Day 3 _Friday, September 5, 2014

Yesterday, on our way out to eat supper in Chambly, we met Nicole and Frederic out on their terrasse having their meal.  It was the first time we met Frederic in person as he works until 2 am driving the bus.  Frederic had previously found a way for us to get to the beginning of the trail in Montreal through the public transportation system! This must have been his day off.  We found out he was born in France and that his father, now 91, had been the top person in the scouts.  In his childhood, and in his children’s childhood there was a lot of walking including bushwalking.  We asked if it would be possible to walk a bike trail along the canal, instead of the highway, and indeed it was! What a difference this made to our day!

We had intended to have Dean’s homemade granola and to leave at 7 am to avoid the heat of the day as much as possible.  We did not get away until 7:25 am but it was still fresh out.  We walked along until we figured out the way to the canal.  The name Pont (bridge) 4 on the side street was a good indicator.

The walk was country-ish at first.  I was able to find a spot under some sumac to pee.  

* (photo to come)

It was not the case for most of the walk that day.  Pauline would have liked to find more toilets along the way.  Towards the end of the walk, there was a toilet under a bridge and then one with running water at the écluses (locks).

After walking 3 kms., I stopped to photograph my native doll while Pauline went looking “for flowers.” There was a couple on the other side of the road fishing.  They had a trailer.  So we realized that the other side of the canal was not another trail but a road.

*(native doll photo to come)

Dean soon headed back to the car at our B & B and Pauline and I carried on.  A grassed area held too large rocks and we amused ourselves around them. One stood tall and one lay on the ground.  When I stepped onto the latter I noticed white marks which to me looked like an animal, perhaps a deer or a bear standing on its hind legs.

Abigail Nims was adopted by the chief of the People of the Sault, Haronhiateka.  On page 110 of The Great Peace: Chronicle of a Diplomatic Saga by Alain Beaulieu and Roland Viau, Editions Libre Expression, 2001, you can see his signature which is said to be a bear (but to me looks like a deer.)

I noticed a sign along the way and learned that this path was part of the TransCanada Trail.  There were cattails providing an “oasis” for animals.  It wasn’t long that this truth was confirmed.  Pauline and a snake moved back in their own way, one as quickly as the other.

Dean managed to move the car beyond where we were, find access to the bike trail and walk back to meet us.  

The Fort St Therese was now only some informational boards and some marked archeological site which Dean checked out.  He reported there was a dead shrew (how do we say “shrew” in French?) and a beautifully coloured beetle that I went to find for myself. We rested off the path here as there was a picnic table in the shade.

On Dean’s second return we were near Freyre (?)’s dam that had been built but never used.  We also saw a board explaining that we were approaching two islands along the canal, the second île Hélène the larger of the two.  There were expensive houses there.  Many of the houses along the path had a dock on the other side of the path.

The path left the island at pont 10 which had an attendant to open the locks.  (Some bridges were missing or non-operational) Across the bridge I noticed there was a fruiterie and so we crossed the bridge and went off the path.  Pauline and I used the facilities. I bought peaches and bananas for Dean and I as well as an avocado.  The petits fruits were luscious-looking but I only took a photo.  I also photographed my native doll among peaches.

We were on the outer edge of St. Jean de Richelieu and I decided to try and find my cousin’s phone number to no avail at this point.  Dean texted me that there were lots of detours and he was having trouble finding the path.  We waited.  We talked to the woman at the locks just before she left to go open the next lock up.  We found out the canal trail ended at the next locks.  Just about then I got a text from Dean saying he was on the bike path again about 5 kms away and heading our way.

We had been stopped for about 30 minutes by this time and it was time to head off.

In front of us was a large group of cyclist.  I am in the habit of saying “Bonjour” to the people on the trail and I noticed her “bonjour” was different.  Turns out they were the Silver Spokes, a Bike Club of Vermont.  I talked to them, took their photo

and found out one woman also had ancestors who were affected by the Deerfield Raid of 1704. One of the men thought we would be passing through Burlington, Vermont on our way to Deerfield.  He recommended that we "go to Church...Rd" which he said was alive and well.  The advantages of traveling on foot and on bike is to have this kind of contact!

We met up with Dean again.  By this time, the Richelieu River was on our left and there was a zig-zaggy line of rapids.  That’s when I noticed there was someone in the water.  Did I mention it was a hot day? Turns out he had a snorkel mask, flippers and a spear gun. I asked what kind of fish he’d caught when he was closer to the shore.  “assiguane verte” (sp.?) Pauline and I had never heard of that kind of fish.  Will have to look it up on the internet. Best thing to eat from nature we’ve seen along the way so far.

After getting to the end of the bike trail, we climbed up to the bridge which was called rue St. Jacques, crossed over the river, leaving the lovely old part of St-Jean-sur-Richelieu.  Talked Pauline into stopping at Tissus du Quebec; I did not find any silk organza but for a dime Pauline got a button to replace the one she lost during our walk yesterday.

Dean was parked not far away and offered to cut our walk short.  Pauline said we were only at 18 ½ km and she wanted to do 20.  Dean went to the planned end which was beyond 20.  Pauline was looking forward to the end by this time.  We were almost at 5 hours walk, my stated daily limit. We just made it. We had walked 22.23 kilometres.

Addition November 14, 2014

This is likely the most precarious position I put my Native Doll in: glad it did not fall in the Canal.