Motorcycle Sport & Leisure

A NATION within - Quebec

Quebec; known as the cradle of French civilisation in north America, is packed with a mix of old world charm and new world chic. Ian Kerr samples both in part two of his trip...
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• Article part 2 from the February 2008 issue of MSL

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So, there I was staring at the Percé Rock and looking at the description in the guide book which said that this famous, gigantic ochre-coloured rock is 438 metres long, and is as wide as it is high, weighing in at five-million tonnes, and it’s about 375 million years old. Pretty impressive by any standards. All the sea air had made me hungry so I rode back into the town for a good lunch at one of the little cafés. At this time of year, you can take your pick of eateries but I should think in the height of summer when Percé is full of tourists, it could be a hassle.
The next morning there was a thick blanket of fog everywhere, so I decided to wait until it lifted before leaving Percé and do a bit of sightseeing. I took the boat across to Ile Bonaventure, a small island, which is just across from the town, and famous for its bird life. After a leisurely and very good breakfast I hurried to catch the boat. This turned out to be a small one that rode the choppy waters like a bucking bronco and sailed close to Rocher Percé (Percé Rock), but at least I could get a good look at the hole in the rock.

As we drew nearer to Ile Bonaventure, I began noticing curious heads popping out of the water near the boat. These were the seals coming out to see who was visiting. Then I saw the birds, and it was suddenly like being in the Alfred Hitchcock film, they were perched everywhere on the sheer cliffs of the island, and the volume of noise they created will remain a lasting memory.
They reckon some 200,000 birds nest in this area off the Percé coast, but I could only identify the Gannets.

Wolf's River

I was glad to get back on dry land and get back on the bike. The next part of my route took me along the southern coast of the peninsular, which runs along the Baie des Chaleurs, a long wedge of sheltered ocean that separate the Gaspe from New Brunswick. I was following Highway 132 which hugs the coast and for the most part, the land is flatter here and a bit duller, however, dotted all along the route are plenty of colourful fishing villages, more than on the north coast. Nowadays, this southern part of the peninsular is popular with tourists during the summer months, bringing in much needed cash to the small villages.

As I rode past the many farmsteads, I saw dozens of huge woodpiles that serve as a reminder of the harshness of winter as the inhabitants store them for firewood. I counted a beautiful stone church in every town that I rode through and these must have provided security and stability to people facing the precariousness of a life at sea, which was the only practical means of transportation until the coastal road around the peninsula was finally completed the 1920s.
Highway 32 provides some good opportunities to open a bike up and test your riding skills.

I was making my way to Carleton-Saint-Omer, a commercial port, for my next stop and had plenty of time to cover the 195km distance. The weather was now bright and cold, a perfect day for enjoying the scenery en route. The port itself is quite pleasant and I wandered further down on foot to look at the lighthouse and have a look for agates, semi-precious stones on the beach, which I had read about but didn’t find, but it was good to stretch my legs for a short while.
As I had a long day’s ride ahead of me, from Carleton to Riviere du Loup, it meant an early start the next day. Highway 132 was becoming like an old friend you take for granted most times and then they suddenly surprise you by doing something unexpected. So it is with this highway as it swings round the coast and then craftily doubles back inland past the town of Matapedia. The highway effectively dissects the Gaspesie peninsula north to south.

By this time, the Baie des Chaleurs has narrowed down to where the Gaspe borders New Brunswick. Matapedia is at the centre of a region called Les Plateaux where the Ristigouche and Matapedia rivers meet and its Indian name actually means ‘forking rivers’ – it certainly sounds better in the Indian language.
This region is filled with mountains, rivers, gorges and wildlife, and is a salmon fishing paradise for wealthy Americans. I didn’t see any of the latter or stop for any fishing, but I enjoyed some good riding on open roads that took me up past Lake Matapedia, before arriving for lunchtime stop in the town of Sayabec with its picture- postcard, clapboard houses and another smart little church with its steeple piercing the clear blue sky.

I then cruised on down and along the northern coast passing through Mont-Joli and continuing along Highway 132 through Rimouski and on to Riviere du Loup. This was named, apparently, after the nearby river, whose name means Wolf's River in French. Riviere du Loup is French Canada’s capital city and has plenty to offer in terms of restaurants and culture.
It is also renowned for its sunsets as you look over the Charlevoix Mountains and I was certainly treated to a fine example on my evening there as I sat with a cold beer chatting to the hotelier, after a great meal. The choice of lodgings throughout my trip was excellent and I couldn’t fault the local hospitality of the people in the Gaspe.

Breakneck Stairway

The next morning I set off again on Highway 32 from Riviere du Loup to Quebec which now hugs the coast along the St Lawrence Seaway.
This is a good, fairly straight stretch of highway and I was obviously enjoying the ride too much, as the weather closed in on me, and by the time I had crossed over the bridge to the north shore again and reached Quebec city, I was ready for a hot bath and more good food.
Thankfully, the hotel I was staying in was in a great location in the Lower Town as it is called and although I was tired after the ride through what had turned into a sudden torrential storm, I was soon ready to see what Quebec had to offer.

The Conde Nast Traveller guidebook I picked up in the hotel lists Quebec as one of the best destinations in the world and there is certainly a buzz about the city. It is known as the cradle of French civilisation in north America and there is a great mix of old world charm and new world chic.
Lower Town, home to the first settlers of New France, includes the old port district the new trendy neighbourhood is here, a short distance from the fortified Old City. I was glad to have had a rest before setting out to explore the upper town as it is reached up steep, winding roads and stairways, with names like Côte de la Montagne (Mountain Road) and Escalier Casse-Cou (Breakneck Stairway).

Right at the top is one the most photographed buildings in the world, the famous Château Frontenac. In Upper Town, the contours of the fortified city are easy to see and explore and I spent an enjoyable couple of hours just browsing and looking around.
I would have really liked another day in Quebec, as there is so much to see and enjoy, and I am seriously considering going back next year for its 400th anniversary celebrations, which will be spectacular from what a group of locals were telling me back at the hotel.

My final ride of the trip was from Quebec to Montreal back down Highways 40 and 138, the same route I’d taken out a week ago at the start of my journey. The weather this time was just right, clear blue skies and not a cloud in sight. This route is really a pleasure to ride – stunning scenery, very little traffic once you are out of the suburbs of Quebec and time to enjoy being on the open road for a few pleasurable hours riding.
As I reached Montreal, however, the traffic built up and I had the frustration of stop-starts for nearly an hour before reaching my hotel. Filtering on any large bike becomes a problem when the traffic gets towards the point of becoming gridlocked anywhere in the world.
Although it took the edge off the day’s journey, it was a small price to pay for what was in essence a great final ride on my trip. In the afternoon, I returned the ST1300 and was impressed by the quick service and assistance of the staff. It’s a pity there aren’t more like them around.
I could have kept the bike until the following morning, but decided to spend my last afternoon in Canada sightseeing in Montreal.

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