Adventures In Paradise

A Pastoral PEI Field of Dreams

The visual image that most often comes to mind when thinking about Prince Edward Island is that perfect pastoral setting, where there are beautiful shades of green everywhere – even on the gables – and everyone is kind. OK, that might be a bit of an exaggeration, but after spending a day here, it’s not too far off!

Driving down the New Brunswick coast

From Shediac we drove down the New Brunswick coast until the Confederation Bridge came into view. I think it was a pipe dream for many years to establish a fixed link between PEI and the rest of Canada, (sorry Newfoundland), but at some point someone had the vision and ability to make it happen. It is quite

Crossing the Northumberland Strait

the experience to drive the 12.9 km (8 miles) from one end of the bridge to the other, rising 60 meters above sea level to allow ocean-going vessels to pass.

Once on the island, it was not long before we reached our first

Our Boondockers Welcome spot in Bedeque, PEI

Boondockers Welcome spot. True to our expectations, it was a very pastoral setting, as reflected in the attached pics. For most of our stay, we couldn’t confirm that our hosts were kind, because they weren’t there! They texted us a picture of their property and welcomed us to stay, even though they were rv-ing in Ontario at the time. While we had an address, there was no number at the entrance to the property. We drove in, set up, and had an ongoing laugh that maybe we had set up on one of their neighbour’s farms, and they were just too polite to tell us to leave! Does that remind anyone of European Vacation? LOL.

As it turned out, Heath came by as we were preparing to leave, and yes, he was as kind and generous as our preconceived notion of a PEI resident. Yea Heath!

Huge, fresh lobster roll & the best PEI fries ever! Expect more on the spuds in a future post…

Betty & I spent our first day exploring much of the western end of the island. After stopping in Summerside for a huge fresh lobster roll with fries, we visited a series of buildings made of glass bottles (I should have known there was another use for all of those empty wine bottles!) before

99 bottles of beer in the wall…

carrying out a search for a brewery that was a possible Harvest Host site. Is there a theme starting here? LOL. As with the Boondockers Welcome site, there was no road sign leading to the brewery, so we explored a number of red dirt paths that barely accommodated the Smart, and would have been far too much for

The red road less travelled

the old Boy. It took Betty’s mind back to the many Sunday afternoon drives with her family, when her father was most happy to see grass between the two wheel tracks in the isolated lanes. So that’s where Bet’s adventurous spirit comes from!!

In the end, we booked into Cabot Beach Provincial Park on the north shore, and spent a very enjoyable day today relaxing on the beach. Our campsite is amazing, with ocean

The view from our porch

views out our windows, and a vast cliffed seascape by our patio. We’ll have another day here before heading to the Charlottetown area, passing Cavendish and Anne’s green place along the way. It may be too soon to declare that Prince Edward

The view out our bedroom window
Approaching the beach at Cabot Beach Provincial Park

Island is the perfect pastoral province, with only warm, welcoming residents, but we’re off to a great start in this adventure in paradise!

Cheers!

As the heatwave continues, a break at the Cabot Beach
A day in paradise at a beautiful PEI beach (facing east)
Facing west on the Cabot Beach beach
Positioning a Pretty, Practically Perfect Petite Province – PEI. (with LOTS of Potatoes)

Shediac – Lobster Central

Our quiet Boondockers Welcome site near Kouchibouguac

After a quiet, peaceful stay at John & Donna’s Boondockers Welcome site near Kouchibouguac National Park (you have to ask the locals how to pronounce it) we drove down the picturesque New Brunswick coast to Bouctouche, where we expected to get our fill of scallops. The annual scallop festival was last weekend in Bouctouche, but we figured there would still be some left over if we arrived on Monday. We figured wrong…

There was not a scallop to be had, so instead the local fish market stocked us up with crab, lobster, and seafood lasagna. I guess we didn’t come away too badly after all. LOL

Betty in Shediac, New Brunswick, home of the world’s largest lobster!

We continued on down the coastal road with Shediac, New Brunswick, as our destination for the next couple of days. Our large, full service site is in the popular Parlee Beach Provincial Park, where we were eligible for a senior’s discount. Ain’t it great being old!

It’s likely been at least 20 years

Maybe not the world’s largest, but still too big to fit on the plate!

since I was in Shediac – the Lobster Capital of the World! – and I remember stopping at a canteen on the wharf for a lobster supper. The cook passed the lobster out through the open window, and I unceremoniously ate it at a picnic table overlooking the harbor.  I was hoping to share a similar experience with Betty, but it seems the vendor has been replaced by a series of

Fresh baguette, lobster, drawn butter, and a bottle of wine, and we’re good to go. At least two of us found a bib. LOL (Note to Isabella: Check out the charms on the stems of our glasses!)

full-blown restaurants. While they offered attractive choices of inside or outside dining, in the end we opted to stop at a local fish market, and picked up some cooked lobster for dinner.

We took the lobster back to our campsite, where we could shower off after splattering ourselves in lobster goop. You can see by the pic that we bought three: one for Betty, one for Gavin, and one for me. Ok, in the end Betty & I helped Gavin eat his, as

Gavin couldn’t take any more of this lobster goodness. Lisa says: “Gavin looks really stuffed!” LOL. Thanks dear daughter.

his eyes were bigger than his stomach. LOL.  Since we didn’t have the delicate tools on hand for removing the tasty morsels from the crustaceans’ extremities, we resorted to smacking the claws with my hammer, and cutting the shells with a pair of tin snips. It wouldn’t have been an attractive sight in a restaurant, but MacGyver would have been proud! LOL

Breakin’ lobster in the  — hot sun, Bet fought the claw, and the claw never won. (Just call me Weird Al Yankovic II)

Tomorrow we head across the Confederation Bridge to Prince Edward Island, where church basement lobster suppers became popular. Betty, Gavin, and I are looking forward to at least a few more crustacean delicacies before we leave the Maritimes. But we know if other locations run out of seafood, we can always head back to Shediac – Lobster Central!

Cheers!

Beautiful Shediac, New Brunswick

Miramichi – Not What I Expected

My brother, Mom, Dad, and me on the steps of St. Mark’s Church, Douglastown, with the manse in the background (1960)

Tempus Fugit (time flies) – Regardless of my longstanding desire to travel through time to that idyllic little quiet childhood village that greeted us warmly when my family immigrated to Canada in 1956, it appears that time does march on, and it is not possible – yet – to go back in time.

There were many warning signs along the way that Douglastown, New Brunswick, had changed in the past 60 years. Despite returning on a few occasions, it has been at least 15 years since I set foot in the place.  Certainly changes were noticeable on prior visits, but none as dramatic as the current unexpected experience.

On entering the province, we stopped at a tourist information centre in Campbellton, and received an extensive package of promotional material, just about my former hometown!

The Centennial Bridge across the mighty Miramichi

Of course, Douglastown per se, doesn’t exist anymore. It was consumed in the amalgamation of Newcastle, Chatham, and Douglastown (and Nordin and possibly other adjacent communities, if I were to do the proper research) into the new City of Miramichi. Also in 1967 it was forever changed by the addition of the Centennial Bridge, spanning the mighty Miramichi River to link Douglastown and Chatham. Back in the day, when we lived there, summer travel was by ferry, and winter travel by ice road. I believe, in our first year in Canada, my dad won the recognition of being the last car across the ice before breakup. In his case it was not because he was a risk-taker, but because someone told him it was safe, and he believed them, despite the cracking sounds every few feet! LOL.

Our first Canadian home, the former manse (picture taken today)

Another warning sign came when I googled Douglastown street view, as we planned our overlandish odyssey. There on the front lawn of the manse, the first home we occupied in Canada, was a “for sale” sign.  Oh, oh!  But regardless of whether St. Mark’s United Church still owned and occupied the home next door, Betty & my plans always took us to Douglastown in time for

St. Mark’s Church, Douglastown, as I remember it.

church on Sunday. That was our touchstone, our contact point for reconnecting with a long-lost church family.  On prior visits, I was always welcomed warmly by members of the congregation who remembered my dad, mom, brother and me, despite having been gone so many years.

Maybe townsfolk remembered my parents because, in our first year, my mom was constantly telling people how homely they were! Something got lost in translation, because she thought she was telling people they made her feel right at home with them, and they thought she was saying something else. LOL.

In front of the deck in the centre of the picture is where I learned to skate. We tobogganed down the lane behind. The former church is in the background.

In any event, my family experienced a warm maritime welcome, with many “firsts” occurring in the community. For me, I learned to skate on the Miramichi at a cleared rink, just down from our home. The path down provided my first tobogganing experience, and the deep snow gave endless outdoor exercise. That lane is now called McKnight Lane – I’m sure after Mrs. McKnight, the store owner across the street from the church, but to me it is Memory Lane. When I think about it, there were too many reminisces and great experiences to reflect on in this simple blog post, so I’d better save them for another day…

Site of my first school, which hopefully provided me more of a foundation than is visible for it now. LOL

Back to the future: 2018. The first school I attended has been demolished, and a sign warns not to trespass on private property. The manse has, indeed, been sold, and we met the tenant of what had been a far more attractive house.  But

The former St. Mark’s United Church, without the elegant steeple, now a clay shop and ice cream parlour, with living space above.

the big change: auugghh! The first church my father served as Minister in Canada is no more! It is now an ice cream parlour in front, and the “Clay Café” in back. The steeple is gone, and the building transformed inside and out to make it almost unrecognizable.

The quiet little village is no more, with the road in front of our home containing a high volume of traffic. Back in the day, we were allowed to wander freely in the community, as long as we were home for supper. Now, even adults are at risk crossing the busy road! Down the street are all the national and international chains found everywhere else on the continent: Walmart, Staples, Winners, McDonalds – the long list of fast food and retail chain stores that make it indistinguishable.

Our beautiful Boondockers Welcome spot on the Miramichi

OK, that’s enough moaning about stuff I didn’t expect. We stayed at an unexpectedly beautiful Boondockerswelcome site in Lower Newcastle, camped right next to the Miramichi. And we took a very pleasant boat tour up and down the mighty river. We met the man who has been hosting a web site in honour of a local artist who was a friend of my dad, back in the day.  And best of all, we reconnected with my best chum from back in the day, Graham, who was a great friend to this Graham, the newcomer.

Cruising the Miramichi

I could be disconcerted by all the unexpected changes that have occurred in this beautiful area of New Brunswick, but as an eternal optimist I’ll just continue to keep my eyes open for that special DeLorean that can transport me back to an idyllic age. LOL.

Cheers!

A New Province – New Brunswick

Roadside stop in Chandler, Quebec

When we left our campsite near Gaspé, Betty & I had no idea how far we would travel that day. The road leading to Land’s End had been quite twisty and steep, and we weren’t sure if we would experience more of the same on the south shore of the Gaspé Peninsula. As it turned out, the terrain became calmer, and so did our nerves.

Charlie cools off.
Gavin takes a break at the beach

We took the time to rest at a roadside stop in Chandler, QC, with Charlie and Gavin both enjoying the sea and the sand. Our hoped for destination was Carleton-sur-Mer, Quebec, but the campground turned out to be more popular than we expected, so we motored on.

Our free parking spot in Campbellton, N.B.

As it happened, we were happy to spend the night on the south bank, where the Restigouche River empties into the Bay of Chaleur. Campbellton, New Brunswick, was our first stop in this new province, and we shared a great conversation on the shore with Doreen & Frank from Cobourg, Ontario, who were on their way for an rv visit to Newfoundland.

Lunch stop for seafood at Grande-Anse, N.B.

From Campbellton we headed along the Bay of Chaleur to the Acadian Peninsula, stopping for a great seafood lunch by the wharf at Grande-Anse.  We then spent a couple of enjoyable nights at Colibre sur mer in Caraquet, New Brunswick, a pretty little city in the heart of New Brunswick’s Acadian population. We took the time to drive to the tip of the Acadian Isles, at Ile Miscou, for an ice cream cone by their famous lighthouse.

Calibre Sur Mer campground in Caraquet, N.B.
Adding a new sticker – New Brunswick – to our map
Lle Miscou lighthouse, at the tip of the Acadian Peninsula
Enjoying an evening on the shore of the Bay of Chaleur at Caraquet

The Caraquet campground turned out to be a peaceful stop for a nice stroll along the waterfront while we watched the sun go down over the Bay of Chaleur; a calm day in a new province…

Cheers!

Another beautiful sunset over the Bay of Chaleur

How Many Pictures of Percé Rock Can We Post?

Descending to the end of the world, with Bonaventure Island in the background.

While all of the Gaspé Peninsula is quite charming and beautiful, the best known destination in the region is Percé, home of the Percé Rock. It is at the tip of an area called Land’s End, and you literally need to drive to the end of this world to see it. Yes, it’s a long drive, but it’s worth it!

It’s a 17% grade down to the end of the world. Just don’t try to get back up! LOL

The rock is surprisingly visible from far and near. Wherever we went in the area, we seemed to be at a great vantage point for seeing, and therefore taking pictures of, this uniquely shaped piece of stone. Hence the title of this post. LOL. As an aside, many of the ads for hotels and motels in the city claimed great views of the Percé Rock, and I was sceptical, until I saw how geographically layered the town is, and how prominent the boulder is!

OK. Here it is!

The town of Percé appears to be a very thriving little tourist town, with busy restaurants and gift shops all up and down their main street. I’ve had a hankering for fresh baguettes and pastries for some time now, and we finally found a bakery that didn’t disappoint!  The most impressive area was the waterfront, where a

On the waterfront

government at some level has invested significantly in designing a most attractive, accessible boardwalk, with stylish seating, swings, picnic tables, benches, and even garbage cans! (Check out the attached pic.) Of course the rock is the prime feature of the waterfront, with tour boats continuously

A Perce garbage can & bench. The rest of the area was nice too…

ferrying people out and about the natural structure and nearby Bonaventure Island.

We returned to our campsite with over 100 pictures from today’s adventure. The inevitable question was, and is, how many can we post? Well, how about 7 or 8…

Enjoy!

Bet takes a picture of the rock
Another view…
Even the Camping Cote Surprise had a great view from their campsites. We didn’t stay there, but would the next time…
This building has had the best view of Perce Rock since 1888!
Entering the town of Perce
The many layers of Perce above the waterfront create an outdoor amphitheatre, with Perce Rock on centre stage.
Approaching from the other direction
Picture taken from a moving car, to also catch the wildflowers on the side of the road
Tour ships at the wharf, with Bonaventure Island in the background
Perce Rock from a distance, as we travel back to our campsite
OK, this last one isn’t Perce Rock, it’s the view from our current campsite that we wake up to every morning…

Cheers!

We’re Not In Manitoba Any More!

Our overlandish adventure eastward, beside the ever-widening St. Lawrence

The St. Lawrence River continues to widen at L’Isle-Verte

River, reminded us more and more that we were not in Manitoba any longer! Other than the relatively horizontal plain of the river, everything around us was up and down, and it continued that way until we took the ultimate CruiseMaster/ Smart car roller coaster ride to Land’s End, at the tip of the Gaspé Peninsula.  Oh, oh, will

Like a prairie field, only it’s water…

we make it down this cliff and up the next one? Stay tuned for the answer. LOL

This post attempts to capture the olfactory, auditory, & visual images that at times seemed so extreme, creating an experience of sensory overload! The further east we drove, the more the air took on the unique fragrance of sea salt. The tides became more extreme, and the waves broke

Free camping at L’Isle-Verte

louder on the shore. But more than anything, it was the unique architecture of homes and churches, the quaint villages nestled in the coves, and the striking vertical landscapes that captured these flat-landers. LOL. Only two dozen pictures were selected from over 300 taken since our last post. We hope they will help to convey the wonder of this amazing land!

Savonnerie artisanale Soap Maker, Marie-Claude, at La Mousse de Mer
On the Rimouski boardwalk at low tide
Pointe-au-Pere lighthouse
A submarine takes a wrong turn at Pointe-au-Pere.
Church steeples dominate the skylines of nearly all coastal communities.
Another church along the road
Unique Quebec architecture on the route. Most homes are well kept with colourful garden flowers in front.
Scenic route 132 took us through many small communities along the coast.
Well-kept homes with the iconic silver steeple in the background of most communities.

 

 

A typical coastal home. What a view!!
Small communities are nestled in the sheltered coves along the Gulf of St. Lawrence.
Road hazards include, but not limited to: Sharp curves, steep grades (10 -12%), cyclists, pedestrians, moose, snow & ice coming down the cliffs in winter & falling rock in summer. And finally, your car is subject to being overturned by rogue waves, as signalled at many points along our route! (see the 2nd sign from the right)
Dramatic striated cliffs meet the road & sea along our route to Gaspe.
A stop for dinner & free overnight camping in Pointe-a-la-Frigate. We watched the tide go out and return, with the salt air letting us know that we were transitioning from inland river to majestic sea.
Sunset over the St. Lawrence at our free camping spot in Pointe-a-la Frigate.
What an amazing roller coaster ride, as we approached Gaspe at Land’s End!
Oh, oh! Pictures don’t do justice to the experience of sheer terror from not being able to see the road beyond the crest of the hill, a few feet away. This is followed by the immediate “wow” of another stunning coastal view.
The lighthouse at Cap-Does-Rosiers, the highest in the country.
Touchdown in the Atlantic, at Forillon National Park.
Bet gets a picture of the waves at Cap-des-Rosiers, while Charlie sniffs the rocks, all of which would have been collectable for our grandkids. LOL!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The answer to the question in the first paragraph is “Yes, we survived!” LOL.

Our current campsite at Camping Prevel, between Gaspe & Perce.

Betty & I are now relaxing in a beautiful campground between Gaspé  and Percé.We are taking a couple of days to decompress before heading down to see the famous rock, and are sure future posts will continue to differentiate further the characteristics of this amazing land, far from the prairies of Manitoba.

à votre santé

(Cheers!)

 

Québec – A Walkable City…

Québec is always rated in the top 10 North American cities, if not

A walkable city                                                    number 1, in walkability. Its narrow, cobblestone streets are lined with small shops, quaint restaurants, and specialty bakeries that attract visitors from around the world. On a hot, mid-July day, many streets are closed to traffic, teaming with street festival participants. Perfect for walking about. Driving a large motorhome while towing a car behind – not so much…

 

 

 

Quebec’s narrow cobblestone streets

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

When Betty & I left Île d’Orléans this morning, our plan was to park our motorhome at a Québec City Walmart, and drive the Smart for a quick tour inside the walls of the old city. Parking at the first Walmart was regulated by a connected mall, so we couldn’t stay there. At the second Walmart we couldn’t park because of a city by-law, but we would likely be OK if we went to one out by the airport. Staff were apologetic, and we were disappointed.

While Betty & I have both visited and thoroughly enjoyed the old city on a number of occasions, Charlie must have gotten into something at the winery that upset his stomach, and we doubted he’d be happy cooped up in the motorhome while we toured the city again. So we decided to head for the bridge to the south shore, and explore the more tranquil, rural serenity leading to the Gaspé.

Quebec’s Legislative Building, almost as we saw it today. LOL

Was it supposed to be est or oeust? Gauche or droite? Samantha (our gps) or Betty (our navigator)? Not wanting to focus too much blame here, but the CruiseMaster ended up cruising hilly, narrow streets it never should have been on!! In spite of our intentions, we ended up seeing much of the city centre, passing the legislative buildings and, if we had turned left instead of right, we would have taken out the old city gate, along with our a.c. and solar panels! I’m sure the modern version of the Plains of Abraham battle wouldn’t have turned out so well for us!

So confession time, the few pics attached to this post were actually taken on a

A previous view from my room at the Chateau Frontenac

previous trip. You can tell by the fall colours and heavy coats. For some reason, Betty was buried too deep in maps to take any pictures this time around. LOL

To decompress and catch up on laundry, we have stopped at a nice park called Camping Pointe-aux-Oies in de Montmagny, where the Riviere du Sud joins the Fleuve St-Laurent. It’s still a beautiful day, even if we didn’t go for a walk…

à votre santé

(Cheers!)

Île d’Orléans

This post is dedicated to the most picturesque island of Île d’Orléans, which is situated in the St. Lawrence River only 5 km from downtown Quebec City. There is more or less only one narrow road that circles the island, which has been described as the “microcosm of traditional Quebec and as the birthplace of francophones in North America”.

Today, for Betty’s birthday, we took a drive from our campground – Camping Orleans – on the eastern point, to the western point, about 20 miles away. These are some of the 193 pictures we took, mainly from a moving Smart car, as there was little or no room to pull over…

The road to our campground in Saint-Francois
Leaving our campground, Camping Orleans
Some of the unique homes and cottages on the island in the St. Lawrence River

Colourful roofs are common on the island
Many homes are close to the narrow roadway

Approaching one of the many Catholic churches
The church in Saint-Laurent
Inside the ornate sanctuary
There are no fast food restaurants or big box stores on the island, but many places to buy fresh locally grown fruit and vegetables
For lunch we dined al fresco at Bistro du Hangar in Saint-Jean. We didn’t need the ketchup!
This delicious, fresh goat cheese salad was paired with an iced lemonade, made with Canadian whisky & maple syrup and topped with a strawberry. Yum!
Back at the campground, some of the sites face directly onto the river, next to the wharf.
From the wharf, we watched cargo and cruise ships go past. Trivia question: Which Canadian Prime Minister (PM, also an MP – Member of Parliament, of course) owned the Canada Steamship Lines? Answer: PM PM, MP. LOL
There goes the love boat!
Look at the size of that one he just caught!
Ok, now it’s time for the birthday girl to sit back with one of my famous marguaritas, while I prepare the rib eye with prosciutto wrapped asparagus. LOL

à votre santé

(Cheers!)

La Belle Province

Montmorency Falls, at the foot of the bridge to Île d’Orléans

Back in the day, the motto on Quebec license plates identified it as “the beautiful province”. More recently, the tag is “Je me souviens” meaning “I remember”. Not sure what I remember yet, but I do know that this is one beautiful province!!

After our stay in Rigaud, we braved Montreal traffic, coming out the other side for a nice Boondockers Welcome stay in St. Hyacinthe, Quebec. Our sweet host there, Lisette, invited us in for tea & cookies before a quiet rural night’s stay. The next day we topped up at

Our Boondockers Welcome site, east of Montreal

Drummandville Costco (in preparation for Bet’s 65thbirthday celebrations) and headed for Quebec City, ending at a Harvest Host winery – Vignoble Domaine L’Ange Gardien– just east of the city.

This winery is simply fabulous –

Vignoble Domaine L’Ange Gardien winery

from the wine-tasting, to meeting and chatting with the proprietor, to settling into our free camp spot with a fresh baguette, a bowl of Betty’s chili, and a glass of fine wine! The pictures don’t do justice. It doesn’t get better than that!

Except for the fact that we arrived early enough to take our Smart car for a zip around Île d’Orléans, an island in the St. Lawrance River off the coast of Quebec City, both assessing the capacity of the roads to handle our motorhome,

Free overnight parking at a fabulous French-Canadian winery! OK, we did spend a little to top up our wine rack…

and checking out a campground where we could stay to celebrate Betty’s milestone birthday (not to put too fine a point on the date. LOL). After a most scenic drive on roads too narrow for the Boy, we arrived at Camping Orleans on the island’s eastern tip, and after confirming that a wider road could be used for access, we booked a site.

Now it must be remembered here that everyone it seems, but us, is speaking

Our site (204) appropriately… at Camping Orleans. (For those not from Manitoba, 204 is our telephone area code.)

French, and some of the local French Canadian inhabitants don’t speak English. When the campground attendant told me the price of our site was two thousand, one hundred and fifty dollars, I almost freaked out, until the person in line behind me corrected his placement of the decimal point. OK, we can handle $215. for our stay in this gorgeous park in this beautiful province! LOL

Either the roads are built close to the homes, or the homes are built close to the roads. In any event, there are lots of cyclists to add to the tight quarters.
At the winery, my glass is identified by the charm created by our dear granddaughter, Isabella.

We look forward to posting more pictures of this quaint island and the nearby historic city. I’m sure our adventure will create many long-lasting remembrances of la belle province!

à votre santé

(Cheers!)

In a field of dreams!
Not sure how our motorhome & Smart car made it up this hill to the winery, which is a sharp right turn in front of the white buildings. Note the stop sign at the top of the hill…
A little piece of wine-lover paradise near Quebec City!

Nous sommes arrivés au Québec

According to Google, the title of this post says we have arrived in Quebec, but

Our site at Camping Choisy in Rigaud, Quebec

everything here is written in French, so I don’t know for sure… LOL.  This is when we really need our kids and/or grandkids to accompany us as translators.  OK, it would also be great fun to have them here to share the experience of visiting this most unique Canadian province. (I suppose, to be sensitive to the Quebec separatists, I should distinguish it from the other Canadian provinces by calling it this unique land– this unique nation seems just a little too far… LOL)

In any event, we are at Camping Choisy, just west of Montreal. The heat wave is continuing, and we are thankful for good 50 amp service that has allowed us to run both air conditioners throughout the night. It is a large campground on the Riviere Raquette, and it has 2 piscines, so we are hoping to go swimming today, if that is appropriate to do in a piscine… I sure hope it doesn’t mean bathroom! LOL

Quebec gets added to our confederation. Yeah!

Betty is now able to affix another sticker to our map of North America, and we are looking forward to posting more pictures and stories from this great, unique (please choose one of the following: province, land, nation, other…)

 

 

à votre santé

(Cheers!)