I love getting lost on the Parcours des Anses

With this little technological gadget we call a smartphone – which has crept into our lives and which we now find it so hard to put down – we no longer have time to get bored. Yet boredom is far more important than we might imagine. Personally, I quite like getting bored on the Parcours des Anses during my bike rides.

Set the switch to OFF

In neuroscience, this is known as ‘the default mode network’. As for me, I call it ‘set the switch to off’!

It’s simple: it’s just about giving our brain the space to let in thoughts, ideas, existential questions and so on… without any other distractions. I won’t tell you everything that goes through my head whilst cycling – I’ll keep a little bit to myself, after all. But among other things, there’s personal stuff, creative thoughts, and sightseeing, of course. And this time is always beneficial!

Parc régional de la Pointe-De la Martinière

Usually, I start with a short 4 km round trip to the Parc régional de la Pointe-De-la-Martinière (featured image) to warm up my muscles, and the view of Île d’Orléans and the Montmorency Falls always calms me down. It’s perfect for resetting my neural network to its default mode.

In peripheral vision mode

Cycling along the Parcours des Anses, I’m putting into practice the peripheral vision I learnt during my driving lessons – what seems like ages ago!

Right, I’m cycling past the Davie – did you know that there are over 1,000 vacancies to be filled there?

A few pedal strokes further on, the view changes again!

Once I reach Rue de la Grève Joliett, it’s a 3 km gentle downhill stretch all the way to Quai Paquet. Yippee!

What a lovely view this is – with the river, Quebec City and the castle! I never get tired of it!

Here, it’s my colleague Stéphanie who took the photo marking the Lieu historique national du chantier A.C. Davie. She’s a real talent, that Stef! It’s definitely worth stopping off there to find out more about the history of this shipyard.

There’s quite a crowd on the terrace at Le Corsaire (link in french). It really is a lovely place to stop. I mustn’t stop, I mustn’t stop, I mustn’t stop! I know myself – I might end up staying too long. I’ll pull myself together.

©
Lhnc Duchantier A.c. Davie Stephanie Allard Tca 68
|
Stéphanie Allard

To have your mind completely elsewhere!

Did you know there’s live music every Thursday from 4pm to 6pm at QUAI 1635? I went for lunch there one day last summer with the office lot – it was brilliant! And the view of the marina with all the sailing boats – just wow! It really puts you in holiday mode and makes you want to go sailing!

Back on my bike and my thoughts immediately wander off somewhere else…

– What shall we do on our holidays?
– That sagging pool at the cottage, what shall we do with it?
– …?
– Did I lock the garage door before I left earlier?
– …?
– …?

Those yellow Adirondack chairs at Maison Louis-Fréchette are lovely . Don’t just sit back and enjoy the view – pop in to see the exhibitions; there’s always a great programme on there.

Oh, look at that – a really lovely house for sale right by the river. I’m curious to know how much it’s worth; I’ll have a look at it later when I get home!

It’s amazing what you notice when you set the switch off!

Right, I’m already on the final stretch before the start of the Parcours des Anses. At the end, I stop for a moment and… check my mobile to see if I’ve got any Messenger messages or texts (bear in mind, I’m still working on managing to switch off completely).

After 16 kilometers with my mind elsewhere, I’m faced with four options:

1. take a coffee break at Café Blou and also treat myself by popping into Hadlow’s bike shop (link in french) to see what’s new;

1. take the hilly, winding route through Parc de la Rivière-Etchemin (10 km there and back);

1. carry on straight ahead for another 1.75 km to 1st Avenue;

1. ride through old St-Romuald, cross the old Québec Bridge and join the Promenade Samuel-De Champlain.

Being a bit biased, I’d say option 2 is the best – it’s magnificent, and I often do it in the summer – but I must admit that when I head to the Promenade Samuel-De Champlain and come back by ferry, it’s a different experience… and ideal for keeping the switch switched off for even longer! That’s my choice today.

Photos: Stéphanie Allard, Stéphane Bourque, Julie Lapointe