Lanoraie to Trois-Riviere: Cycling along the beautiful Chemin du Roy

July 31, 2010

The Chemin du Roy has been a wonderful experience so far following the St. Lawrence River. We feel like we are riding through history. The homes, the landscape, the farm stands and the historic villages which are conveniently (for us) located within about 10 km along the way. Lots of opportunities for coffee, baguettes, cheese and fresh produce!

As we approached Trois Riviere, we stopped to tour a historic mill, le Moulin Seigneurial de Pointe-du-Lac dating back to the 17th century. It is now open as a museum - we were initially disappointed as the buildings were closed for the day, but because of that, we had an incredibly special experience. Barry and I were invited in to the caretaker`s premises located at one end of the mill. Mariette Cheney had seen us and she took an interest in us. She has lived there since the late 70's when she had expressed her concern to the provincial government about the mill`s run-down condition. The provincial government gave her the opportunity to live there for as long as she liked and to keep an eye on things. It was a surprise to us that she is presently 88 years old. Her home was a delightful glimpse into history as she had filled her home with antiques and exquisite paintings (some of her own work). She graciously gave us a tour of her home and her many treasures and shared her love of the mill`s history. It was an experience that we will never forget - a special woman, who ironically also thought that we were special. She spoke little English, but a couple from Trois Riviere and Sherbrooke helped to translate.

When we arrived in Trois Riviere, we discovered that the hotel rooms downtown were completely sold out. It seems that Saturday night is a special time in T.R. as some of the city is closed to traffic with professional musicians playing on every block and cafes spilling onto the street. It felt like a festival. We wanted to stay downtown where the action was and we had the good fortune to take advantage of a cancellation at the Delta - it was their only room! This was a bit of a splurge, but their facilities and locale were worth it as we were able to take advantage of their swimming pool, complimentary hot buffet on Sunday morning.

On the promenade at the harbour, there was a chess tournament taking place. The chess pieces were about 3 feet high and there were about 20 games taking place. These games were right along the Route Verte - entertaining.

Our motel in Lanoraie had definitely seen better days

We were surrounded by massive corn fields

Another massive cathedral to stare up at

We had an wonderful and spontaneous encounter with the caretaker of the 17th century mill

Mariette Cheney has lived at the mill for almost 30 years

Today's ride: 81 km (50 miles)
Total: 506 km (314 miles)

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