I came to Portland a couple of days before my bike tour departure date to put my bike together and to check out the city. With that in mind, my time here has been a success! But hasn’t gone down quite like I imagined before I left.
Building the bike went much as expected. My travel partner and I got it together last night. I tooke it for a short ride this morning and tweaked a couple of things that needed it. Done!
Seeing the city? Mostly what I saw was the inside of discount, sportswear, and bike stores to recoup my clothing and gear losses incurred by TSA. My travel partner’s host also gifted me some clothes ready for donation too, which greatly decreased the overall cost of the things I need to stay dry and warm as I ride around the Gaspésie.
After returning from shopping we took a short ride downtown for dinner and a beer at Novare Res Bier Cafe. We cruised by the water up and down the hills of the alternating asphalt and cobblestone roads.
It is incredibly green here. There are so many species of trees I haven’t seen in a long time. And there are lilacs everywhere! Lilacs are my favorite flower, but they don’t grow in Florida. They are so lovely.
The water is lovely. There was a heavy chop on the water today. Tons of boats were out. Many people were out walking the trails, swimming at the rocky beaches. The sun shone and the air was a comfortable temperature. A lovely day for shopping (I guess) but better for bike riding.
We returned to my AirBnB. We’ll be leaving early tomorrow for the Gaspé. I’ve been packing my panniers in preparation.
Á biêntôt!