Bonjour from the Gaspespie Peninsula

Perce Rock

We have been catching our breath along the Gaspespie Peninsula in southern Quebec. Sadly our beloved little bear Yukon was lost, but another traveling companion has joined us now named Gaspe. He will share in the next adventures as we head into the Maritimes of Canada during the next few months. The Gaspe Peninsula joins the inland rough and rocky mountains and sea coastal villages for some 500 miles. The small inland fruit farms, wilderness national parks, and coast harbors 18th century fishing villages are shielded by the mountains.

Driving the main road that follows the coastline has been fun as the beauty and lure of the sea is always close at hand here.Every village has a silver steeple church as its focal landmark. The peninsula is noted for its twenty-six lighthouses. It was hard not to pass by one of them without catching a snapshot. The journey has been broken up with an occasional stop along the way. We especially enjoyed visiting Mont-Joli for a stroll early on a Sunday morning to see the towns nineteen fresco paintings on the walls of buildings. Grand-Metis was a small town boasting one of Canada’s most beautiful gardens with over 3,000 species of flowers. It was an exotic haven for any photographer. Situated out to sea south of the small resort village on Perce is Rocher Perce. This famous pierced rock landmark is the result of tidal erosion. In the 1930’s Perce became a popular spot for artists and still contains many galleries.

Gaspe our latest traveling companion joins in the adventures

So how is life traveling and living in a motor home after three months you might wonder. Well we do regular chores like cooking, dish washing, making the bed, tidying the place, sweeping, cleaning the refrig, laundry, grocery shopping, etc. Gas station stops? Yikes don’t ask. We seldom make camping reservations ahead unless getting near larger cities which we tend to try to avoid. Evenings are spent usually downloading digital photos into the laptop computer, reading up on the coming day attractions and/or mapping out the next destination route.And yes indeed, we are still speaking to one another.

Cap Chat Lighthouse

Driftwood sculptures

Day Lily at Grand Metis Gardens

Atlantic Ocean first time testing the water.... burr...colder than the Pacific

Candids around the Gaspesie Peninsula of southern Quebec

Lighthouse in St. Anne Marie

Perce Rock

After chatting with Jean-Marie at the Perce Wharf buying his accordian songs was a must.

Typical steeple church along the Gaspe Peninsula

Artist on the Wharf in Perce

Les Jardins by the pond in Grand Metix

Gannets nesting at Bonnaventure Island

Fresco wall painting in Mont-Joli

Greetings from Quebec City

Our recent visit has focused on Old Quebec City where we had a most delightful time. JR managed well driving through Quebec City itself with the Toad thanks to the GPS Navigation which is working better now. Christa managed speaking some limited conversations in French to help get us around. Overlooking the mighty St. Lawrence River, Québec City exudes a French flair unique to its North American location. The only fortified walled city north of Mexico, Old Québec (officially the Upper City, Haute-Ville, within the fortifications) has been designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Old Quebec City was once occupied by the French for over a hundred years until the British gained control of the city in 1820. It took climbing numerous stairs to make our way up into the walled city. A guided walking tour through La Citadelle (the historic military fortress) with its ramparts and cannons on the hilltop provided a grand view overlooking the St. Lawrence River. But the Lower City, Basse-Ville, is actually the oldest part of town since it was here that Samuel de Champlain built his first settlement. Both areas, with their narrow streets, historic buildings, and cafés gives the feel of being in an old European city.

Climb the stairs or take the Fundiculaire 

cable lift

Night lights up Lower Old Quebec City

One of many canons once used in battle between the French and the British

Soldier during changing of the guard at La Citadelle

La Citadelle Fort overlooks St. Lawrence River

Giants in the Opening Parade of Les Fetes de la Nouvelle France

La Vie de New France marches on

We were able to experience life as it was in New France during the French Regime in the 17th and 18th centuries as “Les Fetes de la Nouvelle France” the Festival of New France was happening. For several exciting days, over 700 artists and performers in costumes were out and about breathing new life into historical Old Québec. The event showed the first families of New France sharing the adventures of their arrival and their lives here. The dancing, music, storytelling, re-enactments (street performers and parades) added more good memories to our trip. 

Merchant hauling his kegs

Aristocrats out on a stroll in New France celebration

Wall mural on Rue de Champlain

More Aristocrats enjoying their arrival in 17th century New France

Les Fetes Opening Parade for the Arrival of New France

Frenchman and Huron Indian dancing on stilts

Hello from Montreal

We have had a bit of mechanical problems on both vehicles before getting on the road to Montreal. It was like gremlins were out and upon us. Fortunately JR had brought a battery charger from home and was able to get us back up and running by luck. It is an amazing job getting the rig through the interchanges of big cities. We have wisely found a campground on the outskirt of Montreal. Caught a shuttle into the city center and booked a tour on a Greyline double-decked bus for sightseeing Montreal.Catching the hilltop view above the city at Mont-Royal to see the famous Oratoire St. Joseph Church as well as Notre-Dame Basilique were the big highlights.  If we had spent an extra day than a walking tour through the historic Old Montreal quarters and Jardin Botanical Gardens would have been worthwhile. JR had his first experience hopping on and off of an underground Metro train. The city we found to be too cosmopolitan for our liking. One day in downtown Montreal was enough to convince us it was a place to get beyond.

Pilgrimage crawl at Oratory St. Joseph 100 steps

Notre Dame Basilique altar

Montreal Notre Dame

JR waiting to catch a Montreal underground metro

Oratory St. Joseph at Mont-Royal hilltop

Lighting candles at St. Joseph Oratory

A Day in the Life of 19th Century Upper Canada Village

After a leisure afternoon relaxing in the breeze at a bird sanctuary campsite on the banks of the St. Lawrence River, the following day was spent nearby exploring Upper Canada Village located 7 miles east of Morrisburg. This recreated town is made up of 40 authentic pre-Confederation (1867) buildings, relocated from the surrounding area to save them from flooding during the construction of the St. Lawrence Seaway project in the 1950s. The historical site is a colorful reminder of Ontario’s social history. There are primitive structures of early days to fine houses in brick and stone.

Actors outside Cook's Tav

Costume villagers work the 1860’s village with its blacksmith forge and sawmill while a tinsmith, shoemaker, baker, broommaker, cheese maker and cabinet maker employ their skills.

Travelling Tilton Singer

A school house, two churches, printing press shop, a general store, a woolen mill, three farms, and a tavern are all part of the village life. It was comparable to spending a day at Colonial Williamsburg.

Hay wagon passing by old Christ Church

                                                          We celebrated our 27th anniversary in gorgeous weather here at the village on the bank of the St. Lawrence River.

Horse tows scow down canal with a rope at the village

Boatman blows horn as he boards the boat to long pole turn it

A canal ride on a scow pulled by a horse with a tow line down stream was idyllic.

At the end of the afternoon a horse drawn wagon pulled us through the streets of Upper Canada Village wrapping up another wonderful day of adventure.

Time to soak our feet with Yukon at the end of a day in the St. Lawrence River at our campsite

Cruising through the Thousand Islands on the St. Lawrence River

Embarking on a 2.5 hour boat cruise along the American and Canadian span of the 1000 Islands from Gananoque to Iva-Lea with an added 2-hour stopover at Boldt Castle was splendid.These beautiful wooded islands have been the playground of the wealthy living on or along the St. Lawrence River with their magnificent homes, lovely boat houses, and yachts for a century and a half. Our passports were required getting off on the cruise to visit Boldt Castle on an island in upstate New York. So you might say we made it back to the USA from Canada for two hours before the return cruise back into Canadian waters. Enjoy a few candid snapshots from our voyage of a few Thousand Island homes and Boldt Castle.

Bungalow on one of the 1000 Islands

Just a little cottage

Catch the front landscaping

Of the various luxury residences none was more extravagant than Boldt Castle built by the Austrian owner of New York’s Waldorf Astoria, whose chef, it is said was inspired by sojourns here to invent Thousand Island salad dressing.This was a folly of millionaire hotelier George Boldt that began in 1900. Intended as a summer home for his wife it was abandoned in grief before completion when his beloved Louise died in 1904. Upon her death he ordered all construction on the castle stopped and never returned. It was never finished or occupied. The estate sat empty for 73 years and turned to almost disrepair until it was acquired and has been under restoration by the International Bridge Authority since 1977.The castle estate on its private little Heart Island reflects the whimsical imagination of the wealthy Boldts.

There is Alster Tower(The Playhouse) which the Boldts lived in with their two children while the castle was under construction. A Powerhouse was built as an intent to electrify the castle in an age when gas lanterns were in vogue.

                    The Dove-Coit housed pigeons as part of their collection of fancy fowl.

A stone gazebo on the front lawn was a place of entertainment while the castle was under construction. The Italian Garden today reflects what the grounds might have been like if the castle had been completed.

Boldt Yacht House just across the waterway is on Wellesley Island. It housed the Boldts three yachts and houseboat with its berthing slips 128 feet long.

If we sell Buckhollow we could live on Bucktide and cruise the 1000 Islands June-Sept then fly south to somewhere to avoid the cold, cold Canadian winters. Who knows the endless possibilities retirement can bring...