Thurs June 30: Hanging in Chambly

Does it compute with you that it is the last day of June??  Me either - What The Heck happened to June???

I am quite sure I did not wake up this morning and say ‘S.V.P. (Please) let there be multiple forts in my immediate future. But there were!  We decided to make it a biking day, and started with a visit to Fort-Chambly.  Where something something British, or maybe French, or possibly American did something, then it burned and someone else built to back up to so something to someone, etc etc etc.

Rick here:  This area was originally settled by the French in the early 1600’s (hence the French spoken in Quebec today) and they and their southern neighbors, the British, fought back and forth over the years.  So each built forts along the border (Remember Fort Ticonderoga - originally French and Fort Stanwix - British.  We’ve had the pleasure (Rick) or meh (Melanie) to visit them all).  This constant fighting  culminated in the French and Indian war (which was part of the greater British/French conflict called the 7 Years war) which was fought in the late 1750’s to 1760’s. The British won that war and took over this area including all the Forts that would become Canada.  These Forts were important later during both the Revolutionary War and War of 1812.   Now they are all museums.  

About half-way into our ambitious ride along the canal (on the Route Verte) to our next stop, St Jean Sur-Richelieu, I realized  I should have worn those padded bike shorts... We ended up riding 23 miles RT.

Start and end  point - then return...  Ouch.

 

The bike path was great, and well used.  It passed through farm land, then bedroom community and then into town.

The canal has a very strict speed limit, so here is Rick passing the boats!

Absolutely everyone was out and about, in various ways.  So many parents with kids - I really should have made my kids bike more.

On the way back we had the opportunity to see how they can pack several smaller boats into these short, narrow locks.

And then we ran into ANOTHER fort.  WTF.
Rick here: Fort Sainte Therese - old French fort. Not much left.

We were very surprised to see this ferret-type aquatic creature.  It's a mink!  I had no idea they could be found in so many places - I think I always pictured mink farms in Russia???

We made it to the boat in mid-afternoon and, contrary to our normal practice, we did not go YET AGAIN to the grocery store.  We did have a rest and spent some time planning the next leg of our trip.  As we have mentioned, we will be in Burlington for about 2 weeks in early July and then we will retrace our steps up this canal and then head further out the St. Lawrence River to Quebec City.  We need to organize that part of the trip, plan routes and reserve space at marinas. 

Zentangles - much better than another fort

I have been playing around with Zentangles, since I left my quilling and felting stuff at home.  I'll let you know if it really is a 'self-help meditative practice to enhance relaxation'.