cruising

loading the Bella Desgagnes

 Thankful that we don't have to pack up the tent, we rise at early o'clock, quickly load up and scuttle along to the town harbour where the supply ship is coming in to dock.  There are a few other passengers.  We look apprehensive when a container is unloaded and plonked down on the dock in front of us and a man in hard hat and high viz jacket tells us we can wheel our bikes into it.  We must look a bit dubious.  We knew this is how it is with the ship - all the supplies, cars and motorbikes too are loaded into containers and then stacked in neat piles in the open rear of the ship.  The ship has its own crane to move the loads around.  Inside the container is one of those cheap low bike racks where you just wheel the front wheel into it. There are a few bikes in the rack already but such racks are useless for loaded bikes with racks and panniers. In the end we're able to squeeze ours into a corner jammed up to the wall.

 

There's not much to the ship for passengers - a couple of lounges, a restaurant/cafe area and lots of cabins.  We've booked a seat only for the three day trip up the coast so we head up to the lounge with the best views and dump our bags.  The lounge is empty but for a family of Innu and three women on the far side who appear to be getting dressed.  This is Joan, Mary and Adrianne, three friends who decided to ride the ship's whole circuit, starting in Rimouski, coming all the way up to Blanc Sablon and then returning.  It takes about a week in total.  "Last night the ship was full" they tell us. "Not one empty seat".  We look around the almost-deserted room. "They all got off in the middle of the night".  Clearly these ladies are tripping.

three great travel companions

The ship's itinerary means that it calls into to several ports a day, for at least a couple of hours at each one.  Passengers can get off and wander round the villages.  Gayle is excited about Harrington Harbour.  This is an anglophone community settled by fisherman coming from New Foundland.  Last year we watched a light comedy set in the village - a story about the villagers conning a prospective doctor into staying in this remote spot.  The mainland looks much flatter now.  Still lots of trees, but also lots of small lakes.  The coastline is rocky with quite a few small barren islands offshore.

We spend two days and two nights working our way up the coast.   We get off at the villages if it's light and go for a wonder (and a wander).  In Harrington Harbour I'm in one of the two village stores when I hear a local walk in and chat to someone.  The accent is almost West Country......where does the accent come from? I keep listening.  Then the man lets out an "Aarrr" and I think "pirate!"  

In Blanc Sablon we retrieve our bikes, load up and ride the short distance to the Labrador border for a photo.  We've been warned about the local small black fly but nothing quite prepares us for the dusk attack down on the beach where we have camped.  There's a glorious sky at sunset but it's marred by the midge hoods we have to wear.  Quebec is about five times the size of France with a population of just over 8 million.  There'd probably be more people if it wasn't for these flies.........