What a stroke of luck- our second crash pad in Québec ended up being about 100 meters from Maude’s apartment. We were able to get settled quickly with Noemie and Marc and our new friends took us on a quick walking tour so we could get our bearings and do a little exploring of our own.

Still a little fatigued from the road and adverse weather, Tanya and I were content with a stroll around the cobblestone streets and fortifications of Old Québec with a timely return to the flat for another eating session.

A word about our hosts

Marc and Noemie had recently returned from an epic year-and-a-half long bicycle journey through the Americas. Naturally we were intrigued to hear all about their adventure and also about the challenges of returning to “normal” life. Unfortunately for us, our hosts had a previous engagement to attend that evening so our visit was cut short.

It is not my intention to sound ungrateful for the time we were given with our new friends, but Tanya and I were a little sad about not having more time to enjoy the social dynamic we shared as a group as well as individually with our hosts. The invitation to stay was extended but the combination of impending weather and work schedules made it impractical to accept this generosity; we still had the ride to Montréal in the rain ahead of us, a bike to break down and pack, and a plane for Tanya to catch back to Austin. I will be sure to reserve more time and resources for my return to “La Vieille Capitale.”

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