It's lunchtime by the time I've packed up the bike and said goodbye to Emily and Kevin. It's great to be back on the bike after almost two weeks and tracing the north bank of the St Lawrence River towards Quebec. Arriving in Trois-Rivieres I take a break and scam some wifi to send some messages. I return to the bike and find a parking fine. Apparently i paid for the empty bay next to mine. A $40 mistake. Arriving in Quebec at 6pm I'm given a warm ...

I wake up to a worried message from a friend in Scotland. Overnight there has been a train accident in Quebec that has resulted in an oil transporter exploding and destroying the vast portion of the small town of Lac Megantic 200 km from Montreal. In coming days it would be discovered that 13 died. The Montreal Planetarium is spectacular. I spend most of the afternoon exploring. Interactive wall and table screens provide a myriad of information about everything b...

My bike is meant to be ready today but I haven't heard from the garage. I give them a call and find out that they haven't started on it yet and it won't be ready until Monday at the earliest. I haven't moved for almost a week and while Montreal is a great city, my feat are getting itchy. I cancel the service but get the guys to fit the tires. The bike mechanics are cool and we chat about bikes and travel as they swap the tires. With the old knobby...

Another day in Montreal another church. I spend the morning visiting Saint Joseph Du Mont Royal and its surrounding gardens. Siting high above the city it affords some great views. I walk into the city from Saint Josephs through Mont Royal Park which takes a few hours. Crossing to the east side of town i check out the Village. While walking down the high street a stranger stops to comment that I'm handsome, have a great physique and if I'm free tomorrow, ...

It's nice when traveling gives you unexpected wow moments and Norte-Dame Basilica gave me one this morning. Not as grand as its Parisian namesake, what it lacks in size and external sophistication, it makes up in internal depth and detail. The blue ceiling, gold leaf inlays and ornate alter are stunning. The main bell weighs 10 tones (its rarely used as its vibrations damage the building), the organ has 7000 pipes and Celine Dion was married here. I have no a...