total km: 6556.3
True to form, we got off to a leisurely start, as we always do when we stay indoors. We have developed a set, efficient routine involving autopilot roles over the last 3 months. Not working around the familiarity of the tent throws off this routine. We unpack things in unfamiliar places and must search for them when it comes time to put them away the next morning. It’s frustrating because there is actually much less work to do, but it always takes much longer.
The view from the dining room.
Moving out.Usually our tardiness is not a hindrance. But with the steadily decreasing amount of daylight, our tardiness today did hinder us. Our plan was to make it about 20 km further than we did today but we quite simply ran out of daylight. We weren’t even tired and easily could have continued. The terrain was easy and we were well rested due to the frequency of our picture taking stops (pretty much around every corner).
The scenery today was truly spectacular, much more so than the days before. We had heard that the scenery gets more beautiful just east of Saint Anne des Monts (our hostel was on the very eastern edge of this municipality) and the rumours proved accurate, as we discovered literally around the first corner after exiting the hostel driveway.
This was pretty much at the top of the Hostel's driveway.
This is a new hazard.
Katie magically emerging from her pit stop in this seemingly impenetrable wall of foliage. 
Brandon sporting the Alfalfa.
More glacial sculptures.
Stretching.There were just so many picture opportunities. Especially since the Canadian Atlantic was in it’s prime today. It seems as though it was in its niche wallowing under a carpet of grey clouds, breathing mists that shrouded the coastline and transformed it into layers of featureless shades: not feigning cheerfulness under sunny blue skies. It just felt right.
You can really see the traces of the glacial retreat.There was only one low point today, when Brandon’s tire was pierced by a shard of glass from one of many carelessly thrown beer bottles, this one happened to be a Labatte Blue beer bottle, further strengthening Brandon’s distaste for the beer. We just don’t understand why people are so ignorant and selfish.
One of the cooler parts of the day was discovering the fact there is a different village in every bay, which means, basically, around every corner (they are very big corners). They are just tiny little fishing villages, most of them completely devoid of signs of life with a few white box-houses scattered over the land. It’s only about every 3rd or 4th village where you find a functioning grocery store and people milling about.
A lone veteran fisherman.When it really was getting too dark to bike we finally gave in to mother nature and began looking for a place to camp. We were lured from our usual squatting strategy by the sight of the $5 camping sign pointing in the direction of the lighthouse watching over the town of Riviere du Madelein.
As usual, it was chilly setting up, eating dinner and doing the dishes in the bathroom sink. As we were finishing our clean up we heard the wind pick up, so we dried our fridged hands ($5 camping does not include hot water) and readied ourselves for the rapid trip back to the tent. When we opened the doorr though, it was like stepping out of a refridgerator. With the strong wind came a rise in temperature that must have been about 10 degrees. It was actually too hot to sleep in our sleeping bags, an unusual but welcome change.
B&K
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