Oct. 23, 2014
Looking forward to a 4 hour drive around PEI was my choice of tours as I headed out for the panoramic drive of Prince Edward Island. This is the island of " Anne of Green Gables" and where the author Lucy Maude Montgomery grew up. Lucy based her book on her cousin's house. She was raised by her maternal grandmother because her mother passed away when she was 21 months old. PEI is the smallest of the Canadian Provinces but also the greenest. Our drive took us to the Confederation Bridge which links PEI to New Brunswick. The bridge is 8.1 miles long and bridges ice covered waters in the winter. The bridge is owned by Straight Crossing of Calgary who collects the tolls for the first 35 years and then will pass it over to the Federal government. The expected life of the bridge is 100 years. Tolls are only paid when leaving the island and they run around 45 dollars which was comparable to the ferry fare when the bridge was built, but now there is no waiting in line.
Charlottetown, PEI was the first location chosen to meet and discuss the forming of a confederation: that was Sept. 1, 1864. July 1, 1867 Canada celebrated it's break from England, known as Independence Day. PEI joined the confederation as a province in 1873. Today Charlottetown has 35,000 population with about 146,000 on the island. PEI is about the size of Delaware. The north side of the island has sandstone and errosian is taking 2 to 3 feet per year. University of PEI is well known for it's veterinarian training. Agriculture is big business with the products of potatoes, soya, and dairy cattle. Tourism is the second biggest industry with flights from Boston and JFK airports as well as eastern Canada. Unemployment is about 12% as many people work in jobs that are seasonal. We drove along a dirt red soiled road which is excellent for the production of potatoes. The highest hill on the island is 498 feet. There are no fruit tree crops, but there is Irish Moss which is a seaweed used for drugs and ice cream thickener. PEI is the first province to have elected a Lebanese premier. PEI has a large diversity of ethnic people from Russians, Chinese, Sri Lankans who work in the mussel industry. There are 40 registered organic farms and a Buddhist monastery.
Interesting is that the government of PEI or better known as the provincial government regulates rents, gas prices, and land use controlled by the IRAC - I can not remember what it stands for. Cavendish Farms processes 1 million pounds of potatoes per day for Wendy's and other fast food outlets.
Where there is a lot of potatoes one is bound to think that vodka may be available. Yes, there is a vodka plant on the island.
I also viewed the largest tree on the island and took pictures of it.
On Oct. 24 we arrived in Sydney, Nova Scotia. I had decided to stay close to the ship and enjoy my day onboard. At the end of the day I was informed about the life of a coal miner. Wishy Donnavon was the tour guide on "The Life of a Coal Miner". He had worked as a miner for 35 years. Being a coal miner was no fun from everything I learned: pit ponies which were bred in New Foundland and canaries that would die if there was too much methane gas. The miners would watch the canaries and if they started acting a certain way it meant that they had to vacate the mine. Young boys were hired to pump doors that sent air down to the miners. The day started with the miners having to go 7 miles down under the ocean before drilling started, and they were not paid travel time. Miners were only paid when the coal came to the surface with the proper identification on the cart.
BESCO was a British company that developed the mines promising housing, education and other benefits. There were numerous tactics used by the company to keep the men in line. If management heard that rumblings among their workers were taking hold they would shut the mine down but tell employees that they could continue to shop at the company store so employee debt to the store would climb. Listen to Tennessee Ernie Ford's song "16 Tons". If a worker tried to leave the company goons would bring him back. There was no pension. Rats nipped at the pit ponies and also attacked and bit the miners as the rats scoured the shafts and fed on the hay filled dung left by the pit ponies. Many of those mining families accrued massive debt to the company store so it was a way to have the eldest boy also work for the mine. Then there was black lung disease. The influence of the church permeated the lives of those people, at work, at school & as well as Sunday services. There was intimidation and coersion and the company did shut off water to the workers houses, shut off electricity to their living quarters and during one riot the company shut down the hospital. These tactics provoked riots and one union leader named Davis with 9 children was shot dead by the company goons. To this day Davis Day is observed around Sydney with stores closing.
Louisbourg Fort, the biggest in it's day, was built by the French to protect it's interest in the new world.
Glace Bay is famous as a mining area.
Sydney is becoming a popular port of call for cruise ships as there were 77 in the 2014 season.
The steel plant, built in 1900 was closed in 2000 and dismantled. In 2002 it was transported and rebuilt in India.
On Oct. 25, 2014 we docked in Halifax and I boarded a tour to Peggy's Cove. Like many other cities Halifax and Dartmouth are now one and called Halifax. Halifax has 400,000+ people while the province has about 1,000,000. Snowfall and rain amounts to over 60 inches a year average.
The history of the Atlantic Provinces is so overwhelming. A few items worth mentioning is the influence that the British had on Halifax. It was set up by Edward Cornwallis. Many cemetaries dot the landscape-Jewish, Military, and Irish/Catholic to name a few.
Victoria Gardens has very wide walking pathways to allow ladies in hooped skirts to walk beside one another or pass each other.
Halifax boasts of the largest Health Sciences Center east of Montreal as the hospital and the university have a partnership.
Halifax has had her share of historical occurances. The S.S. Atlantic, owned by White Star Line, went down near Halifax in 1873 and 562 perished. We all know about the Titanic in 1912. It also was one of the White Star Line, but as bodies were recovered the company refused to ship them home. As a result Halifax has a cemetary that these unidentfied bodies are buried in. The SOS sent by the Titanic was received by a young 17 year old in New York who was interested in radios. His name was David Sarnoff who went on to become president of RCA. Then we have the Halifax explosion in 1917. Two ships collided in the narrows entering the harbour. One of the ships had in it's hold tons of explosives and because the captain felt it unsafe to fly a flag letting other ships know only the men on his ship knew and as men scurried off the ship yelling in a foreign language no one knew what disaster was about to occur. Halifax harbour was used as a gathering point for ships going to Europe and they would go in a convoy. The disaster is well worth reading about. In 1998 there was the Swiss Air flight that went down off the coast. It had left New York and had engine trouble & headed to land at the Halifax airport. It didn't make it but nosedived into the Atlantic. Fishing vessels headed out to help. About 4 miles from Peggy's Cove is a memorial to those who perished. Another noteworthy bit is how the Halligonians dealt with 9-11. Over 50 jumbo jets landed in Halifax and those on the planes were processed, fed, housed and though terribly upset found friends in Halifax. Our tour guide was full of stories about the people of Halifax during that time and how they went out of their way to make strangers feel welcome.
The Irving Shipyard has a contract which will keep workers employed for 30 years or longer.
McDonalds serves a Mclobster, and Subway has a lobster sub. The record lobster caught was 44 lbs representing an age of about 200 years. Korea is a major purchaser of Nova Scotia seafood products. Lobster traps are baited with raunchy mackeral.
Since our tour took us to Peggy's Cove I should mention a bit about it. Thirty three people live there year around. The cove is very windy and there is a granite carving dedicated to the fishermen that have lost their lives. For me it had a quietness and serene feeling despite the bus loads of tourists. Peggy's Cove is a working lobster village. Now you may ask " How did it get it's name?" The story is a sad but true one and I am sure one might get more information from Wiki.
Foreign students make up as much as 25% of the student body at Dalhousie University and Germans are buying up shorefront property due to the strength of the Euro. Berlin is a 6 1/2 hour flight from Halifax.
We arrived in Bar Harbor, Maine on Oct. 26 and I had planned to take a tour of Bar Harbor and the Acadia National Park. The night before I had a sea sick night and spent the day in bed. Besides I was somewhat leary of the tender as the ocean was choppy. I did manage to take a few pictures from the ship before heading back to bed. Since it was Sunday reports from other passengers led me to think that there was not much open in the town.
Wednesday Oct. 28 found us docked in the big apple, New York. Again I stayed on board but could not stay in my cabin as we sailed out of the harbor that evening. I had seen New York many years ago but not from the water. Queen Mary 2 was in port as we had followed her in at dawn. The sun setting as we left reflected off the tall, glass towers that line the shore. I leaned on the railing and searched for where the twin towers had been but the new buildings have taken hold. We passed the Statue of Liberty and went under a bridge. Not only did I reflect on the twin towers but also remembering the plane that was piloted down into the Hudson River. New York is a beautiful city as one looks from afar, a boat passing by, but it is much too big for me to feel safe in on my own.
Today is Oct. 30 and we disembark in Fort Lauderdale tomorrow where I hope to post this. Our trip out the St. Lawrence River and down the eastern seaboard has given me more education about eastern Canada anarea I Knew very little about. We will head out and explore a bit of Florida tomorrow and will head home Nov. 6.
Friday, October 31, 2014
Friday, October 24, 2014
TRIP BACK EAST Cruise from Montreal
Oct. 21, 2014 at Sept-Iles, Quebec
It was a great adventure to see the precruise of Canada that I had never seen before. The flight from Vancouver to Montreal was uneventful except for my business class seat that did not cramp my long legs. The flight attendants were very helpful, kind and talkative as sitting up front had it's advantages. "Well, how?" you might ask. She shared experiences and her kit-kat bar. We also got sandwiches, coffee, tea and a number of snacks but for me the most exciting aspect of flying business class is that I had two checked bags FREE.
Once in Montreal we picked up our rent-a-car, a lovely Toyota Camry, which ultimately turned into a disheartening disaster. As we headed toward Ottawa I started feeling wet and put my answer to just perspiration as it was a warm day. Upon arrival at our motel stay for the night I realized it was not me. The seat was soaking wet. No big deal. Covered with newspaper and a folded towel we headed off the next day for a picture taking of the Parliment Buildings and enjoying a visit with relatives on Thanksgiving. Oh Dear, another mishap. The car was not properly insured and licenced. Well there went my visit to the Gateneau Hills area as we needed to return to Montreal to change vehicles. Now into a Toyota Matrix we headed south toward Niagara Falls.
The trip down to the Niagara Falls and back to Montreal was absolutely gorgeous. I saw many of the bridges that link Canada to the US, the changes in the colours as trees and bushes go from Fall to Winter, the Thousand Island area, and without a doubt the awe inspiring view from the Skylon Tower overlooking Niagara Falls while enjoying an exceptional dinner in the hourly revolving restaurant. Another addition was a bottle of Niagara wine which accompanied our dinner. Nothing could have topped that after missing the Gateneau Hills.
Our first night after leaving Montreal the second time was spent at the Bridgewaters Motel in Johnstown, Ontario along route 2 which travels next to the St. Lawrence River. Johnstown is connected to the US by the Johnstown-Ogdensburg bridge going into New York state. That bridge was funded by the US so all tolls are paid to them. The following night we stayed in Niagara Falls at the Quality Inn which had a beautiful view of the falls from the entrance or high up from the view rooms in the hotel. Traveling during offseason has it's benefits and we got a very nice room for far less than I had budgeted for. We had dinner in the Skylon restaurant that night, and picture taking of both US and Canadian Falls occurred the next day before returning to Montreal. We liked the family run Bridgewaters Motel so much that returning there was ideal and they had one room left. Traveling route 2 took a bit of time but the towns and sights along the way were worth the extra time. Brockville, Ontario had an amazing amount of stone buildings and I hope to return one day and really learn about it's history. Once back in Montreal we found a Quality Inn near the airport and spent a quiet and reflective evening over dinner reviewing the sights, sounds, places and people we had met that week. The next morning we returned the car to downtown Montreal and hailed a taxi to the cruise ship terminal.
Oct. 23, 2014
Holland America has been our choice of cruising companies as our mariner loyalty benefits go up. So this trip we start getting free laundry, and 50% off wine packages as well as other benefits. This was our first trip on the Maasdam, and once the clearing process was done from the previous sailing we had priority boarding on Oct. 18 followed by a lovely Mariner's lunch in the Rotterdam diningroom. We were upgraded to a nice cabin on the same deck with two porthole windows and a bathroom that is a wheelchair accessable one. The air circulation is great and there is a good deal of room in which to move. We chose anytime dining and have met a number of interesting people. I managed to organize a meet-and-greet get together which was set up in the Crow's Nest the first day with HAL suppling a tray of goodies with tea, coffee, and water. Cruise Critic is a great way to start your cruising experience and allows you to ask questions and meet others and has a number of other pieces of information. Just use your search engine and type in Cruise Critic. There is so much that you will need to explore the site so don't get frustrated.
Our luggage arrived in the early evening and we spent some of that evening exploring the ship so we could find areas easier. Being on deck 4 starboard at the bow and getting to the diningroom on deck 7 meant that we needed to walk on deck 4 to the rear and take the elevator to deck 7; or go up to deck 8 and walk the length of the ship and come down to deck 7. "Why?" Well the kitchen sits on deck 7 and passengers are not allowed except by invitation. Unless you are a person who has high class taste buds and spends money on extremely fancy restaurants, I have found the food to be above average and this cruise is no exception. Food can be found in a number of different categories: no sugar added ice cream, vegetarian entrees, different types of carbohydrates, lots of assorted salads and at least two types of soups. Hamburgers, hotdogs and panninis and Mexican tacos ingrediants can be found near the pool. Drinks both alcoholic and non alcoholic can be found all throughout the ship.
The weather has been overcast and cloudy for the last week.
I will try to bring this blog up to date and hopefully be able to post it tomorrow on shore in the terminal of Sydney, Nova Scotia.
Our first stop after leaving Montreal was the port of Quebec City. Having been to Quebec City many years ago I decided to bypass a shore excursion and enjoy the view from the ship. This city is a history unto itself with many old stone and brick buildings. It is also a haven for artists of all kinds. The population is around 672,000. Our ship docked in front of the Chateau Frontenac, which is the city's landmark or iconic hotel. One excursion went to the Montmorency Falls standing twice as high as the Niagara Falls and is 150 feet wide. A trip to the island of Orleans, located in the St. Lawrence River, helped make those present aware of the history. Orleans was one of the first parts of Quebec to be settled by the French.
We traveled along the river at night so seeing the beauty it was minimal as the sun would be close to setting as we left port. Oct. 20 I awoke to the sight of the Saguenay. Saguenay is the 7th largest municipality in the province of Quebec. Six communities amalgamated in 2002 to make up the Saguenay area. Chicoutami is the largest, but the population of the whole area is about 146,000. Some interesting tidbits that I found out without going into a lot of details are: the airport is the only one in Canada that is used by both civilian and military aircraft, the aluminum smelter was the first unionized company in Quebec, the flood of 1996 which destroyed a part of Chicoutami and the effect it had on the townspeople, and an interesting Cypress tree that loses it's needles in the fall. The rail is owned by Riotinto and is used for transporting bauxite. There was a time when a pulp mill was the main industry of the region. The mill was opened in 1886 and closed in 1930 as paper prices fell, and pulp flooded the market and changes in the production went from mechanical pulp to chemical pulp. A lunch of traditional delicious Quebec food tempted my tastebuds as I was willing to try tourtiere, a wild meat stew type dish with potatoes and other vegetables, and a soup known as gourgane, of which I could have eaten a pot. There is about 9.2% unemployment in the area. Blueberries, strawberries, raspberries and white cranberries can be found growing wild in the region. Moose are numerous as 2500 were shot last year during moose season. A story related to me that I found interesting but will probably never try is one about a man who aged cheese in a barrel under pressure while in saltwater. When he tried to sell it the law determined that it was illegal to market it. Now he just gives it away. From the information that the tour guide mentioned that cheese is very tasty.
On Oct. 21 a tour of Sept-Iles, meaning 7 islands, found us on the north side of the St. Lawerence River. In the 1950's there was no road so goods were shipped to the community by boat. Now it takes about 7 1/2 hours to drive to Quebec City. Today there are about 28,000 people who reside in Sept-Iles on a year around basis. Of those about 3,000 are Innu, not to be confused with the Innuit who live further north. We passed the Allouette Aluminum plant which sits on the Marconi Penninsula, and saw the old original trading post. Cloudberries are grown in the area and are used to make jam, syrup, a butter type spread or just frozen whole berries. They are a fuzzy berry and if not picked will not reproduce new berries for 7 years. Because of this only one in 16 bushes produces fruit in any given year. On return to the pier I found a lady selling home made foods...... she had Cloudberry everything so I bought some. Capelin fish beach themselves at reproduction time but at the same time become a great feast for local birds.
Oct.22, 2014
Today we landed in Gaspe which comes from the Miqmaq word "gaspeq" meaning ''lands end''. Gaspe is green and clean and the day started with the crew and locals breaking up the ice on the dock area which had been caused by the waves breaking against the shore sending water and mist onto the docking area and the freezing temperature. Cod fishing was very prominent in this area for many centuries. The French from France depended on cod and it was carried back by boats to France as on many occasions the use of fish was important for Catholic non-meat days. The Iroquois natives would paddle here from the Thousand Islands area to fish. A British man named Charles Robin (1743 to 1824) developed a commercial business fishing for cod. We all think that the salt used on cod was for preservation but it was used to keep the flies away while it dried. Working in the cod industry was labor intensive and highly skilled and important to the GDP of Quebec. Because of this farming practices were restricted by statutes and natural conditions (poor soil) so as not to harm the valuable cod industry. There are about 1/2 dozen different types of whales here, smaller than those we see on the west coast. Black Pilot Whales are about 10 feet in length. Hydro Quebec has mandated that 5% of power come from alternate energy. So now the Danish turbine manufacturer L&M has established a plant to produce wind turbines. Perce Rock draws visitors from all over. It use to have 2 holes but in the 1800's one of them collapsed. Atlantic salmon are caught in the emerald blue waters. During WW ll Gaspe held a military position on the south side of the St. Lawrence. In the 1930's there was collosal TB sanitorium but today it is a college. On to Bonaventure Island, the island home to 60,000 gannet couples at the height of breeding season. They migrate to South Carolina and Mexico. Prior to 1972 Bonaventure Island had people living on it but it was vacated to make a provincial park. Remnants of buildings are still visible today. The city of Gaspe has 6,500 residents but can grow to 25,000 during tourist season. Via Rail use to service Gaspe. National Geographic rated Gaspe in the top 10 places to see for fall colours. From the ship I could see that it was truely a beautiful.
It was a great adventure to see the precruise of Canada that I had never seen before. The flight from Vancouver to Montreal was uneventful except for my business class seat that did not cramp my long legs. The flight attendants were very helpful, kind and talkative as sitting up front had it's advantages. "Well, how?" you might ask. She shared experiences and her kit-kat bar. We also got sandwiches, coffee, tea and a number of snacks but for me the most exciting aspect of flying business class is that I had two checked bags FREE.
Once in Montreal we picked up our rent-a-car, a lovely Toyota Camry, which ultimately turned into a disheartening disaster. As we headed toward Ottawa I started feeling wet and put my answer to just perspiration as it was a warm day. Upon arrival at our motel stay for the night I realized it was not me. The seat was soaking wet. No big deal. Covered with newspaper and a folded towel we headed off the next day for a picture taking of the Parliment Buildings and enjoying a visit with relatives on Thanksgiving. Oh Dear, another mishap. The car was not properly insured and licenced. Well there went my visit to the Gateneau Hills area as we needed to return to Montreal to change vehicles. Now into a Toyota Matrix we headed south toward Niagara Falls.
The trip down to the Niagara Falls and back to Montreal was absolutely gorgeous. I saw many of the bridges that link Canada to the US, the changes in the colours as trees and bushes go from Fall to Winter, the Thousand Island area, and without a doubt the awe inspiring view from the Skylon Tower overlooking Niagara Falls while enjoying an exceptional dinner in the hourly revolving restaurant. Another addition was a bottle of Niagara wine which accompanied our dinner. Nothing could have topped that after missing the Gateneau Hills.
Our first night after leaving Montreal the second time was spent at the Bridgewaters Motel in Johnstown, Ontario along route 2 which travels next to the St. Lawrence River. Johnstown is connected to the US by the Johnstown-Ogdensburg bridge going into New York state. That bridge was funded by the US so all tolls are paid to them. The following night we stayed in Niagara Falls at the Quality Inn which had a beautiful view of the falls from the entrance or high up from the view rooms in the hotel. Traveling during offseason has it's benefits and we got a very nice room for far less than I had budgeted for. We had dinner in the Skylon restaurant that night, and picture taking of both US and Canadian Falls occurred the next day before returning to Montreal. We liked the family run Bridgewaters Motel so much that returning there was ideal and they had one room left. Traveling route 2 took a bit of time but the towns and sights along the way were worth the extra time. Brockville, Ontario had an amazing amount of stone buildings and I hope to return one day and really learn about it's history. Once back in Montreal we found a Quality Inn near the airport and spent a quiet and reflective evening over dinner reviewing the sights, sounds, places and people we had met that week. The next morning we returned the car to downtown Montreal and hailed a taxi to the cruise ship terminal.
Oct. 23, 2014
Holland America has been our choice of cruising companies as our mariner loyalty benefits go up. So this trip we start getting free laundry, and 50% off wine packages as well as other benefits. This was our first trip on the Maasdam, and once the clearing process was done from the previous sailing we had priority boarding on Oct. 18 followed by a lovely Mariner's lunch in the Rotterdam diningroom. We were upgraded to a nice cabin on the same deck with two porthole windows and a bathroom that is a wheelchair accessable one. The air circulation is great and there is a good deal of room in which to move. We chose anytime dining and have met a number of interesting people. I managed to organize a meet-and-greet get together which was set up in the Crow's Nest the first day with HAL suppling a tray of goodies with tea, coffee, and water. Cruise Critic is a great way to start your cruising experience and allows you to ask questions and meet others and has a number of other pieces of information. Just use your search engine and type in Cruise Critic. There is so much that you will need to explore the site so don't get frustrated.
Our luggage arrived in the early evening and we spent some of that evening exploring the ship so we could find areas easier. Being on deck 4 starboard at the bow and getting to the diningroom on deck 7 meant that we needed to walk on deck 4 to the rear and take the elevator to deck 7; or go up to deck 8 and walk the length of the ship and come down to deck 7. "Why?" Well the kitchen sits on deck 7 and passengers are not allowed except by invitation. Unless you are a person who has high class taste buds and spends money on extremely fancy restaurants, I have found the food to be above average and this cruise is no exception. Food can be found in a number of different categories: no sugar added ice cream, vegetarian entrees, different types of carbohydrates, lots of assorted salads and at least two types of soups. Hamburgers, hotdogs and panninis and Mexican tacos ingrediants can be found near the pool. Drinks both alcoholic and non alcoholic can be found all throughout the ship.
The weather has been overcast and cloudy for the last week.
I will try to bring this blog up to date and hopefully be able to post it tomorrow on shore in the terminal of Sydney, Nova Scotia.
Our first stop after leaving Montreal was the port of Quebec City. Having been to Quebec City many years ago I decided to bypass a shore excursion and enjoy the view from the ship. This city is a history unto itself with many old stone and brick buildings. It is also a haven for artists of all kinds. The population is around 672,000. Our ship docked in front of the Chateau Frontenac, which is the city's landmark or iconic hotel. One excursion went to the Montmorency Falls standing twice as high as the Niagara Falls and is 150 feet wide. A trip to the island of Orleans, located in the St. Lawrence River, helped make those present aware of the history. Orleans was one of the first parts of Quebec to be settled by the French.
We traveled along the river at night so seeing the beauty it was minimal as the sun would be close to setting as we left port. Oct. 20 I awoke to the sight of the Saguenay. Saguenay is the 7th largest municipality in the province of Quebec. Six communities amalgamated in 2002 to make up the Saguenay area. Chicoutami is the largest, but the population of the whole area is about 146,000. Some interesting tidbits that I found out without going into a lot of details are: the airport is the only one in Canada that is used by both civilian and military aircraft, the aluminum smelter was the first unionized company in Quebec, the flood of 1996 which destroyed a part of Chicoutami and the effect it had on the townspeople, and an interesting Cypress tree that loses it's needles in the fall. The rail is owned by Riotinto and is used for transporting bauxite. There was a time when a pulp mill was the main industry of the region. The mill was opened in 1886 and closed in 1930 as paper prices fell, and pulp flooded the market and changes in the production went from mechanical pulp to chemical pulp. A lunch of traditional delicious Quebec food tempted my tastebuds as I was willing to try tourtiere, a wild meat stew type dish with potatoes and other vegetables, and a soup known as gourgane, of which I could have eaten a pot. There is about 9.2% unemployment in the area. Blueberries, strawberries, raspberries and white cranberries can be found growing wild in the region. Moose are numerous as 2500 were shot last year during moose season. A story related to me that I found interesting but will probably never try is one about a man who aged cheese in a barrel under pressure while in saltwater. When he tried to sell it the law determined that it was illegal to market it. Now he just gives it away. From the information that the tour guide mentioned that cheese is very tasty.
On Oct. 21 a tour of Sept-Iles, meaning 7 islands, found us on the north side of the St. Lawerence River. In the 1950's there was no road so goods were shipped to the community by boat. Now it takes about 7 1/2 hours to drive to Quebec City. Today there are about 28,000 people who reside in Sept-Iles on a year around basis. Of those about 3,000 are Innu, not to be confused with the Innuit who live further north. We passed the Allouette Aluminum plant which sits on the Marconi Penninsula, and saw the old original trading post. Cloudberries are grown in the area and are used to make jam, syrup, a butter type spread or just frozen whole berries. They are a fuzzy berry and if not picked will not reproduce new berries for 7 years. Because of this only one in 16 bushes produces fruit in any given year. On return to the pier I found a lady selling home made foods...... she had Cloudberry everything so I bought some. Capelin fish beach themselves at reproduction time but at the same time become a great feast for local birds.
Oct.22, 2014
Today we landed in Gaspe which comes from the Miqmaq word "gaspeq" meaning ''lands end''. Gaspe is green and clean and the day started with the crew and locals breaking up the ice on the dock area which had been caused by the waves breaking against the shore sending water and mist onto the docking area and the freezing temperature. Cod fishing was very prominent in this area for many centuries. The French from France depended on cod and it was carried back by boats to France as on many occasions the use of fish was important for Catholic non-meat days. The Iroquois natives would paddle here from the Thousand Islands area to fish. A British man named Charles Robin (1743 to 1824) developed a commercial business fishing for cod. We all think that the salt used on cod was for preservation but it was used to keep the flies away while it dried. Working in the cod industry was labor intensive and highly skilled and important to the GDP of Quebec. Because of this farming practices were restricted by statutes and natural conditions (poor soil) so as not to harm the valuable cod industry. There are about 1/2 dozen different types of whales here, smaller than those we see on the west coast. Black Pilot Whales are about 10 feet in length. Hydro Quebec has mandated that 5% of power come from alternate energy. So now the Danish turbine manufacturer L&M has established a plant to produce wind turbines. Perce Rock draws visitors from all over. It use to have 2 holes but in the 1800's one of them collapsed. Atlantic salmon are caught in the emerald blue waters. During WW ll Gaspe held a military position on the south side of the St. Lawrence. In the 1930's there was collosal TB sanitorium but today it is a college. On to Bonaventure Island, the island home to 60,000 gannet couples at the height of breeding season. They migrate to South Carolina and Mexico. Prior to 1972 Bonaventure Island had people living on it but it was vacated to make a provincial park. Remnants of buildings are still visible today. The city of Gaspe has 6,500 residents but can grow to 25,000 during tourist season. Via Rail use to service Gaspe. National Geographic rated Gaspe in the top 10 places to see for fall colours. From the ship I could see that it was truely a beautiful.
Wednesday, September 17, 2014
Another Cruise
October 18, 2014 we leave Montreal and head to Fort Lauderdale. This cruise is a 13 day on the Maasdam but will be after a driving trip around southern Ontario and following the cruise another driving trip around Florida before we fly home. Whether we take a laptop to post as we go is unknown but I will cover our trip upon arrival home if there is no laptop. Stay tuned!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)