(Chanter) Lundi matin, le Roi, sa femme et le petit prince, sont venu chez moi, pour me serrer la pince, mais comme je n’étais pas là, le petit prince a dit : “ puisque c’est comme ça nous… will go cycling !”
After dismantling the camp like outdoors “kings and queens”, the Véloroute des Grandes Rivières from Albanel to Girardville welcomes us with weather similar to Rivera Maya. IT IS HOT, really hot, around 40C in the shade. Even boreal spruce trees are sweating.
There was no sign of disappointment when a first storm pours down on us before we left. There’s nothing to take away the motivation of our reckless troop of two-wheeled troubadours. It is together, between confidence and excitement, that they tackle the 30 km track which will unfold over the pedal strokes like a red carpet crisscrossing Blueberry Paradise.
Blueberries… We’re going to get a mouthful of them. “It’s better than candy”, according to Loryanne, “it gives us ” boosts” of energy”. The apple didn’t fall far from the tree since Stéphane, her father, half man, half bear, has a hard time cycling 1 km without stopping for a mouthful of blueberries! I understand them so much, I do the same.
So it’s hot. “Did you put sunscreen on?”—Drink water! —Want a little snack? “, the holy threesome of anti-heat stroke. Throughout the journey, our two volunteers from the medical team will thoroughly ensure our well-being in this northern scorching adversity. Everyone dreams of a dip in a lake, seeks the breeze, takes refuge in the shade. We hear the noise of the pebbles rolling under our wheels, we feel our sweaters soaking up sweat and we’re raving at the thought of the air conditioning of a convenience store.
Halfway through, before winning our sandwich, Babybel and baby carrot feast, Marie-Michèle invites families to take up a challenge: roam blindfolded over the trail leading to the 9e Chute (waterfall number 9). The concept is simple: by family bubble, choose a guide who will be the only one sighted and he will direct the steps of the whole closed-eyed cell towards the point of view. Once on site, the guide will also have the task of describing the landscape, so that everyone has a very personal mental image before getting to see the site. Not bad! An amazing moment of family closeness, sharing and trust.
The afternoon will hold many challenges for us. We push each other, we help each other as a family and between families. It’s technical, sometimes sandy, a real test for beginners, without leaving the most experienced behind. Whether we practise our bike maneuvers, our cardio or our patience, the three are just as valid. Overall, morale remains very good. The whole team is impressed by everyone’s determination. Let’s just say that it’s not every day that you have the impression of riding a bike in an oven! With a few more ingredients, we would have had great blueberry pies!
Once at the camp, after an afternoon of intermittent thunder, grey skies, but no rain, with yesterday’s experience, we almost barely managed to set up our tents before the flood. The great relaxation is felt from Mother Nature all the way to the participants; the saturated clouds travelling throughout the day are emptied like the overflow of emotion of some. It rains in the sky and rolls on the cheeks. ‘And if I cry in the rain, you won’t see anything,’ said the popular singer. AND let’s face it, it feels good!
It was quite a challenge today: « Surpassing oneself: Check! » Laura says, checking an imaginary box in the air. The sun comes out in no time, synchronized with the smiles and the feeling of pride of the challenge taken up.
Off to shower. It is ROYALLY deserved.
***
De Légaré à « Égaré »
It must be mentioned… We symbolically condemned the “L” of Légaré, the name of the truck rental company printed in large numbers on the sliding door. We just kept “Égaré”, which stands for “Lost”.
Yes, Laura drove through again. The joke is refining over the course of the day: “For the return trip, the white van it’s 10 minutes, the black van it’s 15”, will say the most mischievous of dads; we love teasing one another.
***
Like a fortress surrounded by a pit full of crocodiles, our camp is populated by arctic white wolves. Their howling will rock us until the early hours of the morning. AAAAAOUUUU, good night friends.
Your blogger and photographer,
Marie-Hélène Beaudry
P.S.: Rubric “ Let’s go to bed educated tonight”: in the world of cycling, ” The little queen” refers to the bike as such. The metaphorical expression would, among other things, be in honour of a 10-year-old Dutch queen who loved to ride a bicycle!
In pictures
