The Rocher Percé, June 12

Yesterday was again a clear and sunny day. I got up early (about 6AM) and went to write my blogs to catch up. This took some time, since we had not had internet coverage for a few days. But this place had one of those 3G "sticks" to get this computer onto the net, so I thought I should do my duty.

The house is grand, and there are large windows in it. So sitting by the front window upstairs in what had been the master bedroom was a delight. I quietly listened while the house awoke, typing away happily and watching the front garden and its birds. The sun gets up in this area about 4:30, so it was pretty high in the sky when I got up. And that gave me lots of light.

I did get on the web and posted a few days' worth of information, and by then Barry was up and around. It was not long before we had the (I'm sure) unenviably task of eating yet another fine breakfast. So we went downstairs, after a bit of packing.

Breakfast consisted of whole wheat pancakes with fruit and maple syrup, with wonderful coffee and fine juice. And all spiced by tales of the area told by our host, about the past life of this town, and the various goings-on of that time. And also told us about the families and types of people in the various towns. They are still static enough culturally that you can tell where someone is from by their family name.

We went from there to biking, agreeing that we would do about 80 km that day, and probably ending up in the town of Chandler. Most was to be on the highway, so we hoped the traffic would be low. And it was, with fairly good shoulders most of the way. Some hills, and a fair bit of wind. And, as predicted by Nicole, the temperature dropped significantly about five km west of town. We started with a t-shirt, and began to pile on the clothes as we got colder in the wind off he ocean.

As Barry pointed out, it was almost one town stretched out along the ocean between New Carlisle and Percé. There were a few areas of farmland, and some scrub bush, but mostly there was settlement spread thinly along the highway. Many of the towns had active fishing areas, with many fishing boats and piles of nets and traps apparent (they tell me that there are so many lobsters being caught this year that the price is quite depressed). Along the road, there was the usual bits of garbage, but this time mixed with bits of lobster shell thrown from windows.

Went again through Paspébiac, then on through Hope (where there is a large number of Basques), and to Saint-Godefroi, Shagwake, and on to Port Daniel. There we were stopped by a wonderful building beside the railway tracks, which turned out to the Hotel LeGrand, now a library and municipal office,

and looked around it in awe. Turns out to be one of the first places that Jacques Cartier found on his journey of the 1630's. And still a beautiful place. After a short stop by the Church, and a view of the Manse-turned-gîte (another stunning building), we went off on our way to the east.

We met Nancy for lunch after Newport, and she warned us that the road ahead was not pretty in any way. And besides, the wind made it quite cool. So we decided to take a ride through that mess and restart our ride in Pabos. We rode, somewhat tired, then on to around Cap d'Espoir, completing our 80 km, at about 5 PM.

Nancy had out-done herself. She had found a little cabin on the peninsula which ends in the Rocher Percé. We have a view outside our window of the Rock, and watch as the tide comes and goes, with the gulls flying up and down it. It is spare, but adequate, and the view is worth a lot.

Supper last night in Barachois, in a restaurant called the Café des Couleurs. Then home to an early bed.