Month: August 2023

Taking advantage of the long-awaited sunny day, we decided to bike through the nearby mountains, testing our folding bikes after the Montreal city trails in more difficult conditions. As a result, we overcame more than 20 km of unpaved mountain roads, admired the beautiful forest and giant windmills, and ate raspberries, wild cherries and blueberries. At the end of the bike trip, we visited the wreck site of the British frigate Penelope.

The stormy night left its unwanted gift – the motorboat, which stood ahead of us on the dock, was submerged in the morning – heavy rain and wind did their job. By the end of the day, a team of local residents gathered to save the boat. It was an epic spectacle in which we were only spectators – not knowing the French language did not allow us to offer our help in a safe way. But the most fantastic event, Iryna says worth standing here for a week, happened in the bay during the day – the sky was filled with a vast flock of Northern Gannets and the noise of their screams woke up the sleeping after tempest night waters in the bay. Sudden flashes of spray on the water, accompanied by massive diving gannets – this was to be seen before you died! Looking at the photographs, one can trace the dynamics of the body of these birds when diving – how the wings modify the shape to the perfection of a spear penetrating the water! I hope that the photos were able to convey it – enjoy!

Small fishing villages have always attracted us when travelling by car along the Atlantic coast of Canada. Their salty air, smelling of seaweed and fish, together with the scapes of fishing – trawlers unloading their catch or going fishing, traps and nets laid out along the piers create a unique atmosphere of life by the sea, not that glossy life of resort towns, but real hard-working life, and sometimes dangerous.
We have had the fortunate opportunity to observe this life for several days now, both in sunny, calm weather and in rainy and stormy weather, as today. Just yesterday, the pier was filled with children’s voices, a delight from the caught mackerel, the noise of a crane loading nets onto a neighbouring trawler, and loud conversations of the crew and fishermen at the pier … today everything is gone – only endless rain, chatter at the dock and rare visits of boat owners checking how well their boats are tight to the dock.

Finally, I found the translation of the word Cloridormе – this means “the basin where the waters sleep”. Yesterday I would have believed it, but not today – someone (….did we?) woke them up!
We are working on the boat (there is always something to do), waiting for a mechanic with a fixed starter and singing lullaby songs for the sea 🙂