Sept 13th. Day 44
Well I say it’s shit
The beginning of my day was fine. Early in the morning I was awoken by trucks unloading at the store. But whatever. No one bothered me.
Eventually after a breakfast of chocolate chips and a banana I got my things together. Before I got out of the tent I looked at the clock. 7:45. I still needed to pack my air pad and put on my shoes. By 8:00 I was on my bike pedaling. 15 min to tear down camp and load up bags.
On the road was better today. Much less wind.
Also very little stores after leaving my camp town.
Rode on the 132 to Levis. I met a man name Nick who was in a van w a canoe on top and a friend named Juliette inside. We talked about local things. He was from near Ottawa but knew the area. Older than me by many years but also a photographer. Told me to take the ferry into Quebec because it would be hell to take the bridge and back track. So I spent $3 on the ferry. Put me right in the cool looking part of the old town. I rode around without a map. Just wandering. But the rain was on and off. Like it had been in the last hours. Not very good weather.
Not all that many people around. Only one person talked to me and it was about the NYC city flag on my bike. Then told me how great Quebec is. That was fine but so far I was not that impressed.
Fine, the city is pretty and in good shape for how old everything is and it does have a style. But as I learned on my first tour, it’s not where I am but who I’m with. And this was nothing. I’d rather be in the middle of nowhere talking to another interesting tourist about not showering for weeks. Or on the other side or the river in some empty bar parking lot talking to another photographer about boats and film vs digital. Like I was a few hours before.
I wandered around. But in my mind I was down. There was nothing here for me. I could tell. I rode back down to the water. I thought I could follow the river on the north side, just like I had been on the south side for the last week.
The road went past cute, and expensive Im sure, shops. And then was just a road. And then was a bit of a fast road with not much room for me. All along the river. I look over and see a bike trail between the road and river by fuck that shit, bikes belong in the street. But the road turned to total shit so I found a break in traffic and moved over to the bike trail. Followed that and it was fine, for a while. Then no longer a “bike” trail but more of a walk way bikes can ride on. A few km later a rest stop place. All fancy and modern. Full of stupid details and things that made no sense. I take a break and use the dumb bathroom.
Back on the road I see there is no more trail or lane or anything. Sort of a dead end. Unless i want to get back on the very busy road. So I do. And what do you know. Shit turns into a highway. Then it gets worse. And worse. And more rain and hills and signs I can’t read. And fuck Quebec.

I’m camped on the property of the info center but really right next to a highway off ramp.
I’m behind bushes so the info place can’t see me. But anyone taking this off ramp will see my tent right next to the bushes. Really anyone driving down the highway can. I’m looking at a highway as I try to sleep. In the rain. Lost. All I know is there is a grocery a couple blocks away and in the morning I’ll get breakfast and leave this shitty place and not come back.