This morning we awoke as we were pulling into the harbor at Cap Aux Meules, or Grindstone in English, the main island in a group of islands known in French as the Iles de la Madeleine. This small group of islands sits in the middle of the Gulf of St Lawrence. The islands, affectionately known as the “Maggies” are the top of a shoal, or an underwater plateau. Looking at the map, you might think of them as a fish-hook shaped landmass, which is fitting because for many years, the main industry of the islands was fishing of various sorts, now the economy is derived from fishing, a salt mine, and ever growing tourism, from people attracted to the wonderful beaches, and warm water of the Gulf of St Lawrence.
The islands were originally settled by Acadians who were forced to leave Nova Scotia when the English evicted all of the French population from their territory in the mid 1700s. They brought with them their rich French heritage and a culture all their own. Today, that Acadian heritage is evident in their music and food, and the first thing that greeted us as we disembarked from the vessel was an accordion player who delightfully played us a welcoming tune as we boarded our busses for our day of exploration.
On my bus, our first stop was the historical museum where the main and biggest attraction was the skeleton of an actual sperm whale that had washed up onshore. A whale skeleton might not be what you would expect in a historical museum, however it was explain to us that the local aquarium had no room for it, and something so special as this skeleton should be on display somewhere.
We then strolled through the small community of artisan shops on our way to the Artisans du Sable, or the Sand-man shop. Founded by Albert and Nicole (I have forgotten their last names) and now operated by their daughter Pauline, this shop contains many different types of art from local artists using natural materials to make their art. The highlight of course being the many different sand sculptures made by mixing just the right amount of sand and epoxy, and carving it into everything imaginable. There is also a sand box for kids to play in, and a display of more than a thousand varieties of sand collect from all over the world.
After our time in the artisan shops we were treated to a visit to a local brewery where the owners use native plants to flavor their craft beers. We had a tasting of three distinct beers, all as refreshing as the next. We then filled our bellies at a restaurant called the Convent, a building that was originally used as an actual convent in past times.
Afterwards, we had just enough time for a walk along the sandstone cliffs, were the wind filled our coats and hearts with a freshness that gave us a genuine feeling of what life is like here on these beautiful islands.
