St-Jean-Port-Joli to La Pocatière   |   Campsite: 47.37077° N, 70.04119° W

I wake at 4:00 after having an eight-hour sleep. I’ve not slept that long in decades! I work my way into the day and am out walking Highway 132 eastward through a beautifully quiet weekend morning. I walk through St-Jean-Port-Joli, through the villages of Plage-Victor, Ozanam, and into St-Roch-des-Aulnaies. The next village is Village-des-Aulnaies where I find a gas station selling cheese curds and pints, and where picnic tables allow for the cooking of food while journalling the day into the notebook. So far, I’ve walked 16 km, with an upcoming 10 km to the town of La Pocatière where I will have access to wifi and water refills. I pack up after a good rest and return to the road, cursing the wind after blowing over my beer. Every time I let go of something it requires a heavy item in order to weigh it down from the wind, which seems to want to blow all of my stuff around for fun. I laugh at it all, as I can’t control it. It is all funny, anyway, this place seemingly devoid of gravity. It helps to find the humour in it all. The walk from here to the town of La Pocatière is amazing! A bike path of comfortable sand and gravel follows the shoreline of the river, revealing incredible views of both the river and its backdrop in various shades of blue-grey that are the Laurantide Mountains, becoming ever larger, closer, and more defined. I can’t help photographing them at every turn and opportunity! A feeling of giddy bliss is carried into town, as this afternoon has been one of the most scenic and satisfying yet. I arrive in town sometime around 1:30, and I get plenty of work done with available wifi. When approaching the restaurant I noticed a well-kept and well-covered area of grass behind the building. I find the manager and explain what I am doing on this walk, and when I ask for permission to set up the tent for the night, he readily grants consent. When explaining what I am doing I am careful to point out that I am walking early each morning by 5:00. I think it is a strong selling point, as it guarantees that I will be gone before a company’s customers begin to arrive. I also book a one-night stay at an interesting hostel in downtown Rivière-du-Loup at a great price for June 5. Only 71 km now separate me from the town, and I will easily be there by Monday late morning, providing time to explore, buy any required food for the upcoming New Brunswick leg of the walk, and any gear requiring replacement. I am looking forward to seeing the city of Rivière-du-Loup!

Today’s distance walked: 29.76 km    |    Total distance walked: 1,098.84 km