As the Candiac EXO train was leaving the Montreal West station, G. T. Bishop could hear Birdie Munger and Louis Rubenstein conversing at the end of the car. The Moby's trio reunited, Birdie led them to the next car where Johanna, W. G. Ross and Doreen Thomas were gathered over a Montreal Cycling Map trying to work out a route given that A. T. Lane had to withdraw following his Quebec city excursion.
G. T. suggested starting the fixture ride at Ste Catherine station instead of the planned Candiac in order to follow more green space paths and to be able to stop at a café he had discovered the previous month with Laura Snowball. All parties agreed just as the train was crossing the St. Lawrence river onto the South Shore and it was already time to gather their bikes to disembark.
The members started a leisurely ride through suburban parkland on this unusually warm November day. Following G. T.'s route, a small detour was required when a road closure (they even exist outside Montreal!) had the members doubling back to the park and then onto the next road to take them across the 132 and thence down to the shore path that would lead to La Prairie and the Champlain bridge.
A quick check at the rest stop near the Ste Catherine lock yielded closed washrooms.
G. T. suggested to the members that they could proceed down the road to the café or do a side trip across the lock and down to the Recreoparc. As Birdie had never been to the park, it was decided to head in that direction. This provided excellent views of the river and a nice photo op as shown at the beginning of the blog.
Leaving the park, the members returned to the path and shortly arrived at the café. Louis brought out a book about cycling trips in Europe to spur the discussion of the proposed Spring ride to Germany and Austria while welcome coffees and pastries were consumed. Talk of one ride always provokes others and places such as Costa Rica, France and Cuba were also floated. Eventually, the members had to get moving again.
The day was continuing to warm up and layers were shed as the members moved downriver. It was agreed that the planned stop at La Prairie be postponed to another day and to continue on to the Champlain bridge and Nun's Island.
Louis put his hand to some artistic work with the camera to produce this panoramic view.
Coming off the Champlain bridge, it was decided to head to another café for a quick lunch as W. G. Ross and Doreen Thomas needed to be heading homewards.
The remaining members decided to make a circuit of Nun's Island before heading back to Montreal and G. T. led them onto a wooded path along the west shore of the island.
Apparently, Nun's Island residents take their private property seriously even though the path through the area looks exactly the same as the public one. G. T. and Johanna managed to roll through but Louis and Birdie got accosted and turned around by some irate maintenance workers. Fortunately, the two groups managed to find each other on the other side and the group continued on their tour of the island uneventfully.
Then, it was a quick passage across the bridge to Verdun and the Lachine Canal at the Atwater Market where G. T. turned east and the other three members turned west to finish off the fixture ride of around 54K depending on your final destination.
The day was enjoyed by all for the pleasant weather, the pleasant riding, the pleasant company, the excellent cafes, the Recreoparc side trip and even the excitement of being chased off some Nun's Island property!
G. T. Bishop
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