We arrived this morning in the beautiful Magdalen Islands (Isles de la Madeleine) named by Francois Doublet after his beloved wife Madeleine Fontaine in 1663.
After a delicious breakfast on board we disembarked for tours of the islands. Some of us explored the landscape by going on a hike along the shore of the main island while others explored the islands’ attractions by bus.
On the north side of the islands lies the pretty cove of Belle-Anse, surrounded by red sandstone cliffs. We walked along these cliffs, enjoying magnificent vistas and northern gannets diving for fish. The contrast of red cliffs, green grass and forest, and the blue sky made for a beautiful scene.
We paid a visit to the Musee de la Mer (Museum of the Sea) where we were introduced to life in the productive sea surrounding these islands. A highlight was the complete skeleton of a sperm whale, which formed the focus of a presentation on the evolution and adaptations of this magnificent animal. In the historical village of La Grave we explored the beach-front community and its delightful shops. One of these featured remarkable art created from local sand while another was filled with delicious locally made chocolates. At the À L'abri de la Tempête, a cottage brewery, we were treated to samples of several delicious local ales. We were able to appreciate the distinct flavors of these while basking in the sun on the balcony.
We had lunch at Le Vieux Convent. This superb converted convent combined a wonderful view with delicious food. Paintings of past nuns watched us enjoy our meal. The Fumoir d’Antan smokehouse featured a tour of this historic herring smoker where we learned about the multi-month process of converting raw fish into delicious-tasting snacks.
Back on board, we enjoyed a presentation on the geology of Eastern Canada, as well as our traditional recap accompanied by local cheeses. A recap highlight was when undersea specialist James demonstrated the mammalian dive reflex by immersing his face in a bucket of iced water!
