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October 17 Monday Bicycle touring from Campbellton, New Brunswick to Robinsonville New Brunswick With Suzanne's help, we phoned around to travel agents for prices on flights to Europe. They varied enormously. The highest quote we got was $1600 each. We finally narrowed our selection down to two choices. A package deal to Paris for $653 each including three nights hotel, breakfast, and transportation to and from the airport (which cost Sonia $60 one-way and a rude cab driver that told he didn't have time to take her into the city). Bicycle touring in France should be an experience. Then a train agent told her to go back where she came from. Immigrant. And that's how the French treat someone who speaks French fluently. Not a good start to her solo European sojourn. Our other choice was a one-way flight to Paris's Orleans airport for $299. The first package was for November 1. The one-way deal was for October 29. We decided we would have difficulty meeting our cycling partners Vicky and Susan on the 20th in Lisbon if we went for the package deal as it would give us six less days to get to Lisbon, plus it would cost us an extra $700. We figure we can visit Paris if we want by leaving our bikes outside the city and taking a train in for the day. We booked the October 29 tickets. Roger had to fax a confirmation with our Visa number from his work. The company wanted my signature too, so I told Roger to sign the fax in my name when he sent it. They wouldn't accept a confirmation over the phone, but they would accept a fax as confirmation ... as long as I signed it. Interesting. They have no idea what my signature looks like. Sometimes there are some stupid rules. Suzanne made grilled cheese sandwiches and toast with homemade strawberry and rhubarb jam. Lunch was leftover chicken and mayo sandwiches. The food is great. The company is great. We are having a marvelous time. France and Roger came home for lunch. We said good-bye and got ready to get back on our fully loaded touring bicycles. We packed up and hit the road at 2:30 PM. The sun was bright, the sky a cloudless blue, and not a hint of a wind. Perfect cycle touring conditions. There was a lot of frost this morning though. We cycle route 17 towards St Leonard. There are more trucks on the road than what we had become accustomed to around Gaspe. I have already had to cycle off into the gravel twice. Dive. The road is narrow. We cycled a long hill outside of Robinsonville that Roger said we would never be able to pedal up. There is a picnic area at the top. It is closed of course. We have set up our little cycle touring tent and are camped in the back. All of the poplar trees have lost their leaves and the forest is skeletal. It is great for Halloween. Everyone around here gets into the festivities in a big way. All of the houses and yards are agog with decorations of witches, pumpkins, cats, and black figures. Lots of Jack-o'-lanterns of leaves are made from orange garbage bags. It doesn't seem as cold tonight. There is not as much wind. For supper we had carrots, apples, and apple pie, all courtesy of Suzanne. And, of course, two bowls of steaming hot Metro chocolate. |
