Quebec - 'keh-bek' - Exploring Montreal

Marmite Crisis

We have a crisis.  Love it or hate it, we have run out of Marmite!  The Quebecois clearly are not in the first camp as it is not available in any supermarket we have been in. 

In fairness there isn't a large British contingent in the province, in fact finding any first language English speakers is rare.   I am not sure we can last until we get back to 'British' Columbia and its specialist British food stores, actually thinking about it, it's often in the BC supermarkets.

Montreal - Quebec

We spent Sat 19th in Montreal city, it was not our most successful day out.  It was a culture shock after nearly two months of open roads, provincial parks and few people.  

It didn't help that we missed a turning to the Vieux Port waterfront on the way in, and our satnav wanted to take us on a 10km diversion on the underground expressway.  Once we finally found it, it was hot, which wasn't great for Jack, and none of the restaurants and cafes with their delightful French-like streetside patios allowed dogs (not at all like France). The architecture was really very impressively French-style.

After wandering the delightful Vieux Port streets, reminiscent of the many towns in France we have enjoyed over the years, we decided to flee and discovered that our $35 parking for six hours, was for anything up to six hours. Great!  

We then missed a turn on the way out, got redirected into a traffic jam that was stationary for about half an hour.  It didn't stop there ..... as subsequently we found all the parking full at the Parc Jean-Drapeau (an island in the St Lawrence River with riverside trails) where we planned to walk Jack.  Contractors were using half the parking for their operation while they set up a big outdoor stage event, one of many in the city in July.

Abandoning a walk on the island, it was back to the highway where - adding to the misery - we missed a filter to a dedicated thru-lane for cars heading in the direction we were going. The lane that would have bypassed the huge queue in our now stationary (again) turning on to another highway.  There was a slip road at the end, but we wasted 15 minutes.

Traffic jams, one way streets, roadworks, diversions and legions of humanity made us appreciate the quiet rural tranquility of the Canadian outdoors and living on the Sunshine Coast.

We decided Montreal is worth a visit, but you need to stay in the city, sans chien, to really appreciate it.

Weather and Seasons

As we have driven across Canada, we have been struck by the markedly different growth stages of agricultural crops, even taking into account our time on the road.

In the prairies, grains and maize were only just showing.  In PEC, the cereals were being harvested and maize nearly fully grown and roadside grass brown.  By the time we got to Quebec, grass was still green, maize not yet fully grown, cereals not yet ready for harvesting, spring flowers were only now starting to fade on the vibrant verges.  The seasonal impact of longer colder winters of course makes a difference, as well as climate and weather system differences over such a huge landmass.  It's quite a contrast. 

And in Quebec

Monday July 21st we headed for Quebec City and a Kampground of America (KOA - yep they spell it with a 'K') site near Lèvis, south of the city.  We were doubtful about it but it turned out to be a nice place with great facilities and a good base to explore some of the open spaces.  Our BC car registration plates get noticed and one English-speaking camper called out "BC, right on!".

Chutes de la Chaudière

Monday afternoon we took in the falls at Chutes de la Chaudière, although close to the highway the falls drowned out the traffic noise.  It really was quite impressive with a dam and hydro power station built in to one side of the dam.  In fact the dam was built above and just behind the waterfall, providing a large reservoir for the hydro plant.  The only downside as far as I was concerned was getting to the main area of the park.  A very high, very long and very, very wobbly suspension bridge connected the parking and park area.  

Now I'll happily be upside down in an airplane doing aerobatics at 3000ft, but suspension bridges are a no-no as far as I am concerned.  I gingerly walked down the middle of it, eyes front, holding on to Jack and the side steel cable, while the thing bounced around all over the place.  I hated it.  

The following day (July 22nd) we took a 4km hike in the Parc de Rivière-Etchemin.  Soon into the park we came across old concrete structures that I assumed were former WWII buildings.  Quite why I thought that was frankly stupid, as I remind myself we are in Canada, not France.  Doh!  

Alongside a paved trail for the bikers, we soon followed an unmade riverside trail in the woods and down to the riverside.  We were the only people there and a small beach was completely empty alongside the rapidly flowing Etchemin.  Jack swam on the lead and despite the current, still managed to swim upstream, albeit more slowly. Tired him out though!

Back to the ruins - We discovered after a brief Google search, 'the ruins are of a former Cistercian abbey destroyed by fire in 2008. Now adorned with colorful murals, offer a glimpse into the park's history and provide a unique backdrop to the natural environment'. Note to self, we are in Canada, not FRANCE!!   

The biggest QC disappointment so far, is that we have yet to find a Boulangerie that makes an authentic baguette francaise. Anything we have bought so far tastes like processed pap.  

We did however, find a supermarket-sized delicatessen on the way back to camp with great cheese and fish counters so it was grilled lobster tails for dinner.  We need to prepare ourselves for lobster season when we get to Nova Scotia, so just early training you understand!

Such is the immersion into the French language and lifestyle in Quebec, Fred feels right at home here and is speaking and responding to everyone in French, even the kids who come up to pet Jack. The Quebecois accent was quite demanding at first (except in Montreal which sounded more like France French) and she had to tune into the mangled vowel pronunciation, but she's got it cracked.  

Saguenay

Wednesday 23rd we left KOA and drove to the Saguenay area some 250km NW of Quebec to a campground near La Baie, on the River Saguenay.  

The drive up, after only one wrong turn, was on empty roads and the familiar lakes, forests and creeks.  We had one stop in a 'pull-out' (layby) alongside the huge Lac Jacques Cartier.  Jack had a swim!

Thursday 24th it rained all day.  In the morning we did a 5km hike along the Fosse du Petit Mur, that ran alongside the camp.  

Lunchtime, a drive into La Baie for lunch, only to find dogs were not allowed on the Microbrasserie patio, unless we went for the uncovered deck.   It was raining! 

Walking along the waterfront an American couple from Florida wanted to say hello to Jack.  This often happens.  A young girl in the camp got off her bike and asked in French "can I pet your dog".  Jack is largely indifferent to other people and dogs, but quietly puts up with the attention.  Less forward individuals, just smile at him and us when they see him.  He has that effect on people.

A cruise ship, the MS Marina, was in port due to leave for Quebec that afternoon.  It had travelled from Reykjavik via Greenland, Newfoundland and the St Lawrence to La Baie (The Bay).  The Americans were off the ship and after their final stop in Montreal, they were headed to Seattle to do a cruise up the West Coast to Alaska with grand-daughters.  They said they will wave to us as they sail past our part of the Sunshine Coast.

A Black-Capped Night-Heron regularly watching the 
trout ponds.  First one I've ever seen.

The camp we are now at is run by Contact Nature.  Their ethos is about balancing managed tourism with the
natural world.  Our morning walk alongside the Fosse du Petit Mure was through a nature reserve, established to provide an environment for threatened Monarch butterflies and other wildlife.  They run small trout lakes for fishing, stocked at the beginning of the season with 4,000 trout fry, and at the end of summer those left are released into the Fosse.  Further up the road they run a salmon hatchery, they lead tutored walks in the forests, the list goes on.

With the rain continuing in to the evening, we hunkered down at the camp, as did the "saisonniers" who would usually be sat outside on their 'terrains' chatting away for hours.

What else do you do when it rains!

Another day of exploring here before we head off to our next destination, back towards Quebec city and a forest campground, Monte-Sainte-Anne Campsite, close to the banks of the St Lawrence.

We are in the Quebec area for a further ten days as Ros is coming over from NZ and is joining us for a week at the beginning of August, before she heads up to Whistler and Crankworx.  It will be an opportunity to explore Quebec City, which apparently is quite beautiful in the old parts of town.

I'll probably volunteer to look after Jack while the girls go sightseeing and shopping.

Parc du lac Temiscouata, is our last stop in Quebec, before we head into New Brunswick on August 7th

More pics below

Colourful trailer for sale

Big skies - Lac Jacques Cartier

Lac Jacques Cartier

Trees and clouds

Road and rail bridges into Quebec City

Chutes de la Chaudière

La Cour Arrière du Festibière Brewpub - we doubled the average age

Set on the banks of the St Lawrence, which at this point is tidal

Marché Beausejour - Montreal

Dogs not allowed