Sunday, July 13, 2008

Day 14 Travel from Gaspe, Quebec to Campbellton, New Brunswick

Today was another day of travel with very nice scenery, bad and good roads, Saturday traffic and lots of motorbikes again. We did not take a lot of stops this time but we did stop at Perce, the Banff of Quebec. Very busy here and lots and lots of souvenir shops. We stopped to take pictures of the church, buy some bread at a Boulangerie and Patisserie which was located in the basement of a house, different but I guess you would have the nice smell of fresh baked bread in your house all the time this way. So far we have enjoyed the patisseries and later we will try the bread.

Leo also wanted to check out the VIA train station. We were very lucky, he told me, as there was a passenger train coming in half an hour or so. He did not think it would be much of a train as the end station was the nonmetropolis of Gaspe. He figured 1 locomotive and may be 1 or 2 passenger cars. What a surprise we got. There were 2 locos, a baggage car and at least 6 or 7 passenger cars including a dome car. Lots of people got off. But like I said Perce is the Banff of Quebec.

The view in Perce is spectacular of the Roche-Perce, and quite a phenomenon to see. There were lots of tour boats that would take you really close to it and also to nearby Bonaventure Island.


Then on we went, enjoying the scenery, to our campingspot. We were given a very nice spot but as we were talking to the owner of the campground the mosquitos were out and about in good numbers. This is during the day and it was fairly warm, but the owner assured us that the mosquitos are really only out at dusk. We did not look forward to seeing them at dusk! But they did get better after we were set up and ready to take a quick trip to New Brunswick.


The place we are staying at is in Pointe-a-la-Croix. The Quebec side of the Baie des Chaleurs and when you cross the bridge you are in Campbellton, New Brunswick.


Leo told me he found a goldmine when he went into the train yards in Campbellton loking for 'pictures'. The goldmine was a set of old Canadian Pacific diesel locomotives being used by the Eastern Railway Company, which have not been seen on the CPR for many years. I guess we all have a different opinion about goldmines.


This little town of Pointe-a-la Croix adjoins to another name Lustiguj which looks like it is mainly inhabited by First Nation people and has street signs are in their lanquage. I noticed it first on the stop signs and later on some other signs. Another first for us.


Day 15 will be another travel day and we hope to reach Moncton today.


Our photos for today can be viewed by clicking here