Wasps and Hornets

Numerous and Noisy

The external part of the Yellow Jacket nest

While we have been away Yellow Jacket wasps built a nest on the soffit of our front door deck.  Although only about 6" in diameter, it had been constructed around one of the recessed down-lighters, so it was twice as big as it appeared.  They probably started behind the light bulb, and the nest grew from there!

Our local pest controller pitched up on Monday 21st, suited, booted and hooded and estimated there were at least 200-300 wasps in the nest.  Moving the chairs and cushions, he found another nest, between a seat cushion and the back of the chair.  Glad the kids didn't sit there by mistake.  The wasps are no more; though a  few, rather pissed-off that their home had been destroyed, lingered for a couple of days we are told. 

On this side of the country we have been bothered by Hornets.  Larger and noisier than the Yellow Jackets and they certainly pack a bigger punch as they are Canadian Royal Air Force F18 Hornets.  

We discovered they fly out of an air base a few kilometers down the road from our campsite (Le Jardin de Mon Père) which is clearly on the circuit for take-offs and landings at RCAF Bagotville.  Quite impressive to watch them chase each other around the sky.

The further East we go, the fewer BC registrations plates we see.  Ours appears to be a bit of a novelty to those that clock we are a long way from home.  Prior to leaving Le Jardin de Mon Père campsite, we had clocked up 9059 km since leaving the Coast.  We now tend to play spot the BC registration plate while we're driving along.  The last week was nil points, and the same so far this week.

We used our last day in the La Baie area to drive out to Lac Saint-Jean, to find somewhere to get close to the water, find some lunch and take in the surroundings.  It was a day of mixed fortunes.  

It seems that every inch of the waterfront was private dwellings, municipal or commercial campsites and private roads.   A trend that is all too common around any water.

We did however find a small park area designated as a boat launch, where Jack took a dip.  He was quickly interrupted by a two year old retriever, who dragged his owner, literally, across the grass, until said owner finally gave up and let the dog go, who bounded into the water after Jack.  A dog, Fred learnt during her ten minute conversation with French speaking owner was called Micky, that it didn’t like water until it saw Jack.  Jack just got on with it, ignoring Micky.  Clearly Micky's training is going well!

After much chatting en francais, on the plus side we learned that the local brewery did a decent lunch, Microbrasserie du Lac Saint-Jean, and allowed dogs on the patio.  

Even more importantly jsut a bit further on at St Gédéon we found a Boulangerie and Fromagerie that felt authentic France.  The Fromagerie Medard made it's own bread and offered a huge selection of local cheese.  We bought both and that evening was a bread and cheese supper, after what was a fairly large tuna salad lunch.  The beer was good!  Both are worth a visit if you are ever in the area.

On the way back we stopped off at the Salmon hatchery run by the same people that own the campsite, Contact Nature, to find they no longer run a hatchery but operate the salmon ladder.  

Salmon Ladder

The young woman who ran the place talked endlessly in French about the Salmon life cycle, while I stood by trying to look intelligent and ask hugely important questions, via my interpreter.  The centre is linked to a wider project of improving Salmon (and eel) habitat by creating fish ponds/pools upstream to sustain and encourage salmon spawning and the environment for eggs and the smolts to survive the iced-over winters.  

The young salmon that leave the river head for the north Atlantic and Arctic via Newfoundland.  The most profound information board was the one that showed reduction in salmon stocks over the last twenty years.  More recent records suggest conservation efforts are beginning to have a positive effect with returning salmon numbers forecast to increase over the next few years.  We didn't see any salmon.

Saturday Jul 26th we left au Jardin de Mon Père and its mix of friendly saisonnieres and passing guests.  It was a lively place, kids riding around on bikes and scooters; adults playing jeu de poches (Cornhole to the non-French speakers) requiring you to throw a beanbag through the hole in a board 20ft away. 

Supping my coffee in the sunshine outside the trailer before we left, I had a Ricky Gervais moment.   The campsite has an 8km speed limit, which most of the cars stick to, but not so the kids on bikes or scooters.  

One pre-teen boy was going round and round on his electric bike and because it’s flat requires no pedalling.  One can visualise the Gervais advice to this youngster, who would benefit from getting off his bike and walking or running a bit more.  I’ve avoided expressing it in his inimitable style so as not to offend some readers!

The drive down from ‘Le Jardin de Mon Père’ to ‘Mont-Sainte Anne’ in St-Ferréol-les-Neiges, was one of the most beautiful sections of road on the trip so far.  

Highways 381 and 138 date back to the earliest days of 17th century French settlement.  On many sections it felt as though the roads have not been surfaced since!  The small villages were reminiscent of villages and settlements that we have often driven through in France.

Our camp spot in Mont-Sainte Anne was, without doubt, the best on the trip so far.  We backed on to a bubbling creek, the Rivière Jacques Larose, that we had to drag Jack from after several immersions. Not swimmable,  but very ‘paddle-able’ and he explored every rock pool, reeded shallows several times over. He is a water dog. He finally crashed after his day’s excursions.  

The site is huge, though the camping area relatively small compared to the rest of the site.  Trails head off in all directions.  In summer they hold mountain bike championships here (thankfully not the four days we were there) and in winter x-country skiing.  

The sound of the water on the creek was very soporific, particularly during the night.

Jack likes squirrels, to be more precise he enjoys chasing them two inches from the end of his nose. 

Sunday morning Jack was dozing outside and a small red squirrel sauntered past him, six inches from his tail.  He only realised what he missed when it was a few yards away and too far to catch.  I was in stitches.

We spent the late morning and early afternoon in Baie-Saint-Paul, on the edge of the St Lawrence.  It is the most picturesque old town we have seen.  

We managed to get there at the bottom of the tide, which meant any water was a kilometre or more away, not surprising as it has a 5-6m tidal range.  

Our walk out around the marsh area and forest trails, was relatively quiet.  That said the quarter full car park we arrived in, was full by the time we returned.

Our first choice cafe, allowed dogs on the deck, provided Jack with a tub of water while we enjoyed a second breakfast.  

We could have spent all day in town wandering the streets and enjoying the cafes and bars, but it was 28C and too hot for Jack.  

By the time we left most eateries had queues in the street, the town was that busy.

Monday 28th we dropped down to Beaupré and the Catholic St. Anne Basilica.  Architecturally a quite beautiful building, though the three villages that make up Beaupré, a thin ribbon of houses between the hills and the highway, were devoid of restaurants, bars and cafes or anything remotely interesting to visit.   It was a stark contrast between the basilica/eglise and its grounds and outbuildings with the semi-industrial and retail malls on the highway.  

Eglise St. Anne (Basilica)

Our last full day in the area we spent visiting the Montmorency Falls or the Parc de la Chute-Montmorency. Not the biggest we have seen on the trip, but spectacular nevertheless.  

They allowed dogs on the cable car, so we took the easy route and wandered the park at the top.  Jack just lay down as the téléphérique bounced around. We crossed the suspension bridge  immediately over the falls (not my favourite part of the day) and wandered up to the rapids above the falls where Jack had his daily swim!

For those with no fear, there was a zip line, that took you from one side of the falls to the other, some 300m across with a 300ft fall.  The zip wire looked way too thin, which was my excuse to not go anywhere near it!  Fred was tempted.  For me it was an OMDB experience to be missed.

Montmorency Falls

We the drove on to explore Île d'Orléans, a huge island in the St Lawrence connected to the South of Quebec city by a large suspension bridge.  What a beautiful location.  A largely agrarian economy, cereals, sweet corn, soft fruits (blueberries, strawberries and blackcurrants), as well as vineyards, cideries and the occasional brewery.  It was verdant green everywhere - a contrast to some of our earlier stops on the trip.  

Lunch was at Resto de la Plage on the banks of the St Lawrence, on the South side of the Island.  They didn't allow dogs, but made an exception for Jack.  Who can blame them.  

We enjoyed the most fat, tender and sweet Moules Marinières we have had for years with amazing views over the St Lawrence on their open, shaded deck.

Wednesday Jul 30th we moved to a campground closer to Quebec City with easier access to the airport for collecting and dropping off Ros.  She arrives Friday 1st after a couple of days with the North Vancouver branch, before heading back Wednesday 6th.

Camping de la Joie is a quiet tree-lined campground on the side of a hill.  It meant reversing the trailer uphill and round in to our pitch.  This took a few more goes than usual as the Tundra is not overly keen reversing up a steep hill with a heavy tow load.  In fact so tree-lined I was struggling to get a decent wifi signal from my Starlink.

Thursday, we hiked up around a nature reserve (Marais du Nord) at the top of Lac du St. Charles.  A beautiful setting and trails, though wildlife was a bit thin on the ground.

The falls

Over which the Zipline runs

Readers of earlier blogs, probably soon after we arrived in Canada, will recall me bemoaning the provincial monopoly in BC of all things alcohol and car insurance.  Both state controlled monopolies.  For car insurance, Saskatchewan, Manitoba and Quebec follow suit.  Most are not for profit, which the exception of BC who requires a dividends to be paid to the province!

On the booze front, there are some independent outlets in BC, but such is the monopoly of BC Liquor, they are few and far between.  Similarly PEI, Ontario,  New Brunswick, Nova Scotia and Quebec have state liquor control boards.   Quebec does feel more enlightened, in that unlike BC, wine and beer can be found in some supermarkets.  

The good news is that our local Metro Plus supermarché, six mins from Camping de la Joie, is a bit like Waitrose on steroids, and sells wine and beer.

Some other pics.

Bridge to Ile d'Orleans

Mussels - pretty darn good (an incognito Jack)

Happy camper - a meal we didn't have to cook

Eglise St. Anne (Basilica)

Eglise St. Anne (Basilica)

Eglise St. Anne (Basilica) - Crypt

North American Red Squirrel - Jack's daily tease.

Cedar Waxwing - one of a pair who were working the creek
removing the mosquitoes!

Mont St Anne - Ferme Oies (Foie Gras farm)

Baie Saint-Paul - mudflats and marsh

Jack exploring the creek behind our site, probably for the 4th time that day

Baie St Paul

Baie St Paul