Read in French (provided by Google Translate)
Time flies by, and i'll be flying to Vancouver in about 43 hours. It's now time to do all the things i've been holding up to the last minute (last hours!).
Also the last day at work for 2 months! 2 months, probably the only time i take off that long while still holding my job. Lots of traffic at my desk today, everyone whishing me good times during my trip. Thanks for everyone, but even if i risk to sound a little anti-social, too much is like not enough!!! That being said, people at work are like my second family (i.e. spending more time with these people than with my close family!), so i'll surely be missing the good camaraderie.
For those of you who have just started reading this blog, you can find an estimate of the road we will be following by downloading this Google Earth file (you need to install Google Earth first obviously)
Wednesday, June 30, 2010
Tuesday, June 29, 2010
t -3 days
Read in French (provided by Google Translate)
Will I be ready in time? That's the question. Still worried, but I keep reviewing the schedule to make sure everything fits in.
I took the time this evening to walk downtown Montreal, and difted to the Montreal Jazz Festival. Montreal is a beautiful city. I love Montreal everytime i'm there in the heart of it (ok not so much when stuck in traffic!). People in Montreal seem to enjoy the city and you can feel it.
Tomorrow last day of work for a long time. I checked today to set my out of office message. I still had the message i had put the last time i took long vacation, and that was in mid-december 2008... I think I can leave knowing that what had to be accomplished is done.
I'm starting to make the list of things i want to do after the trip. It will definitely have much less biking. Not zero, but much less. I want to do other things, that for sure.
Will I be ready in time? That's the question. Still worried, but I keep reviewing the schedule to make sure everything fits in.
I took the time this evening to walk downtown Montreal, and difted to the Montreal Jazz Festival. Montreal is a beautiful city. I love Montreal everytime i'm there in the heart of it (ok not so much when stuck in traffic!). People in Montreal seem to enjoy the city and you can feel it.
Tomorrow last day of work for a long time. I checked today to set my out of office message. I still had the message i had put the last time i took long vacation, and that was in mid-december 2008... I think I can leave knowing that what had to be accomplished is done.
I'm starting to make the list of things i want to do after the trip. It will definitely have much less biking. Not zero, but much less. I want to do other things, that for sure.
Monday, June 28, 2010
t -4 days
Read in French (provided by Google Translate)
Now enough of 1 hand to count the number of days before departure!
Woke up in the middle of the night, with the fear that i will not be ready in time :-S In the end there's only so much I can do before the last day, but still i'm a little stressed out. It's really a race against the clock.
Haircut tomorrow. Very meaningless fact, but for me it's like a deliverance. Hopefully i'll be finishing up the house cleaning tonight and might even start to pack the bike.
Now enough of 1 hand to count the number of days before departure!
Woke up in the middle of the night, with the fear that i will not be ready in time :-S In the end there's only so much I can do before the last day, but still i'm a little stressed out. It's really a race against the clock.
Haircut tomorrow. Very meaningless fact, but for me it's like a deliverance. Hopefully i'll be finishing up the house cleaning tonight and might even start to pack the bike.
Saturday, June 26, 2010
t -6 days
Read in French (provided by Google Translate)
Today I rode one of the "Defi de l'ete" from Velo Quebec. It was starting from Rigaud, for a ride of 145.42Km in 5h 26m at an average of 26.7Km/h. It was a pretty humid morning. Not enough to be called showers, but enough to keep you "humid". And I'm sure nobody would have complained if the temperature was jsut 3-4C higher. With the fairly strong wind today and the fact that we were wet, it forced us to keep pedaling to be warm. No rain in the afternoon, not sunny either but who's going to complain?
The region around Rigaud is very nice, there's something about it that attracts me to go back. We passed by Hudson, another very nice place I discovered today. Lots of nice houses, some of which are more estates that simple homes. Only 45 minutes from Montreal, how nice would it be to have a cottage there? Escape the city turmoil...
That was the last ride i'll be doing before the departure. The remaining days will be in "active-resting" mode. Long walks, sleep a lot and prepare material for final packing.
For what it's worth, we can start looking at the long term weather forcasts. In Vancouver, July 2nd is going to be sunny, and rain on the 3rd. Plenty of time to change, right? Ever since i started looking at the weather in Vancouver, it's always been 18C, and guess what, that's exactly what they forcast for the beginning of July. 18, is it just me or it's not "that" hot...
How do you like the new blog layout? Don't hesitate to add your comments, good or bad. That's what the Comment link is for!
Today I rode one of the "Defi de l'ete" from Velo Quebec. It was starting from Rigaud, for a ride of 145.42Km in 5h 26m at an average of 26.7Km/h. It was a pretty humid morning. Not enough to be called showers, but enough to keep you "humid". And I'm sure nobody would have complained if the temperature was jsut 3-4C higher. With the fairly strong wind today and the fact that we were wet, it forced us to keep pedaling to be warm. No rain in the afternoon, not sunny either but who's going to complain?
The region around Rigaud is very nice, there's something about it that attracts me to go back. We passed by Hudson, another very nice place I discovered today. Lots of nice houses, some of which are more estates that simple homes. Only 45 minutes from Montreal, how nice would it be to have a cottage there? Escape the city turmoil...
That was the last ride i'll be doing before the departure. The remaining days will be in "active-resting" mode. Long walks, sleep a lot and prepare material for final packing.
For what it's worth, we can start looking at the long term weather forcasts. In Vancouver, July 2nd is going to be sunny, and rain on the 3rd. Plenty of time to change, right? Ever since i started looking at the weather in Vancouver, it's always been 18C, and guess what, that's exactly what they forcast for the beginning of July. 18, is it just me or it's not "that" hot...
How do you like the new blog layout? Don't hesitate to add your comments, good or bad. That's what the Comment link is for!
Thursday, June 24, 2010
t-8 days
Bonne St-Jean a tous les Québecois!
Aujoud'hui on peut dire que la patience à été payante. J'ai enfilé mon "habit" de cycliste a 2:30Pm, mais ce ne fut qu'à 5:30 que finalement dame nature nous a fait un cadeau d'un beau soleil. Donc pavé mouillé, mais pas de pluie. Avec la petite ride d'aujourd'hui j'ai maintenat franchi les 1500Km.
Tuesday, June 22, 2010
t -10 days
Read in English
J'écris cette entrée de journal a partir de mon nouvel ordinateur que je vais apporter avec moi pendant le voyage. La petitesse du clavier risque d'apporter quelques frustrations, mais il faut croire qu'on s'habitue a tout!
C'est fascinant la techno. Pendant plusieurs années on a toujours voulu plus gros plus puissant, et voila que maintenant on adore et on trouve "cute" le ordinateur miniature. Ce sera pratique, mais j'ai un peu l'impression de retourner dans les années 90...
A dix jours du départ, je vis un peu dans l'angoisse de ne pas me blesser ni tomber malade si proche du départ. Les dernières pièces du puzzles tombent en place.
Certains collègue de travail on déjà souhaité bonne chance car c'est le début des vacances pour eux. C'est signe que ça approche.
J'ai maintenant assez de doigts sur mes deux mains pour compter le nombre de jours. Wow!
J'écris cette entrée de journal a partir de mon nouvel ordinateur que je vais apporter avec moi pendant le voyage. La petitesse du clavier risque d'apporter quelques frustrations, mais il faut croire qu'on s'habitue a tout!
C'est fascinant la techno. Pendant plusieurs années on a toujours voulu plus gros plus puissant, et voila que maintenant on adore et on trouve "cute" le ordinateur miniature. Ce sera pratique, mais j'ai un peu l'impression de retourner dans les années 90...
A dix jours du départ, je vis un peu dans l'angoisse de ne pas me blesser ni tomber malade si proche du départ. Les dernières pièces du puzzles tombent en place.
Certains collègue de travail on déjà souhaité bonne chance car c'est le début des vacances pour eux. C'est signe que ça approche.
J'ai maintenant assez de doigts sur mes deux mains pour compter le nombre de jours. Wow!
Saturday, June 19, 2010
t -12 days
Translate to French
Only 12 days left before taking the plane to Vancouver.
This week the whole group had pre-departure get together to get the last details settled down. I was glad to get my plane ticket. We're flying direct Montreal-Vancouver which is tremendously good because of the special equipment we carry (the bike). I think everyone in the group is very eager to start the trip. Like me, everyone has been talking about it for so long that we're all tired of waiting.
I was a little disappointed not to get the detail route booklet (which is going to be a "binder" from what i understand). But it's for a good reason, Velo Quebec is reviewing the whole path to make sure it's up to date and free of obstacle.
I've already done a couple of organized trips with Velo Quebec, and it's always the same feeling; it's not cheap but now that it's paid all i have to do is pedal, the organization is going to take care of the rest!
I should have no problem putting the last few kilometers (135 to be exact) to bring me to the target of 1500Km before the start of the trip.
For those of you who hasn't looked at the map i've done for Google Earth, you can get it here. You need Google Earth to view.
Internet connection along the way is surprisingly good. I should have no problem uploading picture and updating this blog. Video seems out of the question, being a little to heavy to share. But i'll definitely try monster panoramic pictures (stitch of a dozen pictures of the same scene).
Only 12 days left before taking the plane to Vancouver.
This week the whole group had pre-departure get together to get the last details settled down. I was glad to get my plane ticket. We're flying direct Montreal-Vancouver which is tremendously good because of the special equipment we carry (the bike). I think everyone in the group is very eager to start the trip. Like me, everyone has been talking about it for so long that we're all tired of waiting.
I was a little disappointed not to get the detail route booklet (which is going to be a "binder" from what i understand). But it's for a good reason, Velo Quebec is reviewing the whole path to make sure it's up to date and free of obstacle.
I've already done a couple of organized trips with Velo Quebec, and it's always the same feeling; it's not cheap but now that it's paid all i have to do is pedal, the organization is going to take care of the rest!
I should have no problem putting the last few kilometers (135 to be exact) to bring me to the target of 1500Km before the start of the trip.
For those of you who hasn't looked at the map i've done for Google Earth, you can get it here. You need Google Earth to view.
Internet connection along the way is surprisingly good. I should have no problem uploading picture and updating this blog. Video seems out of the question, being a little to heavy to share. But i'll definitely try monster panoramic pictures (stitch of a dozen pictures of the same scene).
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