from Saguenay to Øresund
31 August 2015
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Monday 31 August 2015--Baie-Comeau is the endpoint of our trip down the
north shore of the St Lawrence, the fourth of five terminals for ferries to the
south shore, after St-Siméon, Les Escoumins, and Forestville. (The fifth,
Godbout, is actually the other wing of the V-shaped route we are on.) I have for
a very long time dreamed of driving all the way to the end of route 138, through
Sept-Îles and Havre-St-Pierre to Natashquan, another 380 miles. There I
would pick up the freighter that services the north shore outports of Kegaska,
Harrington Harbour, and La Tabatière, on the way to Labrador. I would like to
see these places before their way of life disappears, if it hasn't already. It will
have to wait for another time. I know very well that there may not be one.
Instead, we are crossing to the south shore to begin our return to Quebec City. Our sailing to Matane departs at 11:00, giving us time for a leisurely morning. An early rain washes the hotel's terrasse, and clears off by 10:00. On the half- mile drive to the ferry, we get a good look at the enormous mill, literally just out the back doors of the storefronts we saw yesterday. The vessel we board, MV F-A-Gauthier, is in its first season of service, and is being touted as the greenest ferry in North America, running on liquid natural gas. It's very impressive. As is my usual habit, I spend as much time as I can up on the sundeck. I have it mostly to myself, as it's quite breezy out on the open water. [Like any new vessel, the Gauthier has had its share of bugs. Not long after our trip, a problem with gas leak sensors forced the operators to revert to diesel fuel, prompting one government official to brand the ship "a lemon". The operators, however, have gone out of their way to praise the Italian builders for meeting their warranty obligations without argument or delay.] Land at Matane at 1:15. This town of about 15,000 grew up from a 17th- century trading post. Our beachfront motel is virtually next door to the terminal, an even shorter drive than we had in Baie-Comeau. We check in and loll about for a while, as if a ferry crossing of a couple of hours was in some way arduous. Then we drive two miles into town in search of La Fabrique, Matane's brewpub. It is of that ilk that I really like, a pub first and foremost, informal, its owners more interested in brewing and serving beer than anything else. If there's a drawback to these, it's that they often have only snacks, or no food at all. La Fabrique has an actual menu, which we unfortunately will not sample, as we have reserved a table back at the motel. We're happy enough with a couple of pints. We have had, so far, mixed feelings about our motel. Can't beat the location and the view--that's why we chose it. The beach is as nice as any I've seen along the river, although like most, it features dull gray sand. The rooms are nothing special, though, pretty typical budget motel rooms. But we are very much surprised by the restaurant, which is two cuts above anything we were expecting. A fine meal disposes one to fond remembrance...I'd happily stay here again. Next |
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Morning After
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Hôtel Le Manoir
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Fermez Et Scellez
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Paper Mill
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Hôtel Le Manoir
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Top Deck
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MV F-A-Gauthier
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Thanks For The Ride
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Downtown Matane
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La Fabrique
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La Fabrique
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Matane
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Back Again
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Matane
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