The End, June 17

Perhaps not exactly, but in reality, today is the end of the vacation. Tomorrow promises to be a long day in a car to get from where we are (near Quebec City) back to Dundas.

But today we woke at the "Belle Blanche" to a gray day with some rain, and had a leisurely time over breakfast. We did not want to leave, but packed the car, and said our goodbye's in the end to Marie, before heading onto the 132. This was to take us all the way to Saint-Antoine-de-Tilly. We stopped even before leaving town at the patisserie, but passed up having anything to eat there (having just, after all, had a wonderful breakfast at the gîte). But we met there a couple who had just returned from a three-year journey around the world on their motorcycle.

Then on through other towns, some just as goof as Kamouraska, others a very pale imitation. Barry and Nancy were looking for a coffee shop that they had found years ago on their trip to the East. We stopped when we found it, in the very pleasant town of Saint-Vallier. And there we indulged in coffee and croissants (or, in my case, Pain au Chocolat). It was noon by now, so we felt okay about this.

On through to Lévis and then to our destination only 25 km or so past this. We met again with our hosts, Carol and Dianne (Carol is male, by the way), and recounted to them our adventures since we had started our trip almost three weeks ago.

We quickly settled into our rooms, and soon moved out to the back garden to read and to write, with Barry falling asleep under a tree in his chair, Nancy engrossed in her book inside, and me at the computer under another tree. I can hear the water of a fountain as I write this, and see the poppies, the iris, the astilbe, the phlox all in bloom. And the sky overhead is clear, with a pleasant breeze.

And I began to think of the couples that we had met along the way, in the various Gîtes and Auberges we had stayed in. Carol and Dianne here in Saint-Antoine-de-Tilly, Philippe and his wife in the Canard Huppé on Ile d'Orléans (and their little daughter), Cathérine and Martin in Saint-Félicien at the Manoir Banville, Marc-André and Nicole at the Maison Hamilton, Normand and his wife in Metabéthchouan, and Denis and Marie at the Belle Blanche. All of these couples were extraordinary in their own way. They wee cordial, al felt that they were privileged and happy to be in the homes that they shared with strangers, all tried hard to please their guests, and all shared happily their stories with us. It takes s special kind of person to do this, day after day with humour. And they all seemed to have it.

So it's been a wonderful trip, full of surprises and pleasures, with few downsides. We will return.