They discover the planet to be a bike with three children

Photo courtesy
Christopher and Noa Fortier on the road to the Beach in arriving at Percé in mid-may of 2017.

Stephanie Gendron

Tuesday, 27 February, 2018 23:03

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Tuesday, 27 February, 2018 23:03

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RIMOUSKI | Tanned metro-boulot-dodo, a couple of Rimouski has sold his home and his personal possessions to travel around the world by bicycle with her three young children, the rhythm of the family rather than the one imposed by the company.

Marie Thousand, 28 years old, and Christopher Fortier, 30 years old, have seen the routine intense when they saw the children in the morning to prepare them for the daycare, then in the evening for dinner and bedtime.

During a maternity leave, they realized they wanted to live day-to-day. They have therefore decided to leave Rimouski at the end of the month of April to discover the world on their bikes and cart, with their children, Noa, 6 years old, Émy, 3 years old, and Lou, 18 months.

Pierced in both directions

Their daughter Lou grows away from plastic toys, but nearly of the pieces of wood, stones and earth. She broke through her first tooth at Percé in the Gaspé peninsula and took his first steps in New Brunswick.

Noa has learned to read in French, as he played with friends in English. The three children learn about life by reading the signs of the monuments, in museums, on the beach writing in the sand or when they meet someone who speaks of his craft with passion.

“We slept in a tent as early as 29 April, then there was still banks of snow. We traveled through the Gaspé peninsula, New Brunswick, Prince Edward island, the Magdalen islands and Nova Scotia, ” says Mary Thousand, a biologist who has worked in the retail trade.

Christopher Fortier is a miroitier-glazier. Both are of French nationality and living in Quebec since 2010.

Pause

The family is currently in a pause in Nova Scotia since October, since the temperature can no longer get around by bike. They live in a house that is lent.

In April, they will take a plane to France to continue their journey. They hope in coming years to discover other countries by bike for six months and put in a place in the world where they are good for another six months. “We intend to do that for life,” said Ms. Muller.

Financially, they are living off of their savings, jobs in travel and spend a little. Their budget is about $ 50 per day on the bike and less during their break.

“The bike, it is slow and fast at once, and our impact on the environment is low. It is easier to create links on our passage, ” she said, adding that the family may as well stop where it wants to : beaches, waterfalls, parks for children. Sharing the road is going pretty well, if not a few motorists who have in a hurry a blow horn, and an exit route for Christopher and Noa.

Photo courtesy

Christopher Portier and Mary Thousand with their children Noa, Émy and Lou (the latter in the arms of his father), at one of the many stops they make during their bike trip.

Space for the unexpected

“Obviously, there are difficulties. Children tired because we poorly planned our route. Baffles in the rest of the family. It is necessary to adjust constantly, ” stresses Mary Thousand. Leaving space for the unexpected, they made beautiful meetings and have shared great times with other cyclists.

They currently have 3500 miles of biking on the counter.

Photo courtesy

A stop to replace the equipment of the bicycle, and cart between Gaspé and Douglastown. Noa, 6 years old, has his bike and can pedal alone or hooked to the bike of his father.

A typical day

• Wake up with the sun
• Everyone picks up the material and lunch.
• Departure to 9 h 50 to 60 km per day.
• The course is interspersed with naps for the girls during the bike, snacks, meals, and discoveries of places.
• Noa (6 years old) has his bike and can pedal alone or hooked to the bike of his father.
• Émy (3 years) and Lou (18 months) were in the cart behind their mother, but will pass on the trailer Weehoo for the next loop.

A trip in complete autonomy

• A tent
• 5 duvets and mattresses
• A minimum of clothing and necessary toiletries
• A stove and tools
• Grocery store every day or two days of supply depending on the destination