Saint-Fabien
2001 Robert A. Mackall
Although we did not, you may want to consider leaving Québec City by the Lévis ferry which provides a stunning view of the city skyline with the imposing dominance of L' Hôtel Château Frontenac. If you do not choose the ferry, take advantage of the south shore road, Rue St Laurent, for an equally spectacular view of the skyline. Again a good local map is in order.At this point we chose to jump back on the TransCanada 20 to bypass the suburban sprawl of Lévis. Thankfully the congestion of traffic lights and fast food and shopping centers is short lived and we got back on local route 132 in Beaumont where farms and small villages return to take charge of the landscape.
From Beaumont to Montmagny the view of the St. Lawrence River is dominated by the Île d'Orléans which splits the river into two channels for about 20 miles. Ile d'Orléans is a softly rounded, high, spined island of small, picture perfect farms. It is a great backdrop for the ride north to Montmagny, a lovely town with manicured lawns, a good information center and a ferry to the Île-aux-Grues.
As we continue to drive north, villages become smaller and fewer; each dominated at its center by a Catholic church of almost cathedral proportions. I would love to produce a coffee table art book of these churches and the villages they serve. In addition, you begin to sense the love of the Québecoise for crême glacé as small ice cream stands frequent the roadside. This will hold true throughout all the province of Québec
We did stop in the town of St-Jean-Port-Joli, the woodcarving capital of Québec. If you have the opportunity, this cottage industry town of woodworking is well worth browsing for souvenirs or works of art. It has earned international distinction and is quite fascinating.
After some shopping and ice cream, we continued the drive to the small village of Saint-André-De-Kamouraska where we took a charming cabin with a view of the St. Lawrence River at Le Motel Pelerin . After a delighful chat with the propietor, M Alain Morel, we took a hike along the town's dike and later stopped in the local épicerie for cheese, sausage, and bread for dinner. Trés bon, indeed!
Monday, June 25 started early as we made our way to Rimouski, Quebec and our 8 day cruise on L' Écho Des Mers. For sometime now the St. Lawrence River has been a prelude to the rising Laurentide Mountains on the not-to-distant north shore. As we drive through the picture perfect villages of the Kamouraska region, the topography begins to undulate with the vestiges of ancient eroded mountains. And beyond Trois-Pistoles, the river widens as the Saguenay River empties into the St Lawrence and the north shore becomes more a beckoning memory.More pictures of Le BicAfter taking breakfast at L' Hôtel Levesque in Riviere-du-Loup we continued our trip to the Parc du Bic for some hiking and sightseeing. After driving the south fringe of the park to see the many summer homes and cottages on the shore of the St. Lawrence we visited a lookout for a spectacular view of the village of Saint-Fabien and its surrounding fertile farmland. Upon entering the park itself we enjoyed an envigorating morning hike along Anse a l'Orignal to Cap a l'Orignal. This park is a treasure and should not be missed by anyone travelling the region. And be sure to visit their web page for some "better than my" pictures.
Parc du Bic is just outside the city of Rimouski, the point of embarkation for our 8 day discovery eco-cruise of the Quebec's lower north shore. We still needed to exchange some currency and be on the boat by 2:00PM. However, we noted upon entering the city of Rimouski that there was no traffic, the whole city looked deserted. Was it a depressed economy? Was it a forced evacuation? Did their soccer team lose in the finals? No; it was the Monday after La Fête de St-Jean-Baptist. I mean everything was closed. Shopping centers, banks, post offices, les gaz bars. Wow, these folks take their holidays very seriously... and more power to 'em!
We arrived at the port of Rimouski, found our freshly painted bateau, and reaquainted ourselves with an old friend of two years ago, L'Écho Des Mers.
