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Published: August 20th 2015
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We left Ottawa this morning in fog as thick as pea soup. Makes sense since we're in a very French part of Canada. The drivers are very aggressive here. We witnessed a case of road rage with two vehicles cutting each other off, swerving to force each other into the other lane, driving in the right shoulder, and finally exiting onto the next ramp to try to force the other vehicle off the road. Dangerous stuff! I think the truck was driven by an NDPer while the car was driven by a Conservative.
We bypassed Montreal, travelling near Lévis instead. Huge dairy farms came into view regularly along with groupings of towering silos which hold the feed for the cattle. This area is chiefly devoted to farming, dairying, and market-gardening.
Our best adventures seem to stem from a change of plans. We stopped in Montmagny for a bathroom break and found it so pretty that we walked around the downtown area for a bit. It is filled with heritage buildings, boutiques and shops and has a unique European flair. It is located on the south shore of the Saint Lawrence River east of Quebec City and was founded more
than 350 years ago, in 1678. For a city of only 12,000 people, it has one of the largest churches we've seen on our trip, and believe me, we've seen a lot. We've taken to saying, "Oh look, a church!", as a joke because every town seems to have 10 and every one is majestic, made of stone with towering spires and arched windows.
At the suggestion of the friendly older fellow working at the Tourist Information Centre, we decided to bypass the highway and instead take the "Route Des Navigateurs" which is a 90 km drive along the St. Lawrence River. To follow the route is to enjoy the splendour of innumerable panoramas, beautiful seaside villages, charming old mills and manors and rich history. This is one of the oldest regions in North America. One of the highlights was an antiquated grist mill, made of stone and looking like it had been there forever. Next to it was a waterfall that flowed into a meandering river with banks overflowing with wild flowers. It was like a picture on a calendar.
If we had known beforehand what treasures this region held, we would have stayed a week. We
never even knew it existed. We constantly marvel at how lives are lived every day of which we are totally unaware. People are born, live and die and we never knew they existed and vice versa. Travel opens our eyes to new vistas, people, and ways to experience life.
I discovered the music of one of my favourite Québécois bands years ago when I heard their music spilling out of a little store I was passing by in Quebec City. The band's name was "La Bottine Souriante", or in English, "The Smiling Boot". They play French folk music, including rousing reels which get your toes tapping. It was perfect for our drive through Quebec.
We reached Edmunston, New Brunswick around 6 pm. We were in the Maritimes! Our Couchsurfing host welcomed us with open arms. We loved her boisterousness and exuberance immediately. She had to run out to see her visiting relatives but set us up with a homemade pasta and shrimp salad before she left. "I'll be home by 11:00", she said as she whirled out the door like a Tasmanian Devil. "Wait! What about a key?", I asked breathlessly as I chased after her. "Nope, you
won't need one. I never lock the door." And she was gone in a flash, leaving behind two total strangers with all of her possessions. We are amazed at the faith people put in us. It feels like we're back in an era when people were both trusting and trusted. I love it.
After dinner, we drove around Edmunston. It has a population of 16,000 and borders Maine. It is surrounded by the Appalachian Mountains and the Madawaska River flows through the city. It is quite pretty if you can ignore the smokestacks of industry and the smell of the pulp mill. A really lovely park on the river caught our eye so we walked the trail around it. People nodded and smiled as we passed and we ended up walking and talking with an interesting older French fellow named Gillman, of all things. We found the people to be very friendly.
We got back and fell into bed, tired from our new adventures. Tomorrow, PEI!
(Scroll to bottom of page for more photos.)
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Stuart and Sarah
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Farlely Mowat
You guys are really covering some ground. Do you both drive? Loved the photo of Farley Mowat in Ottawa. Read his book "Never Cry Wolf" in the lat 60s. Loved it!!! Heard he passed away last year. I recognized the restaurant in Byward Markets where you were sipping a (latte?) Sarah and I had lunch there on one of our days in Ottawa. We enjoyed watching a jazz group doing their gig on the pavement outside.