Travel changes everything. Turn the key in the ignition. Board the plane. And suddenly the daily routine is replaced by a world of possibility.
Québec
Any road trip to the East Coast usually leads first through Québec, and one of the great driving experiences on the planet is the South shore of the St. Lawrence River. This stretch is an immersion into the authentic Vieux Québec with farms and settlements dating back to the 1600s. The rural architecture is unique in the world.
Barn, south shore, St. Lawrence River
House of colours, south shore, St. Lawrence River east of Montmagny
A favourite game is to pinpoint where, as the mighty river widens and widens, does it become indistinguishable from the open ociean.
Here, just east of Saint-Jean-Port-Joli, it looks distinctly ocean-like, until your eyes finally spot the faint but magnificent mountains of Charlevoix over there on the north shore.
St. Lawrence River looking at the Charlevoix north shore
Bike-friendly rural Québec invites two-wheel travel (Ii’m carrying mine on the roof of the car). Here’s a wild-flower strewn bike path hugging the river shoreline.
Flower-lined bike path, south shore St. Lawrence
Bike ready
New Brunswick
It is virtually impossible for me to drive east on Highway 2 without tarrying a while at the Sackville Waterfowl Park in New Brunswick, an oasis of marshland in the centre of this quiet university town. This time around I spotted, in addition to the normal ducks, some grebes, a couple of golden eyes, adolescent Canada geese, and a slighty bedraggled muskrat. Oh yes, and mushrooms by the side of the trail.
Sackville, New Brunswick Waterfowl Park
Pied-billed grebe
Scruffy adolescent Canada geese
Canada goose, about 6-7 weeks old
Munching muskrat
Mushroom beside the trail
I dropped down to the Fundy shore at Dorchester. It was, as you can see, low tide.
Rural New Brunswick looking over to Nova Scotia
Nova Scotia
A proud flag and a stiff breeze
The drive along the Northumberland coast in Nova Scotia was uneventful. But I did see many ‘no fracking’ signs!
Tonight (July 5), I am at the edge of land in North Sydney, Cape Breton, taking a look at my ‘ride’ to Newfoundland tomorrow.
My Ride to Newfoundland
(Blog covers July 2-5, 2013)
To be continued . . .
You’ve got about 1700km behind you. The photographs show you know how to enjoy the countryside. the bike path flowers were lovely. continuent to catch little pleasures. You should thoroughly enjoy a day on the ferry tomorrow. Love, sister sue.
nice nice nice. just about as nice as Ottawa 🙂
thx for bringing the east to life in the pics!
Thanks, Andrew!
Welcome to Newfoundland jd! Looks like a great trip so far. Keep us posted! Love, Madhurta
Made it on to The Rock last night. Looks stunning so far!
Keep on truckin’, Bwana, you’ll cerainly slow down a bit on the way to me and St. John’s…there’sso much to see, you might never get here 🙂
In Port aux Basques today and already starting to understand what you mean!
Nice tour of some familiar landscape. Say hi to Devaanand for me when you get to Cat Cove
Will do!
Hi jd, what a great way to take us all along on your travels!
We are staying at an off grid cottage for two weeks…(just came into to restock)
The stillness and the pristine beauty of our Canadian wilds slows and deepens the breath even without active meditation.
Sue
Thoroughly enjoyed that JD, and I look forward to your NFLD postings. Happy birding!
Thanks Jaanki. I’ll get the chance to touch base with Devaanand, Madhurta and Mrids lagter on in the trip