Today, four ambitious trekkers left the hostel at 8:00 in the morning for the highly anticipated century ride. We followed Le Route Vert out of Montreal, along the north side of the St. Lawrence River. After 50 miles, we took a ferry to the south side and got lunch at a Tim Horton's in the town of Sorel. Then we did another 50 miles on the return trip to Montreal, breaking 100 miles as we crossed the bridge into the city! The pace was fast and easy since the terrain in French Canada is very flat.
The trekkers that stayed in the city had a fun time exploring. We biked to the Biosphere Museum and observatory of environmental science. On a nature walk there we learned how to identify different species of maple tree. (Fun fact: The maple leaf on the Canadian dollar is not an actual Canadian-Native Maple, it is actually the invasive Norwegian Maple! This was a mistake made by the designers.) After learning about sustainable urban practices and species of plants and animals of Montreal, we splurged on beaver tails, fried sweet dough with dessert toppings, for the group. The rest of the afternoon was spent exploring the various street entertainers and festival activities of Montreal's summer events.
Monday will be our last day in Montreal! Unfortunately, the forecast is for rain, so we will likely be exploring the city's many museums.
