We (Eibhlin, Fiona and I) took the ferry from RdL to Saint-Siméon on Friday afternoon. I took the last class off, leaving Sylvie alone with group 22. On the ferry we ran into the Rimouski ladies and met two older women who owned B&Bs on the way to and in Tadoussac and were giving us the hard sell.
Once on the other side of the St Lawrence we went to a café to wait for our lift from Luke and Jessica. I had poutine followed by sugar pie. Can't get more québecois than that.
The journey to Tadoussac was about an hour but it passed quickly. To get to the village in question we had to take another boat but unlike the traversier it was free as without it you cannot go any further. It counts as an extension of the road.
That evening there was a bonfire and live music at the youth hostel just across the road from our motel and where Fiona was staying. Some people didn't even arrive until after midnight but there were still a few more hours of dancing round the bonfire singing camp songs (until someone got a guitar out and started on a few old favourites), and stupid competitions: Laura and I versus CJ and André (not laughing, being cute, wearing scarves). I also was introduced to a Canadian from Halifax whose sister is Buck 65's friend (because everyone knows everyone in Halifax). I have to go to Halifax.
Saturday started with a half-hour walk out to the Maison Alexis before 10am in order to pay Andy and get ourselves on the whale watching Zodiac activity for the afternoon. The rest of the morning was mostly spent in a café called La Boheme that had the best Earl Grey I've ever tasted.
We then got ourselves seriously layered up in preparation for three hours of being out on the water. All week I'd had people saying "Whale watching? Tadoussac? Wrap up warm!" and "Whale watching? Tadoussac? You'll be cold!" and I was determined to not get cold. I don't think I've ever worn so many items of clothing in one go but it did work, thankfully.
We saw seals, balugas, minke whales and a couple of humpbacks. Definitely worth being in the little boat. The picture is of the boat I was in (I have a white hat covering half my face under some hoods) and was (obviously) not taken by me but by someone in the other boat. I was surprised they got all of us into two boats as they looked so small before we got in.
It was brilliant to get so close to the whales - the humpbacks didn't get very close but still were probably only about 100m away and we got to see the proper tail splash. Just like in the movies.
That evening Andy and some roped-in assistants fed us amazingly well for $13 a head. I ended up with two plates of food because both Fiona and Laura fetched me one. It was great! Laura and I also composed The Crumble Song because we knew there was apple crumble for pudding and we were impatient. Morven also contributed to the masterpiece than went a little like so:
Crumblllllle, crumble!
And ice-cream.
Crumblllllle, crumble!
And custard.
Crumblllllle, crumble!
And (insert something else you can eat with apple crumble)
It is gonna make us rich. No stealing. I wasn't even drunk. It was all the sugar and e-numbers in the Sprite that did it.
We headed back to the youth hostel because that was where all the fun was happening but after a five-day week (I know, right) and a very late night followed by no lie-in I could barely speak so went to watch the grand prix. I heart F1.
On Sunday we once again brunched at La Boheme before heading to our respective Canadian homes. I was so tired I failed to be properly excited about the going on the ferries. Totally worth it though.
