It turns out when one says, you must visit Gaspe, they just mean the peninsula in general, rather than the actual place called Gaspe. Or, maybe they mean, you should visit Gaspe, by which we mean Perce, and see the large rock formation that juts from the ocean because it’s quite striking and beautiful. I think they rarely, if ever, mean you should actually visit the town of Gaspe.
I sped through the town of Perce last night- saw the rock in the very last moments of light, noticed that it was a very touristy town and though to myself, if this is so touristy, Gaspe must be an explosion. Nope. That was pretty much it. In Gaspe, I spent the night again on a beautiful piece of land surrounded by water and am in a small, rather quiet working town, working. I don’t know honestly. I think I need to explore more. This is a puzzle.
I found a shower yesterday- by found I just mean I paid $5 to shower at a camp site- very good plan. Again, I think I could’ve just walked in without paying, I don’t think anyone would know the difference.
Photos from Tadoussac, where I went after L’Anse Saint Jean and the ferry ride to Trois Pistoles:
In Tadoussac, that ferry in the background is only a 10 minute crossing, it acts as an extension of the highway, traversing the mouth of the Saguenay river from Baie Saint Catherine, but it is the swankiest ferry. Super clean, super high tech, super huge, it feels like the Starship Enterprise with sliding air pressure doors. Way more fancy than the 90 minute ferry from Les Escoumins to Trois Pistoles that I feared might sink along the way.
Kind of looks like another planet, but it’s still Tadoussac.
This was my sleeping spot on the jetty in Les Escoumins! The RV on the left and the lamp post on the right mark the general width of it. It gets a little tiny bit wider at the end. How about that bright cross? I kind of like it. There’s no church there, maybe it’s just for the passing ships?
Morning on the sleeping jetty.
Rocks and shells and seaweed!
The ferry that came to take me to Trois Pistoles. I was on the waiting list because I didn’t have a reservation because I’d been on the fence about how far to take this journey, and when I saw the ferry I hoped that it would be too full to take me. I know I could have easily left but as much as there’s a side of me that fears or dreads a thing there’s another half that’s morbidly curious to see how it will all go. So, I waited to see if I’d make it on the ferry and simultaneously prayed it would be too packed for me, and it was looking really good actually, because they turned a camper away. But then they motioned me forward and I repeated over and over that really it was ok and I could just take another ferry or even forget Gaspesie altogether I’d be ok to end the journey here, but they insisted I drive forward and try. So, I did.
And this is how it looked.
Inside- cute, dated, lots of people inside because it was pretty cold and rainy. I did not see any whales on this trip, even though they’re very common up here. And really the only reason I came this far north, actually. I wasn’t super persistent about it when I realized it might be like seeing dolphins in the ocean, mostly just fins in the water.
Isn’t that Abandon Ship notice jaunty? It looks like instructions to a fun game.
Empty inside, nice colors.
And after I exited the ferry. Lots of boats, but this one in particular. Seems so American.
And a closer view, just because.
No mistaking which country I’m in.