Breaking away from the peloton

So yes Johnny and I will be parting ways soon, having someone who freely admits to being depressed since Alberta and not really wanting to be on this tour you can imagine that this might affect my desire to be around Johnny. Since a big part of the tour was supposed to be about doing a music-cycling tour and he will still not be able to cycle, and his general depression I decided to make a break for Halifax. I am working on booking a few gigs along the way as I still want to be playing shows as I go. I hope he finds a way to be happy sometime soon...

I on the other hand had a good time on Sunday at the Black Sheep. I arrived at the eternal flame to find Ghyslain and Tim waiting to ride to the Sheep with me! What a treat to have a few people there to join me, there was also another gentlemen there to wish me well and a photographer to take some shots. The ride up was a total pleasure having some people to laugh and share stories with. We arrived at the Sheep and dove into the lake. I had been imagining getting to the Sheep for a long time and there were some familiar faces there that made it all good fun. I was happy to spend a little more time with Richard, the luthier, and his family.

Monday morning I left Ottawa and made a break for Montreal, where I have spent most of my life and said goodbye to Ottawa, which has been my home for the last year. On the way to Montreal I found myself thinking about the first time I ever biked to Ottawa when I was 21. I was amazed at how much of that route I remembered. It was my first bike trip ever, from Montreal to Algonguin park. All the details of that trip came back to me, where I camped the first night after having done around 135km, which was my biggest day ever at that point, why I took the trip... I have loved cycling trips for a long time, it was back on this trip that I realized I could never do a bike trip again without a guitar as it just didn't feel right without one. I have dreamed about cycling across Canada doing a music tour since then...

As I got closer to Montreal rolling down roads I have riden more times than I can count, taking roads that you have to be a local to know, the nice backroads that my Dad first took me down, I had a smile on my face from ear to ear. When I crossed the bridge onto the island of Montreal and rode into Saint Anne de Bellevue, my home town I was cheering out loud! I have always wanted to cycle from Ottawa to Montreal in a day so once again another dream coming true! I have ridden 6700km to get here so it was an amazing feeling. Since this tour began I have had a plan, to ride into my home town and go right down to what used to be a dive of a pool hall and now is all clean and eat a poutine! Imagine if you will walking into a place you have known all your life and seeing the same woman who has owned it forever sitting there with her son like they have always been. There is something about coming to a place that you know this well, will always know.

Then I made my way to my friends parents place who I have known since I was born. I said my Hellos and then went to surprise their son, who I have been friends with for 30 years! We played in a our first band together, went to my first concert with, have dreamed of being a rock star with!!!! We got to catch up and he joined me for the little ride to my brothers where I am now. All told 191km in a day to get here, I am now hanging out in the basement with the kids and am heading to the pool, life as simple as it should be.