Sept 27, 2019
For our complementary breakfast this morning we had blueberry pancakes, bagels, a pate and local cheese. We have plans to kayak on this island however the prevailing winds are quite strong and the only safe areas are in the lagoons. It was drizzling and blowing in the morning and the clouds lifted in the afternoon but the winds remained. We decided to explore as much of the island as we could today so that we may have an opportunity to kayak tomorrow, weather permitting.
We started our tour from Ile du Havre-Aubert near our B+B. The main industry of the island is cod and lobster fishing. As the lobster fishing season is over, the land around the marinas are filled with the boats sitting on dry ground. This is the time that they are maintained, overhauled, bottoms repainted, and prepared for the next season. The boats are lined up side by side and we admired the many unusual names of these boats. In the water were some small sailboats, but overall the marinas moorings were empty. JP explained that Hurricane Dorian had wrecked several sailboats and had tossed them on land.
During our tour of the island we became aware again how these villages and the houses are neat and tidy. Lobster traps are neatly stacked, lawns are trimmed and the house are painted in vibrant colors. We started noticing color schemes and the use of colors, red with green trim, purple with yelllow trim, grey, with red trim etc. Rental cottages were painted in many different colors.
We also visited one of eight lighthouses on the island. There are over 400 reported shipwrecks on this island. Because of its location and the fierce winds of the gulf many ships have ended their lives on the shores of the island. Several buildings and homes are built from the wood of these ships. In fact our B+B was built from the wood of shipwrecks.
We stopped in at the Bistro Café d’chez-nous in Cap–aux-Meules, for lunch. As we came in we were met with piano music and a young lady singing to the music. She turned out to be one of the owners of the restaurant and simply wanted to sing a song with the piano player. We enjoyed a grilled cheese sandwich and a latte. It was then time to continue heading north along the long narrow causeway. The causeway is less than 100 feet wide and the waves of Gulf of St. Laurence is crashing on shore on both sides. This carries on for approx.. 20 kms. As we approached the north end of the island, we passed by a salt mine. This salt mine is active and mines salt from approx., 5 kms under the Gulf. Two freighters are loaded there per week.
We then entered the village of Grosse-Ile et Grande-Entree. This part of the island is predominantly Irish and Scottish. It also appeared to be a quieter part of the island and less populated. This local marina was also lined with lobster boats sitting “on the hard”. We noticed that the names of the boats were more “english”.
By the time we had finished driving through this community it was time to start heading back to JP and Lucy’s house for supper. The wind was still blowing strong and we stopped to watch some intrepid kite boarders skimming over the water and jumping off the tops of the big waves that were rolling in.
JP and Lucy live in the forested area of Ile duHavre-Aubert. Their house is nestled into the woods and JP and Lucy are growing a healthy garden. JP is also growing a few ornamental trees from seeds that he has collected. We enjoyed a wonderful supper of lobster and crab salads. Lucy had picked wild strawberries and we enjoyed them with a scoop of ice cream. We visited into the evening and then said our goodbyes. We will meet them tomorrow evening for a supper and music in the popular café, Vent du Large. It is their final night for the season and the Moffat brothers will be performing.
Quilting in a Kayak 