With relatively dry gear and a bad cough, I set out in the morning from Terrebonne headed for Levis. I had it in my mind that driving to Quebec City would be a goat show, so I aimed for south of the St. Lawrence River instead. When I reached Trois Rivieres on the #40 I headed south on the #55. I was squeally excited when I saw the bridge ahead to take me over the river. It was a gorgeous day and I loved looking out over the edge of the bridge. Motorbike travel offers unique perspectives you just don’t experience inside a car or the cab of a truck. You see different things, you get the smell of the air, the crispness of the morning, the sun on the cheeks. It all made for a glorious day.

Soon after the bridge I headed east again on the 132. THIS is what I’d been waiting to experience! The Trans Canada has been the only road since leaving Kakabeca falls, so riding through very old, very beautiful townships was exactly what I was hoping to experience. I stopped for fuel the first chance I had. As soon as I hopped off the bike, and older fella welcomed me to Quebec. He and his wife were full of smiles and congratulations for having travelled so far and were impressed that I was doing it alone. To be honest, it hadn’t felt like a big deal. Not yet, anyway.

When I planned to take the 132, Petunia kept insisting I make a jog south. Forget that, Petunia! This road was amazing. The homes were beautiful. I was alongside the river, and was finally enjoying some twisties! She was persistent, but I am the master of my journey so on I went. While I was busy soaking up the views of the river, I missed the very large “Don’t-continue-down-this-road-or-you’ll-have-a-helluva-time-turning-around-when-the-road-ends-you-dumbass” sign. Yup. Completely missed it. Ok, that’s a lie. I just figured it wasn’t a serious road closure sign because it wasn’t actually blocking the road. Yup. I’m that person.

When I did finally manage to get turned around, I wheeled into a church parking lot to get serious about finding an alternate route. It was a beautiful view!

I set out again, but came to yet another road closure. This time I tucked in against the barricade to look at the map. Before I could get moving again, though, a local cut the corner pretty close. I had to jump back into the ditch and Jules was about 2 inches away from losing her side case. Ok, time to get outta Localsville and get moving.

This time I spied a detour sign and eventually found my way back to the 132. This whole “Took a wrong turn” had zero negative impact on me. I guess that means the healing is well underway. A week ago that would have been upsetting and would have left me feeling stressed out and lost. Maybe now it was a non-issue because while choosing a new route, Brian texted. He was suggesting the same route I’d already selected, but it was comforting that he noticed I was kind of going in circles. It was even more comforting when his suggested route was the one I’d already decided on; I felt validated. I shared my location when we parted ways so he would know how I was doing and where I was. It’s not only safety-smart, it’s been great when I need a virtual tour guide! He’s been wonderful in helping me find hotels when I’m too tired and frustrated to focus here and there too. Even when he’s not with me, he’s with me.

Off again, I spotted a sign for a lookout. I hung a sharp left and wound down a very steep and twisty road. Before Peru, this would have felt sketchy to me, but now it was nothing. It was a pretty little spot with old boats in back yards, a dock filled with young kids fishing, and tons of birds. After a short stroll, Jules and I were back on the road.

Stopping for photos of an incredibly tall and exquisite church meant chatting with other riders from Quebec City. The thing I adore about solo travel is how easy it is to chat with others. We’re all on a journey in life, and we all have our own roads to travel. Yet, there is a certain ‘special-ness’ to chatting with other motorcyclists We were instantly friends, even if for only those few moments. They let me know that the 138 on the other side of the river is an equally scenic and twisty ride.

When I got to Levis, I chose a hotel that was one of the first I’d seen. I was still not feeling awesome and my cough was only getting worse. I texted my virtual tour guide to help me find a hotel because aside from feeling sick, the heat was melting my brain. Plus also, I needed food and I have a hard time making decisions when I need to eat. With only a hard boiled egg that morning and an apple when I stopped for fuel, myt blood sugar was low and I was getting goofy. Brian made some suggestions and I found the Grand Times Hotel.

I wasn’t stoked about another $300 night (my choice, not Brian’s), but I didn’t have it in me to look elsewhere and I wanted to get to old Quebec City before the day got much later. I dumped my gear and checked out how far away the ferry terminal was to the old city. Given that I’d popped my Uber Eats cherry back in Terrebonne, I figured it was time to give Uber Drive a try. Why have I never used Uber before? Well, I live on an acreage where the nearest town has a population of less than 10,000 so Uber just doesn’t exist in my community back home. Turns out it will still be a long while before I try it out. With an hour wait time and a price tag of $78, I decided to walk.

It was a smokin’ hot day and after 30 minutes on my feet and another 35 yet to go, I grabbed a water at a Tim Horton’s. Although I saw some beautiful homes on my walk, I also walked through some pretty sketchy areas too! After a gazillion stairs, and a VERY steep street, I finally made it to the ferry terminal; just in time too! We set sail shortly after I boarded and I was happy to take a seat after that 13 km walk in the heat!

As we neared the Quebec City shoreline, I joined the masses to get just the right shot of the Hotel Frontenac. A woman about my age asked if I’d take her photo with the hotel now looming behind her. It was a very strange moment. I considered asking her to join me in exploring as I sensed she wasn’t ready to say goodbye yet either after we chatted.

It was a battle of thoughts in my mind. It would be wonderful to make a new friend, but we’d only be friends while in old Quebec City. Was it worth it? What would I miss out on by exploring with someone else? But what would I gain? Did I feel the burden of lonliness? A quick check-in with myself said no. I opted to wish her a good evening and set out on my own. We may have had a lovely time together, but I really was pretty hungry.

After a beautiful meal at Alphonse, I set out exploring. There were people asolutely everywhere! I was surprised by how much I’m leaning towards solitude these days. Those who know me know how much I love busy, lifely places with plenty of opportunity to engage with others. I did some poking around the shops, then headed up the hill to see the hotel and the remnants of the original legislature buildings.

Three hours later I was done in. The 13 km walk to get to the ferry, then up and down the cobblestone streets, tons of stairs, and steep hills, I’d had enough. Laden with a few souvenirs for loved ones, I took the Funiculaire du Vieux – Quebec (Old Quebec Funicular) down and headed for the ferry back to Levis. My timing was fantastic as I’ had enough time to buy a gatorade, use the facilities, and walk right on to the boat.

I wasn’t interested in the long uphill journey back to my hotel, so I jumped in a cab. I no longer recall the driver’s name, but we had a wonderful chat about how it came to be that he chose Quebec City when he emigrated from Tunisia. We laughed the whole drive. I mean really laughed! This was an individual who was truly a happy soul. I thought briefly about what I may have missed by not making friends with the woman on the boat, but that was fleeting. I replaced those thoughts with a reminder of what I’d gained by jumping into this particular cab and having such a joyful conversation with another happy soul.