By the end of the summer, Bübbi was approaching 7700 km on her odometer. We needed to go for another ride. So, we decided to Ottawa again. But this time, we would take the long way round. We left home in Stow, Massachusetts at 7:00 AM on 30 August and headed north along US1 through New Hampshire to Maine. We cut a bit more northwesterly through Augusta, and then took the old highway up to Calais. This is a very Ural type of road .. curvy, hilly, poorly paved in places, unpaved in others, no traffic to speak of, lots of pine trees. We crossed the international border into St. Andrew, New Brunswick. Bübbi said the bridge was small, but there was a border station. The road ahead was clear, and there was little traffic. But we forgot we had just lost an hour to the time zone change. When we reached St. John, we found a hotel, then ran to the restaurant to get dinner before they closed. This was Bübbi's longest single day trip to this point ... 660 km by her reckoning. The tractor seat proved very comfortable. So far, we hadn't seen any of New Brunswick in the daylight.

The next morning, we toured a bit of old Saint John. (This is how it is always written. The first word is never abbreviated, and it is not a possessive. That city is in another province.) The picture below is taken in the main tourist area. We are parked on a hill paved with cobblestones. Again, the Ural was right at home. This snap should give you some idea of my size.

After wandering around the market for a while, we went down towards the water. Below is the animated clock, which is beautifully carved. That is Frank to the right, so you can get some idea of the size.

About 11:30, after finding a New Brunswick decal, we finally got underway, and headed along the shore through Fundy National Park. We hugged the shore, and got a beautiful view of the tides. The road then climbs about 330 meters (1000 feet) and afforded us a spectacular view of the fog riding just above the escarpment of the northern peninsula. The scenery was something else, but with the fog, the pictures are not really very good. We decided then that we would have to come back (read on).

I spend my working hours doing business with banks (please, no comments). Along the way, we came across a local tourist office in an old Bank of New Brunswick building. This branch is famous, because it was robbed once. Everybody knew who the robbers were, but they couldn't find the money. So, the solution was to build a concrete block building on the other corner with an alarm system. The old bank was left to the town, which made it a tourist stop. The inside is just like it was around 1910. No banking machine here. Naturally, Bübbi had to stop to ask directions.

About 20 years before this ride, Frank and I had ridden around Nova Scotia on a BMW R90S. We had decided that if at all possible, we would at least visit Nova Scotia on this trip. Well, we did. We went to Amherst, and obtained a decal. This picture is proof of the visit. (Amherst visitor centre). That is the flag of Nova Scotia flying above the rig.

We continued north, following the coast of New Brunswick. This area varies from summer vacation cottage country to working fishing village. We finally decided to call it a day when we reached Miramichi, about 2/3 of the way to the northern border of the province. We arrived about 8 PM, about the same time as the sidewalks are rolled up. But the friendly motel proprietor directed us to a local fried fish restaurant, which was just what we had in mind. Still no aches and pains, and both bikes were performing beautifully.

There are very few east-west roads in New Brunswick. Our destination for the day was Quebec (the city). So, we took the road west from Miramichi. As we left town, the signs were clear -- nothing for at least 120 kilometers. The signs were optimistic. We had filled up our tanks, and Bübbi's auxiliary tank. The road was straight, but hilly. At first, the view was pine trees to the left, pine trees to the right, with an occasional logging truck. No traffic. Up and down we went, straight west. Then, an oasis appeared at the halfway point.

Now, we all know what happens when a Ural stops anywhere. We had not seen another vehicle for at least 20 minutes. But, immediately, another motorcyclist appeared and we were involved in a UDF (Ural Delay Factor) discussion, even here. You can see the "accommodations" advertised by the sign in the previous picture. Also note the yellow commuting vehicle in the center right of the picture. This road is used year-round. However, in the winter, one would be wise to travel with the appropriate vehicle and to be very aware of the weather. This inn is used by truckers, loggers, and snowmobilers. It is not CAA recommended. The store had a little of everything.

We continued to the top of the next hill, where we could see ahead to the west for over 100 miles. So this is why people drive on this road. The northern tip of Maine and Quebec stretched out ahead. Onward.

As we came down towards Maine, the temperature started to climb a bit. We decided to cross back to the states and then re-enter Canada to save some highway time, and to say that we had been as far north in the lower 48 as you can go. The US customs agent was totally curious about Bübbi, so it took about 30 minutes to go through U.S. customs this time. We went along the highway in Maine to Madawaska (at one time, an independent country), and then crossed back into Canada. The temperature still kept climbing. The landscape changed from forest to farmland, as we descended toward the St. Lawrence. By the time we reached the river, it was well over 90 (30 c) and humid.

Like all Russians, Bübbi loves to practice French. So, she was delighted to spend the evening and the next morning in Quebec City. Here she is at the Chateau Frontenac (a magnificent hotel that has more towers than Heinz has pickles). Where else would she choose to stop to admire the view of the St. Lawrence? The reason we were able to park here was that it was Labour Day (Labor Day in the U.S.).

We were on the hunt for more decals. And we were finally successful, as the souvenir store on the St. Lawrence boardwalk had the requisite fleur-de-lis images.  

In spite of the noise about separation, the Canadian flag still flies prominently above the river.

The rest of the itinerary for the day had us travelling on to Ottawa. We did this without going through Montreal. This is NOT easy. The ride took us through the Outawais area just north of the Ontario-Quebec border. The road was a fine Ural road, with pretty vistas and lovely towns. Each town had as its centerpiece a church. They varied from white wooden frame structures to stone buildings which resembled small cathedrals. Here is an example from St. Anne de la Perade. This was one of the prettiest towns we went through on this trip. This town is also known as the capital of ice fishing on the St. Lawrence River, and boasts more ice fishing huts than any other town in Canada (their claim).

After winding our way along north bank of the Ottawa River, we crossed from Hull into Ottawa. I had to work Tuesday through Friday. But we did a little riding and "repairing" while in town. On Friday night, we decided to go the Byward Market, a re-built tourist area in the original part of Ottawa. This area has a large open-air market, old buildings, and many restaurants. However, in the summertime, one side of a large block is reserved for motorcycle parking. Now, in this part of Canada, one brings one's BMW, Harley, Honda, Ducati.... to show it off. Rider should be dressed appropriately in matching leathers. Well, we could not take the girls over after their long trip without cleaning them up. So we did. Off to the car wash. As you can see, washing Bübbi is a labor of love. The Ural always gets washed first, and Frank loves to do it. However, I take care of changing the oil and all the real fun stuff.

Once the bikes were spiffy, we took them over to the Byward and parked them. We then went for dinner in a little Italian place across the street, and watched as rampant UDF took over. Although there were probably fifty motorcycles parked in the area, most with enough chrome to outshine the new copper roofs on the Parliament Buildings, everybody was standing around the red tourist. We giggled through dinner, then went out to rescue the bikes. The audience was sure we were both going to climb on Frank's Beemer. I calmly fitted my helmet, turned the key, and kicked Bübbi once. The UDF turned to awe as I put her in reverse, and headed off into the sunset.

It was a beautiful evening in Ottawa. Although this is the capital of the country, Ottawa is a relatively small city. Unlike Washington or London, you can get still get close to everything. So, we took the bikes up to the Parliament Buildings. Unfortunately, the main building around the Peace Tower was still completely wrapped in green plastic netting and scaffolding. But Frank climbed aboard so that we could take this picture.

The next picture has been the wallpaper on my laptop computer. The building in the background is the Chateau Laurier, another of the Canadian Pacific grand hotels. This hotel is right next to the parliament area, and has a magnificent view of the Ottawa River gorge (to the rear). The bikes are facing east, so the light isn't great. We are up on the Parliament laneway (Canadian for driveway), above Wellington Street.

Ottawa is a very nice tourist town. If you have the chance, ride up and spend a couple of days. There is a lot of Canadiana here, as well as the seat of the government. If you get bored, you can always cross the river to Hull and visit the Casino.

On Saturday morning, we sadly left Ottawa, and headed south and east. About 50 kilometers from Ottawa, on Ontario 31, Bübbi suddenly let out the most awful squeal. "My paradigm just shifted," she cried. Translation ... I had neglected to oil her odometer cable and she turned her 10,000^th kilometer. The racket ceased as soon as the 1 was settled in the leftmost position, and we resumed our homeward journey through Vermont to Massachusetts.

Journey Statistics:

Friday 30 August 1996 to Sunday 8 September 1996

Bübbi odometer start 7737 end 10617

Friday 659 km Saturday 497 km Sunday 610 km Monday 431 km

Saturday 394 km Sunday 278 km

BMW trivia: replaced headlight in Ottawa. Be thankful you have a Ural. Also, BMW took solo side trip to North Bay and back on Wednesday (500 miles).

(To be continued Watch for Chapter 3 -- The Maritimes, and Chapter 4 -- Across Canada).

Fredda Cole and Bübbi

Frank Cole and BFM