St. Flavie's Own

Marcel Gagnon, a local artist, created dozens of sculptures that now dot the landscape around St. flavie.  Self taught, he clearly has mastered a way to make what he imagines accessible to all.

His artful people greet those who stop to visit his gallery by land and by sea.

Left wanting More

The cellars were empty.

We stopped at Quebec's northern most winery to learn that they are not able to sell their product by the bottle, due to government bureaucracy. We were able to taste a sample of their wine, view the vineyard and to taste other products available for sale.

Hopefully, by next spring the Vinoble Carpenteri will be able to sell their product to the masses.

Au Revoir

All good things must end.  As we say  Au Revoir to La Gaspasie, we leave with many great memories.

We returned to the coast via the interior highway. Once again we were greeted with vistas beyond description, and certainly worth a photo or two.

Almost met a Hobbit

This morning, Brenda entered the ladies washroom at our campsite to brush her teeth. There beside her, was an older lady who was blow drying her hair.  Brenda greeted her and set about her task. Then, she noticed the older lady finish with her hair and begin to blow dry her feet.

Brenda's imagination leapt with excitement, why would someone blow dry their feet?  Clearly, the answer is that their feet are hairy..,and hairy feet meant Brenda finally met a real life Hobbit.

Not wanting to appear rude, Brenda continued to brush her teeth as though nothing was unusual.

To her disappointment, as the lady exited the lady's room, Brenda glanced down to discover human feet. May her feet were cold.

Signs Along the Way

We have travelled to many places and over many very interesting roads, however we had not ever seen a sign announcing this steep a road grade.

These signs caution drivers that they may be surprised by what is on the other side of the hill.

If you drive along the coast be careful or a monster wave might attack.

To Cap a Spectacular Day

A spectacular sunset.

A Whale of a Time

Three hours on the Atlantic on a cruise ship called the Capitaine Duval II,  we were able to see a couple of harbour porpoises, a minkie whale (that Peter spotted before the crew did), and two humpback whales.

Minke whale 

Humpback whale

A whale of a tail

The Many Faces of Perce Rock

We continued our Gaspe journey to the town of Perce, best known as the home of Perce Rock. We spent an enjoyable day strolling the town, taking in a whale watching cruise and watching Perce Rock change it's appearance with each hour.

Perce Rock from the back.

Perce in the morning.

Perce at mid day.

Perce late afternoon.

Perce in the evening.

Sunrise

Camping du Rivage afforded us the wonderful opportunity see both sunset and sunrise over the St. Lawrence.

Why the Birds Sing Part Deux

At  1348 ft Mont St. Pierre is one of the highest peaks on the Gaspe coast. The continuous wind and height of Mont St. Pierre make it a perfect location for hang gliding and parasailing.

Naturally, we had to try.  With our tandem guide Sebastien, we took a leap of faith and found ourselves floating in the ocean wind above the St. Lawrence.

Brenda in flight.

Peter overhead.

View from above.

Mercy Sebestien and team.

This is why birds sing!

Sunset over the St. Lawrence

At St. Anne des Mont, from the beach at Camping du Rivage were we set up for the night.

Magnificent !

Reford Garden

Elise Reford loved gardens and gardening. A newcomer to Canada in she began to plant both flower and vegetable gardens.

Today the Reford Gardens remain as testament to her love. Various art installations highlight the imaginative and well planned site.

Remnants of a Day Gone By

Forestville derived it's name from a rich logging past. Near the ferry station is an old log flume.  Logs were sent down an open v-shaped flume accompanied by water to the river's edge. There they were loaded onto boats to be transported down river.  While the flume is no longer in operation, parts of ot remain as a reminder of Forestville's past.

Of couse for amusement park enthusiasts, the flume ride, recalling that old logging procedure, is a current day hot weather adventure.

Two Ferry

From Forestville to Rimouski, the ferry across the St. Lawrence took over an hour, but brought us to a very different landscape.  Gone were the quiet mountainous roads with 11 - 12% grades! replaced by a flat coastal highway with magnificent views of the big river.

We were among the first to load onto the ferry and thus, were the first to leave, affording us a unique privilege to see the ferry unloading procedures first hand.  It was a little unnerving when the worker rolled back the gate that was the only barrier between the ocean and our van, while we were still moving quickly and facing the ocean.

One Ferry

The highway north of the St. Lawrence  must cross the Saguenay river. However, there is no bridge at this crossing. Travellers are shuttled across the Saguenay on a ferry.

While this free ride is less than ten minutes, the views of the Saguenay were priceless. The night before we were kayaking on this very waterway.

Petit Saguenay

The Petit Saguenay River runs along the highway to the Saguenay fjords. At moment calm and at other moments swirling with falls and eddies, the rIver brings delightful views to the traveller.

Auberge du Jardin

Described as 'a haven of peace and relaxation in the heart of the Saguenay',  this bed and breakfast surpassed our expectations. About 15 minutes from L'Anse St. Jean, in Petit Saguenay, we found clean, comfortable lodgings with our sea kayaking adventure and a gourmet breakfast included.

While our hosts struggled with their English, they were friendly, accommodating, and eager to share their knowledge of the treasures of this region.

The property, in the heart of the Sageunay region was well manicured with flower beds scattered throughout. The owners grew their own herbs and used herbs in their flower beds. 

We would highly recommend the Auberge du Jardin to anyone visiting this region.

On the Saguenay

We stopped at L'anse St. Jean to kayak on the Saguenay.

The fjord was carved by glaciers over 10,000 years ago. Water here is a mix of bracken water for the first 60 feet and then salt water in the deeper areas. While fresh water and salt water fish usually cannot swim in the same water, here fresh water fish are found closer to the surface and salt water fish are found in the depths which can reach 273 metres.

The sun occasionally broke through the clouds to light up the fjord and the skies, but just before it finally set, it cast a salmon colour glow to mark the days end.

Along the St. Lawrence

We drove along the North shore of the St. Lawrence today. From hilltops and riverside communities the    Vistas were impressive.

Upper Canada Camping

We are camping 'van style'. We did not bring a tent, but we'll spend most nights on mattresses in the van.

For our first night we stopped in Morrisberg at a Hallowe'en themed park. On Saturdays no vehicles are allowed to drive in the park because children go trick or treating.

 

Two Hundred km For Great Cause

The sun broke through the fog as bikers were gathering for the final day of the Tour 4 Kids. Two-time brain cancer survivor, Jordan, told us about the joys and challenges of being a survivor. The most difficult to hear was that brain cancer changed his social circle; many old friends have abandoned him. With limited vision and short term memory problems, Jordan plans to overcome these challenges and pursue a career as a motivational speaker.  He did a great job motivating riders!

Over the years that Peter has riden with the T4K we have made many friend incuding former Sudburian Keith.

The sun shone over corn covered hills and through pasture land with grazing livestock as riders completed the tour at the Caledon ski hill. 

Together, the Tour 4 Kids raised over $1,000,000. to support children living with cancer and beyond.

Way to go Peter for another job very well done.