The Dutch couple who own and run L'Ancrage are wonderful hosts, and fed me an amazing breakfast out on the porch.
I took my time, reading my novel and enjoying breakfast. There was so much delicious food that I could not finish it all. I was also, for the first time this year, hot sitting outside!
It was 11:00 by the time I started riding, and finally I felt like I was making great time. I rejoined Highway 11 and by around 14:00 had made it 80 or so kilometres to where 11 joins Highway 15 near Shediac.
My plan was to cycle into downtown Moncton then back out the airport where I had a rental car booked. That would give me a metric century for the day, and set me up nicely for whenever I wanted to finish my ride from Moncton east. I was making such good time that I figured I also had time to stop and check in to my hotel before getting out to the airport for my 16:00 car reservation.
Then, I hit some debris--I never really figured out what--and my rear wheel was flat.
I was super annoyed, but what can you do, so I pulled over to change it. I feel fairly cursed when it comes to changing flat tires on my bike trips, having had absurd experiences in 2012 in Saskatchewan and 2015 in BC. Unfortunately, this proved to be another absurd experience, as the pump I had purchased in Amqui was entirely inadequate.
After wasting over an hour, I gave up. I was only a few kilometres from the airport, so I stashed my bags behind a tree, put my wheel back together, and rode on down the highway on the flat. It was bumpy and destructive to my already-somewhat-bent wheel, but I was motivated, and angry about the whole thing, so I was quickly at the airport, tire ruined and spokes loose.
At the airport I attempted to wash my greasy hands at a bathroom sink, then picked up my rental car, a bright green Jeep.
I drove back down the highway to retrieve my bags, then finally into Moncton. Once actually clean, I celebrated my completed ride with a beer and lobster roll at the Gahan Pub.
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