En route to GC41 - Montreal to Ottawa

The morning began very early... I got up - did what I usually do when I wake up... it looked light out... I glanced at my watch... Oh, 5:30AM... coffee would be good.  I boil water and then I looked at the clock on the stove: 4:45AM.  Well, I am up now!!

Clancy came and looked at me as if I was nuts... trying hard to snuggle and get me to go back to sleep... it was a funny sight!  My that dog has personality!!

By 6AM Andrew was up and Helen was not far behind.  With three cups of coffee in me, Helen set a beautiful cream cheese, smoked salmon, tomato and onion bagel in front of me... was it ever good!!  With another cup of coffee and some conversation about the pending election and other Montreal side shows... I all too soon, had to pack up.


Andrew had offered last night to take me over to his shop and then to a job where they are installing some exotic hardwood.  I was keen to see it!  With hugs from Helen and a slobber from Clancy I was off chasing Andrew across the island.

What a selection of exotic and local hard woods.  Sustainable mahogany, bamboo, morato and other woods that I'd never heard off.  Andrew's company imports would directly from South America and Asia and are exclusive suppliers in Canada for some very exotic woods!  They do custom staining and have a lab upstairs where they test various stains and oils and throughout the space Antonia's (Helen's daughter) artwork proudly hangs and bring energy to the place.

From the shop we headed over to the home of Andrew's business partner where they are doing an install of a custom morato floor.  What a beautiful product!!  What a beautiful home!!


With a quick good-bye to Andrew I went to head out - only to discover there was something wrong with the GPS - the mount did not seem to be charging the GPS unit and as a result I could not use the ear bud to hear directions.  "Oh well," I thought, "I'll fix it later..."

I headed north on Autoroute 15 and then turned westward on Autoroute 50.  At Grenville-Sur-la-Rouge I dropped onto RTE 148 and continued alongside the Ottawa River.  At Fassett I took a little ferry across the river and I was back in Canada - I mean Ontario!!

The GPS brought me out onto Hwy 17 and I was so glad I was no where near the 417... I have no desire to do freeways on the motorcycle anymore!  I like the pace of two lane country roads with the occasional tight turn!!

In Rockland I stopped at the local Kawasaki dealer to respond to a phone call that had come in while I was riding and charge the GPS before I heading into Ottawa.  As I wondered around the store while the GPS was charging I was pleased to see that they had GoPro2 cameras on sale - I bought one.  My birthday present.  Thanks to all those who contributed and promised to contribute <grin>.  I am looking forward to using it to record some of my rides... and then I can spend the winter editing them and reliving the roads I have travelled!!

As a result of my phone call I decided to head right to Carleton University and see if I could get into my room a day early... good thing I did.  I got the last room available.  I have to move tomorrow - but I knew I had a bed for the night... and that's a good thing!!

With a room secured - albeit I couldn't check in until after 3PM I headed over to my brother-in-laws place and I had no sooner pulled in the driveway and he and Matthew pulled in behind me - coming from the hobby shop where Matthew go some parts for his nitro car.

Mark showed me where the beer was and he went off to work.  I helped Matthew with his car, bugged Sarah for a bit, played a game with Matthew, played with my camera and charged electronics... and then Nadine arrived home and soon after that Mark came home with Thai food!!  Yum! Yum!!  Yum!!!

The last three times I have been at Mark and Nadine's we have had Thai food from this place not far from their home!  It is excellent food and each time I go to visit I look forward to a feed of Pad Thai and Spring Rolls... thanks so much Mark it was a wonderful birthday gift!!  Especially the Shrimp Spring Rolls (mistakenly ordered and I got to eat most of them!!).

On about 7PM I decided it was time to head out some I could get settled at the Residence before dark.  The bike was quickly loaded and before long I was cruising alongside the canal as the sun set on the skyline.

Parking the bike in a NO PARKING zone I went to two different buildings before I found the right one... Lennox and Addingson House.  A couple to trips from the bike to the room got my stuff secured and with a little drive over to the parking lot, the bike was secured for the night!

Tomorrow I move to Frontenac House...  tomorrow GC41 starts.  Now I need to sleep (after 19 hours of activity).  I do hope I sleep in tomorrow!!



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