Anticosti Island July 5 - 10

One last summer trip...
took Air Inuit, as arranged by the Quebec Prov. park system (Sepaq)just a little over 3.5 hr. with a refueling stop at Mont Joli (just east of Rimouski). Landing at Anticosti Island's sole real town of Port Menier (population, depending who you ask, very approx. 200 permanent residents), arriving in time for lunch.







The Auberge (hotel) sits at the edge of town. Below, shows the back of the hotel with the rooms at the far end, 8 rooms on either floor.
Front of hotel
Our room

There had been an electrical fire 7 years ago, with the hotel burning to the ground. Consequently, everything new and modern.
This menu was left in each room although it did not necessarily correspond exactly to what was offered

On arrival, we were given an orientation, and also given a knapsack for those days, that we would be away from the hotel for lunch, instructing us to pick up ice packs, sandwiches, desserts, snacks, and drinks at breakfast, before leaving for the day. We had 2 full day excursions.
At supper, the menu changed daily, with choices of two different entrees and main courses, with the option of paying extra for filet mignon or lobster.
Lobster was wonderful! Probably a 2 pounder. In fact, all the meals were superb.


Feed (corn)for the deer was furnished








And although we got used to the deer coming to our door, the foxes, shied away, although always remaining tantalizingly close.






On our excursions, we kept searching the skies for eagles. Eventually spotted a pair on a tree, right outside our room.

Here's a loon
and a raven (much bigger than a crow)
a spotted sandpiper
and lots of gulls.

We were able to see quite a bit of the island, that sits opposite the Gaspé, and is roughly 1.5 times the size of P.E.I.



The only paved roads are basically within the town, and then afterwards, there's only gravel.


Canyons that may not rival the Grand Canyon, but still very impressive.







Visited wreck leftover from a storm.



There are 3 lighthouses on the island, fully automated.






My very first time on a kayak. Nothing to fear as the water was warm and shallow.



Met the very nicest couple, Benita and Greg, and I'm not just saying that because I pilfered some of her pics for this post. I believe that we came in handy as well, as we were the only other Anglophone guests. If we don't see them again soon, we will both be sorely disappointed.

A little bit of whiplash here, with some off road driving.
to visit a stream and lake with a very high limestone content. Excellent instant clay here for arts and crafts.






An oven (huge) to dry the clay



The remains, and a layout of the principal owner of the island, Henri Menier's (a chocolate maker from France) mansion,  who built the port village at the end of the 19th century.


 One afternoon was dedicated to mini putt (miniature golf). Each hole represented one of the sites on the island .
We also had access to hybrid bikes. You still have to pedal, but no sweat getting up a hill. My first time trying this as well, and I liked!

The ferry sails in twice a week.

Instead of driving the car up a ramp, it is put into a container, and then hoisted on board.


Our final night, with a bonfire.

And Bear also met a new friend.
Then time to leave. 

We had been truly fortunate....great people, good food, pretty landscapes, fun activities, and fabulous  weather.






Popular posts from this blog

Tokyo april12

Image
Left on time . We arrived at the airport with loads of time to spare. I like when there's no pressure to get through security. No long line ups . Security was suspicious of my ankles (are they becoming too thick?) And made me giggle as they tickled them and then made me hop and skip (at my age!) to check my heels . Plane started to roll at 1:20. The safety talk was incorporated into Canadian travel videos (very cute). Oh, shit we fly over Russia! TMI? First bathroom run at 3Pm. Happy to report bathroom was still clean. In fact, the bathrooms never came close to reaching the disgusting levels we had encountered on other flights. How come I became less sleepy after a bottle of wine than before drinking? Wolfed down lunch. Either it was good or I was THAT ravenous. I picked the beef dish because it was supposed to come with potatoes, but I got rice. No matter....I was so hungry that later on, when they delivered a tuna fish roll for a snack, I ate that too (...
Read more

May 19 LAST of 7 in a row Sea Days

Image
And this is where we finished sailing to by bedtime (right past Mecca).  Watch one of my favorite waiters: https://photos.app.goo.gl/XqvKzQJHwGx8Lmeu7 (he's Philippino). Ok, I'm a little short on material. But I did get snagged by the magician to go on stage last night. I HATED it. Very hot under the lights. But at least, I didn't embarrass myself . Or at least, I don't think that I did . Much. Over night, we crossed into Egyptian waters. Pre-dinner entertainment tonight, was made up of a few intrepid passengers who had practiced their Bollywood dance moves over the last week. I took videos , but it'll take forever to upload, so cannot include in today's blog, but we enjoyed it. Tomorrow morning, dock at Safaga and take a LONG ride to Luxor and the Valley of the Kings. Have a wake up call .for 5am. And yes, it will be hot. And actually, this is possibly the worst way to see any of the ancient world in Egypt. We won...
Read more

May 22 Aqaba, Jordan (Petra)

Image
This is the place that I was most looking forward to visiting. (First views from the ship,Eilat to the left and Aqaba to the right, and 6 miles SE of Eilat is Egypt) We were heading to Petra, with another early morning start. It would take a couple of hours of driving. It wasn't long before the city was behind us and unlike the Egyptian desert, there were pink shades on the rocks and wild  flowers at the edge of the windy roads which kept climbing and curving. Eventually, when we reached Petra, we would be at an elevation of 2600ft.         C AMELS! The Bedouin had large flocks of sheep.  (pit stop) The villages that we passed, seemed more prosperous than what we had seen in Egypt and the city of Petra, was downright wealthy in comparison, a benefit of having millions of tourists. And fin...
Read more