7.3.18. Tuesday. Parrsboro, New Brunswick to Perce’s Rock, Quebec.
We checked in at the dock again in the morning before leaving town. In the 12 hours since our last visit the tide was low again, so the view was much the same, but some of the boats were gone – testimony that the tide had come and gone as we slept.
We also wandered around town a bit. Parrsboro has a cute little downtown with a number of sculptures and an area with historic cars and a little train. The town square is also the site of a statue of the legendary Glooscap, a member of a native tribe who has various wonderful things attributed to him (apparently the legend varies). The statue is imposing and memorable, both because it’s huge and frankly, ugly, at least in my view. You can decide! I liked the metal sculptures of the barber shop better.
On our way to the Gaspe Peninsula, we stopped at Shediac, a small set of shops with a giant lobster sculpture outside, and at a lovely spot on the Miramichi River where we took a break to eat lunch from the assortment of snack bars and similar items I had stashed in the top case. (Jeff seldom stops for food, so I’ve learned to plan ahead.)
High above the town of Carleton, overlooking the Bay of Chaleur 555 meters below, sits a church. The church is modest, but the view stunning (as it the very blue roof of the church). The trip up Mont Sainte Joseph was a winding road and the top had a steep parking lot with a huge pile of dirt in it. Months later, Jeff still has very strongly negative memories of that parking lot, but we made it in safely and enjoyed touring the mountain top. On the way down, Jeff prompted me to video tape the ride, which I did until the road got so rough that the footage was useless; and in any event, I wanted my hands free in order to hang on and relieve some of the abuse my spine was taking from the bumps.
The south shore of the Gaspe peninsula reminded me of Italy’s seaside villages. The road hugged the coast and the sea wall for the most part, with a fairly constant string of housing on the inland side of the road. Occasionally there would be a burst of shops and restaurants that had the same seaside aura as little towns on the Jersey shore or California coast. Even if I hadn’t been able to see the ocean, I’d know I was in a coastal community. It just had that vibe.
We also began to notice church steeples sheathed in metal. The bright silvery surface looked like it was built to sustain high winds. The steeples were very striking, and I don’t recall seeing others like them elsewhere.
Our destination for the day was the southeast end of the peninsula, at Perce’s Rock. The rock extends out into the water and an arch allows a view through it. We approached at sunset and the view was stunning.
Our reservations were at a lodge above the town, Au Pic de l'Aurore. We had a little cabin that was spacious and comfortable. The parking, however, was dicey. Jeff had to run the bike up a grassy embankment to park it next to our cabin. The only other option would have been to leave it up at the main lodge.
The town had lots of places to eat but few had good reviews and there were even fewer places to park. So we had to search and circle a lot before we found a place to eat, and I sat on the restaurant’s patio waiting quite awhile while Jeff found somewhere to park. Many people stay in town I think, and therefore can park at their hotels and walk.
Back at the hotel I washed out a few things and hung them on the porch of our cabin, using our portable clothes line, to dry overnight. Gave the place a real lived-in look! But I pulled them in early the next morning before too many people could be offended.
We checked in at the dock again in the morning before leaving town. In the 12 hours since our last visit the tide was low again, so the view was much the same, but some of the boats were gone – testimony that the tide had come and gone as we slept.
We also wandered around town a bit. Parrsboro has a cute little downtown with a number of sculptures and an area with historic cars and a little train. The town square is also the site of a statue of the legendary Glooscap, a member of a native tribe who has various wonderful things attributed to him (apparently the legend varies). The statue is imposing and memorable, both because it’s huge and frankly, ugly, at least in my view. You can decide! I liked the metal sculptures of the barber shop better.
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| Parrsboro |
On our way to the Gaspe Peninsula, we stopped at Shediac, a small set of shops with a giant lobster sculpture outside, and at a lovely spot on the Miramichi River where we took a break to eat lunch from the assortment of snack bars and similar items I had stashed in the top case. (Jeff seldom stops for food, so I’ve learned to plan ahead.)
 |
| Shediac |
High above the town of Carleton, overlooking the Bay of Chaleur 555 meters below, sits a church. The church is modest, but the view stunning (as it the very blue roof of the church). The trip up Mont Sainte Joseph was a winding road and the top had a steep parking lot with a huge pile of dirt in it. Months later, Jeff still has very strongly negative memories of that parking lot, but we made it in safely and enjoyed touring the mountain top. On the way down, Jeff prompted me to video tape the ride, which I did until the road got so rough that the footage was useless; and in any event, I wanted my hands free in order to hang on and relieve some of the abuse my spine was taking from the bumps.
We also began to notice church steeples sheathed in metal. The bright silvery surface looked like it was built to sustain high winds. The steeples were very striking, and I don’t recall seeing others like them elsewhere.
Our destination for the day was the southeast end of the peninsula, at Perce’s Rock. The rock extends out into the water and an arch allows a view through it. We approached at sunset and the view was stunning.
Our reservations were at a lodge above the town, Au Pic de l'Aurore. We had a little cabin that was spacious and comfortable. The parking, however, was dicey. Jeff had to run the bike up a grassy embankment to park it next to our cabin. The only other option would have been to leave it up at the main lodge.
The town had lots of places to eat but few had good reviews and there were even fewer places to park. So we had to search and circle a lot before we found a place to eat, and I sat on the restaurant’s patio waiting quite awhile while Jeff found somewhere to park. Many people stay in town I think, and therefore can park at their hotels and walk.
Back at the hotel I washed out a few things and hung them on the porch of our cabin, using our portable clothes line, to dry overnight. Gave the place a real lived-in look! But I pulled them in early the next morning before too many people could be offended.
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