A Step Back in Time

The third week of July was spent along the shores of the St Lawrence River where it's so wide and salty, it's the sea.

The region is The Gaspe Peninsula of Quebec Province. Called "the mitten" for its shape, it has five distinctive areas --- the valley, the coast, the bay, the haute-gaspesie and land's end (where the northernmost mainland portion of the Appalachians end). From Quebec City, I drove through the Bas-Saint-Laurent region and stayed coastal in Sainte-Felicite (population 1,175). 

In 1534, Jacques Cartier arrived in Gaspé Bay and claimed the land for King Francis I of France. This marked the beginning of the French presence in North America. I was brought to this beautiful place as my maternal grandparents were born and married here. My week was spent touring, seeing the areas where my family emigrated from, and attempting to find some long, lost relatives (dead or alive). 

I really enjoyed the villages, the people, and the relaxed atmosphere! Unfortunately, after a few days of searching, I did not find a family connection. However, thanks to Claudine, owner of the auberge where I stayed, I have found a cousin in Quebec City, and perhaps a few relatives in Rimouski, an area I initially drove through enroute. 

This chapter continues, and suffice to stay, I definitely need to improve my French!