Following the Blue Road on the Steps of Kenneth White in Quebec – Episode 3

Natashquan, Province of Quebec © Scotiana October 2010

Those who follow the North Road, trying to get into the clear, beyond all the fuzz.

(The Blue Road – Kenneth White)

While Iain and Margaret are flying towards the blue skies of Italy we’re beginning our ‘Blue Road’ towards the North, dreaming of Labrador…

From 1st to 3rd October 2010, our travel takes us from Montreal to Grandes Bergeronnes (inside the Manicouagan region on road 138 East).

On the road from St Augustin, Mirabel to Lac Bouchette, Saguenay Lac St-Jean. <br>Autumn Scenic Road of the Province of Quebec. Photo: Scotiana October 2010

On the road from St Augustin, Mirabel to Lac Bouchette, Saguenay Lac St-Jean. Autumn Scenic Road - Province of Quebec © Scotiana October 2010

Soon after leaving the big city noise, heavy traffic and pollution, here we are, happily driving on a sunny and multicoloured road…

From St-Augustin, we drive on Highway 640 East and then on Highway 40 East towards Trois-Rivières. At the junction, we take the road 55 towards the 155 North leading to Chambord (Kenneth White took road 175 going north towards Chicoutimi).

First stop at the Motel St Roch de Mekinac restaurant at around 15 h 30 for a needed stretch of the muscles and a good meal !!! We are greeted with a cheerful welcome and the soup of the day served even before we were all seated! A barley soup (soupe au barley), ham cooked in beer plate, omelettes, and a delicious home-made ‘salade de fruits’ cake’ for dessert, give us enough energy to continue on. We like the dessert so much that Lise, the waitress, kindly gives us the recipe. Upon our return, we’ll try it and publish same on Scotiana once translated as we are eager to share it. It reminds Janice of another traditional cake, the ‘pudding chômeur’. 😉

'Beware of moose' road sign post © Scotiana October 2010

Signposts announce the presence of caribou.

(The Blue Road – Kenneth White)

Back on the road, we drive through La Mauricie National Park of Canada to admire:

Rivière Mattawin

Rivière aux Rats

La Tuque

La Bostonnais

Ducharme covered bridge (1946) Region de la Mauricie - Province of Quebec © Scotiana October 2010

River La Bostonnais with the beautiful covered bridges of Ducharme and Thibault.

After a couple of hours of driving time, arrival at Judith & Regis’s beautiful home, on the banks of Lac des Commissaires. Greeted with a very cheerful welcome by Judith and her big dogs, Inouk and Mozart, we are happy to share together some precious moments at her beautiful home with view on the lake.

Lac Bouchette, Saguenay Lac St-Jean, Province of Quebec. © Scotiana October 2010

For the next two nights, we sleep in Judith’s nice little and cozy chalet, located some fifteen minutes roadtime away from her house, in the forest, giving on Lac Bouchette.

Thoreau Walden or Life in the Woods Ticknor and Fields Boston (Original Publisher)

Walden or Life in the Woods,Thoreau-Ticknor and Fields, Boston (Original Publisher)

We feel like re-reading Thoreau… and our book by Kenneth White

Autumn colours, Lac des Commissaires, Province of Quebec © Scotiana October 2010

All around, the woods: reddy, orangy, with white flashes from the birch.

(The Blue Road – Kenneth White)

L’Hermitage Saint Antoine de Padoue : here we take a copious breakfast in joyful company of Jean-Paul, Janice’s father, Judith and Rosa, Judith’s friend who had cooked for us a delicious ‘Tourte du Lac Saint Jean’ for supper last night.

Lac-Bouchette’s St. Anthony Hermitage is a place of pilgrimage dedicated to Our Lady of Lourdes and to St. Anthony of Padoua located right in the center of natural park next to lake Ouiatchouan in the Lac-Saint-Jean region. This shrine was founded in 1907 by Rev. Elzéaar DeLamarre. Following his death, on April 21st, 1925, the shrine is entrusted to the Capuchin friars. The hermitage also houses some of Quebec’s religious heritage treasures.

Chambord

Desbiens

St Bruno

Jonquière

Chicoutimi, Old Harbour, Saguenay River © Scotiana October 2010

The name of Chicoutimi comes from a Cree word chekotimwo, meaning ‘deep water’. Situated on the banks of the river Saguenay, it was an important fur-trading post in the early nineteenth century, the main trading post in all the Montagnais country.