Wednesday, June 26, 2019

garden / june 25 / montreal























Not sure if these are yellow or green beans. I put them inside circular supports this year since the woman where I bought my seedlings said I should.

Rhubarb has already been harvested and eaten. Waiting for next crop...


Monday, June 24, 2019

cycling across and under bridges / montreal





Today we crossed from the island of Montreal to Île des Soeurs (aka Nuns' Island), and from there across a narrow bridge that spans the St. Lawrence River. This narrow bridge, called L'Estacade, is a little over 2 k long. It was built in the mid-1960s to block/control the force of the ice in the St. Lawrence. In English I've heard it called the ice bridge. It's been replaced by a new Estacade that's a dedicated bike path.




The bridge it was protecting, the Pont Champlain, has *recently* been replaced. Construction began in 2015. The new bridge was finally opened for traffic this past weekend. The old bridge will be demolished. 


We cycled as far as another island, Île Sainte-Hélène, passing under another bridge, Pont Victoria. The Victoria was the first Montreal bridge to cross the St. Lawrence, also the longest bridge in the world at the time of its construction 1856-1859. It's a narrow bridge by today's standards, and taking it is an obstacle course because of ongoing repairs and construction. Nevertheless, it's the bridge we take when we head to the Gaspé.


And though you won't be able to make it, here's a picture of the FARINE FIVE ROSES sign from the other side of the river. 


cycling / montreal

My bike and I, we are neither of us so young anymore, but on the second longest day of the year we cycled 35 k.




A few weeks ago R gave my bike a tuneup, new brake cables, and adjusted the gears. My knees could have used a tuneup and adjustment too.

No matter. I have a simplistic dangling-carrot mentality and can spur myself on with the prospect of the ice cream I'll have at halfway point. Coming home I think of wine and a bbq. A lovely, hot shower to slough off the exoskeleton of salt.





The river is still high--unusual for this time of year. Trees that are normally along the shore have their trunks half a metre or more underwater.

People were out strolling, cycling, inline skating, reading on benches, having picnics. I regret not getting a pic of the man cycling with a Chihuahua on the front-mounted kiddie seat of his bike. The dog was up on front legs on the handlebars/prow of the bike, ears flared, eyes fixed like a bold, brave figurehead. A happy dog with a sense of purpose.

I only recently discovered the name is Chihuahua. All these years I thought it was Chichihuahua.