Arcadia Village and Prince Edward Island (Caraquet, NB to Cavendish, PEI)

July10-11, Percé, QC to Caraquet New Brunswick

We had an uneventful drive from Percé to Caraquet.  The drive was mostly along the coast, no 15% grades, sunshine, and gas stations were plentiful and easy to enter and exit.  Since we entered Quebec, road signs are now in French and English.  We also entered Atlantic Standard Time (two hours ahead of CST).  Most travel days we travel 220 miles.  Today it was 260 miles.

Later this morning, we are going to visit a reproduction Arcadian Village.  Staff will be in historical costume and doing work the way Arcadians did.  (The Arcadians were French.  The British were afraid the Arcadians would spy on them during a war, so the Aracadians dispersed along our Atlantic Coast, Louisiana, and throughout the world.  There was a famous poem, Angeline/Evangeline, written about their expulsion from Canada.   We are going to enter as a group, but may leave whenever we want.  Our pictures are never great, but with  rain/clouds, they may be worse.

The day turned hot and sunny.  The Village was well done.  Each house had a person in period costume, who told about the house, the family that lived there at the time, and they demonstrated a craft.  We saw people spinning yarn, making hooked rugs, making rope, repairing fishing net, making hooked rugs, knitting.  Usually they are fixing meals, but it was too dry.  They were not allowed to light their wood burning stoves.The pictures represent only some of what we saw.  Cabins were from the 1600's to 1800's.  We crossed a bridge to an Arcadian town from early 1900's.  Gordon did not like that so much.  Some of the stories were too much like what he grew up with to really represent history.

  Making a hooked rug                              One room school house

        general store                                    town from early 1900's                                       loom

                                                               making broom from wooden stick

We made two sightseeing stops on our way from Caraquet, NB to Cavendish, Prince Edward Island.  The first was at a birding/nature center.  We walked on a boardwalk, hoping to see shore birds, but did not see any.  Then we ate lunch in our RV and walked part of a wooded path.  The mosquitos swarmed over us any time we stopped.  Mostly we heard birds, but we did see and identify a black backed woodpecker.

Our next stop was Cape Jourimain, New Brunswick.  There was a nice rest area and nature center.  We learned the toll would cost $44.50, plus $7.50/additional axle.  We won't have to pay it until we return and Caravans to Adventure will reimburse us. The bridge was completed in 1997.   Tourism to Prince Edward Island doubled the year the bridge was completed.

The nature center focuses on a bird a week.  They were focusing on Osprey that week.  Two had nested and their chicks had hatched.  We saw them on their nest in a picture on the TV in the visitor center.  By time we got their, one of the parents was flying away from us and the other was gone.  On the way to the viewing platform and back, we saw song sparrow, cedar waxwing, and yellow warbler.  It has been a while since we had seen the warbler and wax wing.

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bridge from New Brunswick to Prince Edward Island           Lighthouse bridge, Janet at Cape Jourimain

Janet in rest area in wooded trail

Irving Eco (birding center)

July13, Tour of Prince Edward Island.

What an island!  It is so beautiful!  All of your families would enjoy a trip here.  There are lots of tourist traps (haunted house, Avonlea Park--minature worlds of fun), but there is also rolling landscape, beaches warmed by the gulf (water temperature was up to 68 degrees F.), quiet bays, all kinds of seafood (they grow mussels here and the oysters are famous, plus they catch lobster here in season), National Park, home where Anne of Green Gables was based).  We had a lobster fishing demonstration, stopped in the National Park, and toured the home Anne of Green Gables was based upon.  The author Lucy Maud Montgomery grew up on the island and her great aunt and uncle lived on the farm.  The author and her husband left the island after they married and are buried here.  We toured the house and took a couple of walks.  One was down Lover's Lane and the other was called Haunted Forest (both were names the author gave these places in her book).  After this, we went to Glasgow and lunch by the Claude River in a restaurant whose owner greeted us in a kilt and gave the history of the building, his company which makes specialty preserves and the restaurant.  While waiting for our meal, a bald eagle flew past.  Then we were back on the bus where we traveled to Sommerside, a beautiful bay, then home.  The guide was good.  We learned agriculture is the number one industry on the island, then tourism and finally fishing (lobsters, oysters, and mussels).  The main crop is potatoes.  We went a a performance of celtic dance and music in the evening.

We have now been blessed with two weeks of beautiful sunny weather.  I would love to  go kayaking today, basically a free day.

Anne of Green Gables (Joan asked for lots of pictures, so here they are):

Inside, First Floor

Upstairs

                                                                  Anne's Room

Quebec City to Metis Sur Mer (Quebec Province) to end of Gaspe Peninsula (Cap-Aux-OS)

July 4-5, 2013

We had an easy drive from Quebec City to Metis Sur Mer, Quebec Province on the south side of the St. Lawrence River.  The road was a well maintained national highway.  Towards the end we were along the coast and saw Common Eider Ducks.  We celebrated July 4 with a social in our campground.

July 5 we went to Reford Gardens.  In the 1920's a doctor told Mrs. Reford that she should take up gardening to relax and handle her stress.  She developed this unusual garden.  Apparently this area by the Metis River has a unique climate that allows plants that grow in subtropical areas (azaleas) and plants from cool climates (columbines, bleeding hearts) to grown.  Many plants were in full bloom and it was beautiful.  Pictures do not fully show what we saw.  Then we went to an artist cooperative area.  Concrete figures look like they are coming out of the see and seem to worship/gather around another figures.  Very unusual.

  Entrance to Reford Gardens                   Gordon in garden                              Janet in garden

sculptures at artist coop/restaurant

   St. Lawrence Coast, high tide             St. Lawrence Coast, low tide

July 6-7
We drove down the Gaspe Peninsula on a coastal road.  Towards the end it was all steep grades up and down and lots of curve.  It was beautiful, but stressful.  We made several stops.  We saw a waterfall, had a tour of a wind farm, and pulled off to see views from one of several lighthouses.

Today we drove into Forillon National Park for a wildlife tour.  Two foxes were right at the entrance.  Our wagon master is a well known naturalist.  He was able to point all kinds of birds we would not have identified on our own.  We saw: fox, porcupine, harbor seal, another kind of seal, mouse, herring gull (in one place they were nesting on cliffs), ring billed gull, double breasted cormorant (in one place they were nesting and were busy feeding their chicks), black legged kittiwake, goldfinch, common murre, gannet, song sparrow, mourning dove, American crow, eider duck (first seen near Metis), black scoter, white winged scoter, razorbill, ruff grouse, American Robin, Black Guilliemot . After lunch and rested, we went back into the park and hiked to Gaspe points (very scenic).

Prototype Windmill                     waterfall by road                   one of many lighthouses on Highway
Runs by air lift                                                                                132
Not profitable on
a large scale

porcupine at Gaspe Point (by light house
I did not take a picture of

Quebec City

July 1, 2013
The drive to Quebec City was uneventful.  It was such a short drive that we stopped several time to take pictures.  Some people saw moose at the moose crossings, but we did not.We are staying in a KOA campground that is huge.  We have more space around the RV than usual.  The young grandkids would love this park--we have a pool and a large jumping thing.

 
Behind us you can see mountains.  The mountains divide the watershed area: on one side the water flows to the Atlantic Ocean; on the other to the St. Lawrence River.

July 2 (third day) Motorcoach Tour
Quebec City is placed at the narrowest point of the St. Lawrence River.  Here it is only .75 miles wide (at its mouth it is 40 miles wide) and it is 200' deep.  This makes it a natural port.  It is 200 miles from the coast, but is affected by the tide.  When the tide comes in the water flows upstream and when the tide goes out the water flows downstream.  The water here is fresh.  The Province of Quebec has worked hard to improve the quality of air and water.  The water is clean enough to swim in and sturgeon have returned.  Icebreakers keep the river open all year round.

Quebec City celebrated its 400 year anniversary in 2008.  Our tour started in the "old city."  This is the area where houses were built on a small strip of land between the river and the cliffs.  Some of these original buildings still exist. They Date from the 1600's.   A few years ago the government bought these houses and totally renovated them. The government rents these apartments to individuals for about $1000/month.  The streets were built for foot traffic and horse carts.  The old warehouses were sold to individuals who had to have a plan to renovate the interior. These buildings are condos or shops.  It is extremely cold and snowy in Quebec City.  Lows may reach 30 below zero and there may to 200" of snow per year.  Most people did not put windows and doors on the northeast side of the buildings. The most severe storms are "noreasters." They looked so bare that the government has given contracts to painters to put murals on them.

 

The area along the river was defenseless.  Several years were spent building a thick wall around the cliff and the town moved up.  It originally had six gates, but now there are only four.  The Fairmont Hotel dominates the walled city.  Many chateaus like this one called Chateau Fronteac were built along the railroad tracks to support tourism.  This one was built before the railroad arrived.  It is now a luxury hotel.   The area in front of the hotel has a viewing area.  You look down and see the top of the old wall.  From the walled city you can look in the distance and see mountains that are 10 miles away.

Views around Parliament Building (just outside of walled city):

 

Views around Fairmont Hotel:

Gate in Wall

Fairmont Hotel/Chateau Frontenac (Copper

View of Citadel, Defense during War of 1812\

Monument to Quebec by United Nations
Given in 2008
Designates Quebec as International
Historic City

The Field of Abraham was given to an early settler named Abraham, who used the area behind the walled city to raise animals.  The Canadian government gave it to the city of Quebec as a park.

View of St. Lawrence River

Joan of Arc Statue

Tour Bus

After seeing the city, we drove to Montmorency Falls.  We had lunch there and then looked at the Falls.  The falls are natural.  It is 100 feet taller than Niagra Falls.  It used to generate electric power, but the plant is no longer functional.  You can drive to the top (by the restaurant), take a cable car, or walk from the parking lot below.

In front of restaurant

   Below Falls

   Steps to top of falls                Falls and suspension bridge across

Our next stop was to Shrine of St. Ann/Anne.  St. Anne is the mother of Mary, grandmother of Jesus.

The shrine was built by volunteers over 50 years.  It replaced another shrine that was built by the river.  At this place in the river, about 30 miles southeast of Quebec,  saltwater and freshwater meet.  It is a good spot for fishermen.  The story is that fisherman got into trouble.  He prayed to St. Ann (patron saint of fishermen or sailors) to save him.  In return he would build a grotto.  He was saved and built the grotto.  The original burned down.  I think this shrine was started sometime around 1910 and finished around 1970.  The first floor is dedicated to St. Ann and the lower floor to St. Mary.  The mosaics are outstanding.  Around the first floor are various chapels and statues dedicated to saints.

 
                                                          St. Ann's altar                            side chapel
            

                                                              reproduction of pieta                          near St. Ann altar
    Statue near entrance          Statue near entrance                    St. Mary's altar

Our final stops were on the Isle of Orleans.  The island has fertile soil, unlike Quebec City which has mainly granite.  [Granite has been shipped all over the world.  Canadians gave the granite to the US has a base for the Statue of Liberty. In Canada it is used for curbs on the streets.  Parking is up to 8 levels under the surface.  Builders went thru granite to build the lots.]  Most of Orleans has been preserved for farming.  Only the narrow ends are open to development.  In Quebec, land plots near the river are 500 feet wide and 3 miles deep.  All houses are lined with the river bank.  Other inland, land was divided in a wheel /pie shape.  The island grows lots of strawberries, raspberries.  There are fruit trees and maple trees (which is used to make maple syrup).  There are probably vegetables here.

Migrant workers are invited to work the fields and harvest.  Workers are given the same social benefits as Canadians.  Health coverage is even included to worker families, which may not be here.

During the French and Indian Wars, the island was left unprotected.  The British landed here and studied Quebec.  They found an upstream cove and a small path that took them into the walled city of Quebec by way of Abraham's fields.  The entire battle with the French lasted 25 minutes.

view of mountains from strawberry         At small market after purchases of

fields                                                     strawberries, potatoes, asparagus

                                                             and canned maple syrup.

Our last stop was for ice cream and chocolate.  We were really ready for home by the end of the day.  We were so tired!    

Stories/history from guide;
People who live in Quebec look half their age.  Winters are so cold they are frozen half the year.

Women in Quebec are the most beautiful in eastern Canada.  The original settlers were men.  The French king wanted families here.  He sent a boat with 700 plus women to Quebec.   The men were forced to gather.  The women got off the boat.  Men picked their women and they were married by a priest also at the harbor.  The remaining women were loaded back on the boat.  At the next stop, the who procedure happened again.  Women who were not picked, went back on the boat   They continued up river until all the women were picked.

July 3, 2013
We stayed at the park for a while then drove back into Quebec City.  What a gorgeous, sunny day.  We looked in some of the shops, but bought very little.  We toured Notre Dame Church.  The church is 300 years old.  The original wooden structure burnt down.  The new one was built on the same foundation, but is slightly smaller.  Next was lunch.  We went to one of the oldest buildings in Quebec to a restaurant called Anciens.  The inside was supposed to resemble the original interior (low ceilings, paneled wood ceiling, lanterns.)   Waitresses wore garments resembling dress from 1670 (when the building was constructed.  Typical Canadian dishes were served.  We chose two different specials of the day.  The special  included a glass of wine or beer, soup or appetizers, entre, and desert.  We had great food.  Gordon had vegetable soup, pork in wine and honey sauce, and maple syrup pie.  I had split pea soup, meat pie, and upside down strawberry shortcake.

 
300 year old church                            Janet at Anciens Restaurant     Statue of Champaign,
                                                            building built 1670s                 Founder of Quebec

 

                                     Views of St. Lawrence River