Once again, I find myself outside the US on that most American of holidays, the Fourth of July. No fireworks here in Canada, they did that on July 1, their Canada Day holiday commemorating the beginning of the Confederation of provinces that formed the country in 1867. I will miss the little sparklers, they are my favorite part of the holiday because it’s what we did when I was a kid in our backyard.
I’ve picked up the pace a bit moving towards Quebec City, in what will be a series of three-night stands. I finished my last four-night stand for a while at Kouchibouguac, enjoying the hikes and water views. The bugs, not so much.
It was a few hours of driving to get to Sugarloaf Provincial Park, my last stop in New Brunswick and first one clearly in French-speaking territory. There were some lovely trails here, less bugs, but a lot of rain, making for a humid stay; I was on the edge of that hot weather bubble to the east of me.
And then, yesterday, crossing the river, I changed both timezones (Atlantic to Eastern) and provinces; I have made it to the province of Quebec!
It was a fun day, and way out of the ordinary for me. I met up with a fellow Alto owner in her hometown of Amqui, Quebec. We had a delicious lunch (best grilled cheese sandwiches ever: proscuitto, bosque pears, brie, and thick slices of bread) before touring the countryside in her V8 Mustang, top down and our hair flying in the breeze. And the countryside was beautiful, indeed! I feel like I got a little slice of Quebecois life in that brief time.
And then, more driving. This was the least fun part of the week. 90F temperature outside, and rolling hills. I kept the engine temp monitor on the screen instead of the usual map, making sure Bella was doing OK as we made our way north and then west to Parc National du Bic. Found the campsite, and realized it was very small, and very tight. So caravan mover to the rescue, using the remote to back the trailer was was easier than trying to make that 90-degree angle with the car.
After sunset, the winds blew in and cooled everything down, and I’m pretty sure I was not the only one relieved to feel the cool air coming through. It’s the first time I’ve slept with every single window in the Alto wide open this year!
The Parc du Bic is beautiful, and I am looking forward to some hikes and photography. The photo at the top of the post was last night, just after sunset.
Next week: Quebec City, at long last!
Every day is a journey, and the journey itself is home.
Matsuo Basho
Funny… I was there (Bic), same place (ferme Rioux campsites) , almost same time, with my Alto 1743. Lovely place. Your photo at the top of your post was taken at Baie des Ha Ha! Your pictures are just great, as usual. Enjoy your stay in our beautiful province!
Marc