I wake up with a smile on my face. My friend Monique came to join me at the inn and we spent the evening discussing a multitude of topics, each more interesting than the last.
In order to follow the good advice offered by a biker regarding potholes as big as ostrich nests on the island of Montreal, I go around the island as much as possible towards South Glengary, my gateway to the West.Savage.
I take the Bizard Island ferry after going around it. A place with perfect curves for motorcycles ... if we removed all the stops and the police-lying (name given to speed bumps in Haiti).
From South Glengary, I take the 2 to Deseronto, with two small hooks.
A first hook between Long Sault and Ingleside, on the Long Sault Parkway.This path has an amazing history. It connects 11 islands that were created during the construction of the St. Lawrence Seaway over 60 years ago. Back then, several villages stood where the river now stretches.
Credit: St Lawrence Parks
Short stop in Prescott where I stretch my legs while walking through Shakespeare’s Garden. This park features flowers, plants, and quotes from the bard's many works. This is no wonder, considering that Prescott has hosted the St. Lawrence Shakespeare Festival for almost 20 years.
A second hook, between Butternut Bay and Gananoque, on the Thousand Island Parkway. The kilometres are unfolding in front of me. The temperature is perfect and my mind is at peace.
I am surprised at the number of houses built on islands but also rocky islets. Peace ... quietness and peace.
Tonight, I sleep in Gananoque. True to my bad ... or good habit, I don't have a reservation. Everything is full, but I'm lucky to find a lovely B&B, the Riverview. I book a room and end up with an impeccable suite.
For supper, I go to Maple Leaf Restaurant, a Czech restaurant.They serve the best Schnitzels and a tasty homemade sauerkraut. When I return, I sit on the balcony adjoining the bedroom and write notes for my story, to the sound of crickets, under a starry sky.
The next day, after a tasty lunch prepared by my host, I hit the road again.
I pass through Kingston. This city is located at the crossroads of the Rideau Canal, the St. Lawrence River and Lake Ontario. I drive quietly through the old quarters located by the lake. The castles, estates and century-old stone houses amaze me with their Anglo-Saxon architecture.
Deseronto
I head for Frankford where I'm going to sleep tonight. This small town is in fact one of the goals of my trip.
I will meet there a person dear to my heart, my little sister who lives far too far away. She greets me with open arms. She, with her husband, created a magnificent vegetable and flower garden, host to a diverse fauna. Praying mantises, hares, possums, and even a fox visits it from time to time.
We walk around there, taking the time to pick part of our supper.She tries to plant the old vegetables in there, you know ... the ones that taste ... soooo good. Industrial cultivation methods strive to find the most beautiful and ... sustainable vegetables, and taste is no longer a priority. Fortunately, people have offered her treasured seeds, many even from European immigrants who brought these treasures with them when they crossed the big pond.
We spend the evening in the gazebo chatting, until the forest around us starts to sparkle.
Ah ... the summer evenings of our childhood when we went out hunting for fireflies ...