The one thing I noticed yesterday is how the steeples of all the churches, and in many cases the whole roof, glisten in the sun. I can't figure out if it's a special tile they use here or its all completely leaded. It has a bright steel look. Either way as I travel through the day they look fantastic in the early sun.
Heading out of Carleton- Sur-Mer (sounds posh does it not) I zip along the 132 where I just meet a town called....
Through Gesgapegiag down to New Richmond which has an English heritage apparently. I nip off 132 to go take a look. I must have blinked because I missed it.
Nice church though...
Views of the estuary as I try and find my way back to the 132.
Finally I get back on and go hunting Le Phare once again...The road hugs the red sandstone coastline through Caplan, Saint Simeon, Bonaventure and New Carlisle and into...
I can't remember where this was but it was somewhere in one of those villages. I shall have to return to check it out again...
The road continues through Hope Town, Saint Godelfroi and...
Through Port Daniel, Gascones, Newport, Pabos Mills, and Chandler.
I stay hugging the coast through Petit Pabos, Grand Riviere, Sainte Therese De Gaspe, Cap Despoire and finally to the reason I rode all this way. Perce Roche.
I'll admit it. From a distance it didn't look all that impressive. However as you get closer you start to realise what a magnificent piece of natural art this is. Carved over centuries it really is a most imposing strucuture especially when viewed end on. It would have been great to go kayaking for an hour up close but sadly that will have to wait for another day.
The little town itself was bustling with people too. Be a good overnight stop this.
After being chased from several hotel gardens (they were the only places you could get a reasonable picture) its time to leave and head further north and east.
Leaving Perce takes you way up high above the town...
Theres a cracking piece of road then through Le Trou De Chat toward Barachois. I was severly tempted to turn around and do it again. I resisted.
The road continus to follow the coast and you get wonderful views of the Roche from the other side of the headland.
From Barachois through St George De Mabais and Douglastown it doesnt take long to get to the town of Gaspe where lies a tale of woe... Due to the fact I'm down to my last $15 Canadien I decide to pop into the wonderful world of Desjardins banking to get some cash off the credit card. WRONG MOVE!
It accepts the card, and the transaction, but decides to swindle me out of $100 and keep it for itself. I then spend an hour with the very helpful lady there trying to sort out what's happened. She is at a loss. So am I. I now have a card that won't accept my PIN, won't seemingly work and may even have been blocked following the transaction.
This leaves me no money and no means of payment for fuel etc....A night sleeping in a cardboard box looms ever closer...
I leave Gaspe and head inland along the 158 to save myself the time lost. It actually turns out to be a nice run through the parc and across counry. Apart from the odd section of roadworks where they all seem to want to throw tar at my bike I dont see a soul until I get to Murdochville. Here's a few shots taken along the way through the Reserve Faunique des Chic Chocs.
After an hour or so the road comes to an abrupt end as it hits the Fleuve St Laurent (go look it up) and we turn left toward Trois Rivieres. The wind is blowing apace now off the water but it doesn't detract from the magnificent views.
Along the coastline with the mountains a permanent fixture. St Maxine, Monte Saint Pierre, Marsoui, and to the lighthouse at La Marthe
From here its a quick blast to St Anne Du Monts where I call it a night. I grab a quickie at Tim's and find a cheap motel where thankfully the card works. The decor thats greets is everything one would expect of french chic. I'm suddenly transported back to the late 60's and start singing Beatles songs whilst I throw my bags in the room.
The state of the art stereo system coupled with the rest of the decor has me strutting around like an extra from a Shaft movie.
No push botton technology here matey...press the switch and see what happens...the switches by the way came from the Apollo space programme parts bin.
With a great deal of help from Rick and Karen I get the card issue sorted. It appears that some older machines here cannot read UK chip and pin technology therefore the system will not authorise the transaction.
If you ever find yourself in this kind of pickle go onto your card's global website and use the ATM search engine to find one you can use.
As for me the weather doesn't look brilliant east of here for the next few days and Rick and Karen want me to go back into New Brunswick. The promise of Alaskan crab legs, home made puds and cold Corona is a despicable attempt to get me back and is undoubtedly against the Geneva convention but it works and I decide to sleep here and start back the following morning.
Miles today 317 long ones...
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