Arrival in Trois-Rivieres

I checked out my hostel in Montreal this morning and took the Orleans Express bus (the Quebec equivalent of Greyhound) to Trois-Rivieres, a 2 hour journey arriving on time at 12.30pm. I slept for a bit and read for a bit on the half empty bus. As we arrived into the city it started to rain but thankfully the hostel was 5 minutes walk from the bus station. When I arrived there were no staff around. The sign on the door indicated they closed between noon and 4pm but that contradicted what was in their booking confirmation email. There was nothing I could do but sit and wait and be glad that their front door hadn't been locked. A staff member actually arrived about 1.30pm and I was grateful not to have to wait any longer. So I checked in, have a dorm room with 8 beds entirely to myself and the small hostel was very peaceful indeed with everyone out and about.

I had some lunch then took a map and walked down to the tourist office. I got what information they had in English and decided just to walk and get to know my surroundings. The hostel is very centrally located within what I discovered is a very small Downtown area. It rained on and off as I walked up one street and down another. I came back to the hostel to use the internet and have a quick browse through the leaflets I'd picked up and went out again, initially into bright sunshine which then soon turned to cloud. I found the Cathedral of the Assumption and took a look inside, dropped by the hostel again briefly to assess the cooking facilities then went in search of a supermarket.

I walked an indirect route to the supermarket passing by the rather imposing Church of Notre Dame des Sept Allegresses (The Seven Joys of Our Lady) and then back to the hostel. I cooked and ate and it's now quite busy. I don't hear any of the other guests speaking English, well not as a first language anyway. 

I'm going to study the maps and information I've got properly and then have an early night as I'm really tired. Although Downtown is small there seem to be a number of things to see and do in more outlying areas. The hostel does bike hire, or rather lets you take a bike out for just a refundable deposit, part of their sustainable transport remit. I hope to take advantage of that to get further afield and really explore.

HI Hostel, Trois-Rivieres

La Flambeau, Place Pierre Boucher

Cathedral of the Assumption