with a sturdier type, plus added a cargo net on my rear rack. Adele had brought an unused trunk bag with her, which I offered to carry home. Between panniers and rear attachments, it was easy to distribute additional weight.

We weren't' sampling ice cider in this photo, but this image sets the tone for our trip.

Selfies outside Domaine Pinnacle tasting room.

Fish tacos and salads, plus Adele enjoys cappuccino.

We stopped for a bistro lunch in Frelighsburg on a terrace. The river was raging nearby, a testament to the volume of rain that fell the previous day.

We crossed the border, reluctantly, back into Vermont. I know we'd both like to stay in Canada and enjoy a few more days of riding, but we needed to turn south directly into a headwind, which never let up. We ended our journey to meet up with the bus with only 15 minutes to spare. Intense sun and consistent wind took their toll. I was tired for two days afterward.

Adele and I have tentative plans for an Autumn tour with our new bicycles, a source of constant conversation on our trip. Adele's bike has already arrived. I can't wait to continue our travels together.