Rest Day in Repentigny

We spent a relaxing day at Au Doc Motel, with beautiful weather and a nice location right on the St. Lawrence. It was a good opportunity to relax, cook using a real stove (although the burners are quite weak), and practice our French. We successfully got directions to the IGA, bought groceries, and had a couple of stilted conversations about our bikes, which is better than I had expected we would do. My French is still very limited, but it’s not as dreadful as I had feared.

The room was far enough from the road that we didn’t hear any road noise. We didn’t even hear the kids from the baseball team in the adjoining rooms! It was a great location for a rest day, and we had a lovely dinner at a picnic table overlooking the river.

View from our window.

Becky trying to call mom and dad using Skype.

Becky has recalculated how far we need to go and the amount of time we have. It looks like we’ll try and adjust our reservation again to pick up the boat in Rimouski rather than Sept-Iles. It means another 11 hours on the boat, but that should be fun too. It would allow us 3 days of down time, where we are limited to 1 hour walks or bike rides when the boat is at dock. Getting to Sept-Iles was going to be a real stretch, since it’s another 350 km, on top of the 550 km to Quebec City. Our original plan had us covering a lot of ground to get to the ferry on July 24. After leaving three days later than planned, it is definitely too much.

Becky says:

The weather is perfect for riding, and we aren’t. We really badly needed a rest day, to recover our mental health more so than our bodies. We haven’t been pushing, but that is partially because we haven’t been feeling physically up to it (at least I have not been). I’m really hoping that a day off to relax and re-organize a few things will help my mental health as well as my physical health.

I need to get over the idea of spending money on a hotel for a rest day. It does seem kind of wrong, but then again, it is necessary. When we are not feeling 100%, we need to splurge a little on comfortable accommodations.

In the early evening, I went for a swim in the pool (while the kids from the baseball team were out for supper). I was reminded that an important part of this adventure is about learning how to slow down. We need to learn how to relax and escape the “go-go-go” world that we have been in for the last 20+ years. Part of what I am seeking is an ability to live life at a slower pace. I just need to remind myself of that occasionally!