Quebec’s Charlevoix: A Gourmet Riding Adventure

During these past days François has guided me into the spectacular Parc national des Hautes-Gorges-de-la-Rivière-Malbaie (the Malbaie River High Gorge National Park) and we rode the Mountain Route from Saint-Aimé-des-Lacs to Saint-Urbain.  This narrow winding road lived up to my anticipation and it's one that few motorcyclists or bicyclists would chose to miss.  Only a few minutes were spent at La Forge Cauchon in La Malbaie, where the door was open but the blacksmith was nowhere to be found.  Much longer was spent touring Isle-aux-Coudres and examining two more early 19^th century gristmills, one powered by water (circa 1825) and the other by wind (circa 1836). Although both are operational, the former still grinds wheat into flour and is one of the finest examples of a colonial gristmill to be found in North America.  One road took us over the shoulder of Mont Éboulements and another down the steep embankment created by the landslide of 1663.  We slowly cruised through the famous musicians' retreat of Domaine Forget and ventured to special vantage points like Cap-aux-Oies. Motorcyclists seemed to be everywhere, but mine was the only one with U.S. plates.

Today I'm going whale watching.  As bizarre as it sounds, the best whale-watching site in the world is hundreds of miles from the ocean.  The big ones - fin, humpback, and blue --  make the journey up the St. Lawrence to feed on krill at the mouth of the Saguenay River.  Croisières AML offers a variety of whale-watching experiences and I opt for the up-close and personal zodiac cruise.  We spot several giant fin whales, but the treat comes when a humpback shows up.  Those massive flukes being raised in the air when the whale dives is an awe-inspiring sight.  We've been out on the water for hours, yet it seems like only minutes before we head back to the dock at Baie-Saint-Catherine as the sun retreats behind the mountains.

All journeys must come to an end sometime.  François has arranged a special going-away surprise: a private lunch prepared by noted chef Patrick Fregni and his wife Céline Derue.  It doesn't get better than this.  Tomorrow I'll return to mortal realms, but right now I'm in heaven.