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Published: March 5th 2011
I arrived in Saint Raymond yesterday. The total trip was just about 1,000 miles from home. This is really pretty country here, very hilly and rural. And lots of snow! Originally I planned to ride from here to Riviere du Loup in the Gaspe Peninsula where the guided tour is going to start, but I stopped at this snowmobile dealer to pick up my 7 day Quebec trail permit ($180, ouch) and after going over the map with the guys at the dealership I found out that it would be about a 400+ km ride (around 250 miles). This, by myself, before starting a 1,200 mile tour on Sunday seemed like a bit much, so I've decided to drive the truck and trailer to Riviere du Loup.
The people I've met so far have all been very nice, but very few speak any English. They are every proud of their French culture here. It is pretty cool. I only have one thing that I don't quite understand. In every other Canadian province, all the way into the Yukon Territory, 3,000 miles from Quebec, they have all the road and info signs bilingual: English and French. Here....no English at all. Hardly
seems fair that the French Quebecers make the rest of the country use French, but the country doesn't force Quebec to use English on their signs. Oh well, I guess that just adds to the quaintness of the area and the feeling that you are truly in a foreign country.
This is big time snowmobile country. Lots of sleds here. The locals here call it Skidooing.
Tomorrow I visit the Ice Hotel and plan to tour Old Quebec City----400 years old!
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anonymous
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Québécois laws and rules
I think they like to be called Québécois. Quebecers is what the English call them. :) Regarding the French only signs, besides being very proud of their culture, they are also very concerned about losing it. That's where all their laws and restrictions come in. I think it has more to do with saving their language for the younger generations than it does anything else. Supposedly, I think Claudine told me that outside of Quebec, most people speak English. I think Montreal has a much larger English speaking population. They also have a huge immigrant population in Montreal, so that probably has a lot to do with it. I wonder what you'll find language-wise in the Gaspe Peninsula. Are they mostly small towns? "Traverse des bourgots" i think this means like the boondocks. it means a small town "where moose-callers cross the road" (whatever that means!!) lol I think it's pretty interesting that they have laws regarding their businesses as well as the government signs. Originally, there was a law that all businesses signs had to be in French only. Then they amended that, and allowed English to be on the signs, too, but the French has to be double the size of the English. Funny! All businesses have to adopt French names, their contracts had to be in French and they had to acquire some sort of certification that proved they can function in French and talk to their employees in French. It is pretty interesting to learn about... I think Claudine had an internship or a job with the government, doing translation for businesses to make sure they were all in compliance with these rules. Obviously, she taught me a lot!!