Jen and I have toured on our tandem in the Pacific Northwest, Hawaii, France, Belgium, Netherlands and England. But our longest and most memorable tour was from Quebec City to Halifax.
We flew from Seattle to Quebec City and spent three days assembling and checking the tandem and sightseeing in the only walled city in North America north of Mexico. The area was settled by the French beginning in 1608, but the city was captured by the British in 1763. Despite most of Canada being English-speaking, the province of Quebec and parts of the Maritime Provinces have proudly retained their French language and unique cultural identity.
The first couple of weeks cycling along the south shore of the St. Lawrence River, the weather was unseasonably cold, wet and windy. As we got further from Quebec City, the towns became villages, the terrain became hillier, the riding more challenging, and overnight lodging less frequent. Everyone was helpful and interested in our tandem and tour plans, and being able to speak French was certainly a bonus.
We crossed from Quebec into New Brunswick at Campbellton, planning to follow the coast from north to south through Acadia. This is the francophone region of the province, and the history and culture are well presented in the Village Historique Acadien open-air museum in Caraquet.
A few days later we celebrated reaching 1,000 miles and crossed from New Brunswick to Prince Edward Island (PEI). Cyclists are not allowed on the 8-mile bridge, but a bike shuttle is available.
PEI is ideal for cycling. It is gently rolling and has an excellent series of disused rail lines that have been converted to trails. We stayed in Summerside for a couple of days and fortuitously timed our visit with a local Acadian community Father’s Day lunch that highlighted local dishes.
The next point of interest was Cavendish, famous as the setting for “Anne of Green Gables,” written by Lucy Maud Montgomery. The book has been translated into 36 languages and has become one of the best-selling books worldwide.
We reexamined our schedule and decided to take the opportunity to visit the Magdalen Islands, part of Quebec, a five-hour ferry crossing from PEI into the Gulf of St. Lawrence. The islands are low-lying with sand bars joining red sandstone outcrops. Fishing, particularly for lobsters, remains important on the islands.
We returned to PEI for a few days before we took the ferry to our final Maritime province, Nova Scotia. As suggested by the name, Nova Scotia became home to Scottish immigrants, displaced by the brutal “Highland Clearances” in their native land.
We ended our tour cycling along the Atlantic coastline and one last short ferry ride from Dartmouth across the harbor to Halifax.
The next day we caught Via Rail for the 18-hour journey to Charny. A short ride across the St. Lawrence River to Quebec City and our hotel, brought the total distance cycled to 1,620 miles.
About the presenters
Jen and Tony Burgess both grew up in northern England, Jen in Cumbria near the Scottish border, and Tony in Manchester. They met at the University of Durham, Tony majoring in geology and Jen in French. They were married in 1967 and after three years in London, emigrated to Canada in 1972.
After living in four different locations in Canada, and a six-month project posting to Sweden, they moved to the Puget Sound area in 1984. Since then, they have lived in the rural area between Redmond and Carnation.
They enjoy hiking and cycling and have completed a couple of long-distance hikes in England, including the popular 200-mile coast-to-coast from the Irish Sea to the North Sea. They started riding an old used tandem in 2009, and after an upgrade to a tandem that can be disassembled for airline travel, have toured in the Pacific Northwest (Oregon, Washington state, British Columbia), Hawaii, Quebec and the Canadian Maritimes, France, Netherlands, Belgium and England.
A “mature couple” on a tandem is an easy conversation starter with local residents and other travelers. All their tours have been self-supported, giving the opportunity to experience a variety of cultures, as well as see some spectacular scenery.
About the series
Traveler’s Journal, a presentation of the Peninsula Trails Coalition, raises funds to buy project supplies and food for volunteers working on Olympic Discovery Trail projects. Shows start at 7 p.m. at the Dungeness River Nature Center, 1943 W. Hendrickson Road.
Admission is a suggested donation is $5 for adults. Attendees are encouraged, but not required, to wear mask.
For more information, email Arvo Johnson at amjcgj@gmail.com.
2024 Traveler’s Journal Series
When: 7 p.m., Thursday, March 21 (door opens at 6:30 p.m.)
Presenters: Jen and Tony Burgess
Presentation: “Quebec and the Maritimes by tandem”
Where: Dungeness River Nature Center, 1943 W. Hendrickson Road
Cost: Suggested $5 donation (adults)
Coming up: “A glimpse of Poland and Slovakia” with Arvo and Christiane Johnson, March 28
Photo courtesy of Tony and Jen Burgess / Cannons at The Citadel in Quebec City.
Photo courtesy of Tony and Jen Burgess Welcome to Gaspé, Quebec.
Photo courtesy of Tony and Jen Burgess / Off to set lobster traps in Percé, Quebec.
Photo courtesy of Tony and Jen Burgess / House painted in colors of Acadian flag in Grand-Anse, New Brunswick.
Photo courtesy of Tony and Jen Burgess / A general store in an Acadian village open-air museum in Caraquet, New Brunswick.
Photo courtesy of Tony and Jen Burgess / The Anne of Green Gables house in Cavendish on Prince Edward Island.
Photo courtesy of Tony and Jen Burgess / The start of another day of cycling on Prince Edward Island.
Photo courtesy of Tony and Jen Burgess / Cap-aux-Meules harbor at the Magdelan Islands, Quebec.
Checking out the old way of cycling during a Canada Day Parade in Sherbrooke, Nova Scotia.
