From Riviere-du-Loup to Rimouski

Here we are in Rimouski, city of the fabulous sunset and gateway to further delights in the Gaspésie Region including the Historic Maritime Site, Pointe-au-Père, The Empress of Ireland pavilion, the Lighthouse, and the Jardins de Métis, Reford Gardens. Hotel Rimouski, our overnight resting place, is teeming with sportive teenagers, collected for an important sports meeting, a lively and happy place. It’s located across from the river, the aforesaid sunset, and Bob runs out at high speed to catch it.

In the morning the dining room is filled with youthful families and young athletes with hearty appetites. We see a fabulous and extensive breakfast-buffet with a dozen hot and cold cereals, fruits, regional headcheese, miniature Quiche Lorraine, juices, breads, scrambled or boiled eggs, small sausages, bacon, small delicious roast potatoes, ham, beans, sour cream, cottage cheese, maple sugar syrup, all included with very reasonable room rate from about $100 to $150 a night.

After breakfast we set out to tour Pointe-au-Père, with its historic lighthouse, and the Empress of Ireland pavilion. The Lighthouse, one of the tallest in Canada, boasts a total of 128 steps to the top. Bob courageously climbs them all to get some good pictures. Quebec has 43 traditional lighthouses, most along the coastline of Le Quebec maritime or on one of its islands, proud sentinels of its history. About 20 of these lighthouses have now been given a second life, transformed by enthusiasts into museums, inns or cottages. In fact, visitors are invited to chart their own tour through The Lighthouse Trail.

The treacherous course of the river, unpredictable weather and the always complicated navigation on the St. Lawrence required ship owners to employ the services of experienced pilots to bring their ships safely through during the height of the 20's immigration.

At that time the constant presence of pilots, quarantine officers and customs agents led to the growth of a flourishing hotel industry in the region.

In May 1914, not far from Rimouski, the Canadian Pacific ocean liner Empress of Ireland sank with a loss of 1,012 lives. The Empress collided in heavy fog with a Norwegian coal transporter, the Storstad. The collision took place at 1:55 a.m. and she sank at 2:09, 14 minutes later. There were 465 survivors. Only five of the 21 starboard lifeboats were launched. It was the greatest marine disaster in Canadian history and, though a huge tragedy, is often overlooked because of the outbreak, just a few weeks later, in August of that same year, of World War I.

The Empress came from Quebec City and was sailing to Liverpool. She had 171 members of the Toronto Salvation Army Band aboard going as delegates to London. All drowned and are buried at Mt. Pleasant Cemetery. The Storstad came from Nova Scotia to Montreal.

We then visited the beautiful, serene and refined Jardins de Métis, the Reford Gardens with, again, a stunning view of the St. Lawrence River. Last year the 9^th edition of the International Garden Festival brought together designers from Italy, France, Germany, United States, Ontario and Quebec to exhibit 13 contemporary gardens. It features the work of architects, landscape architects, designers and artists, a forum for innovation and experimentation.

Elsie Reford, between 1926 and 1958 succeeded in building the Gardens, widely recognized as an exceptional horticultural feat, into one of the most original gardens in North America, where she was able to adapt rare floral species to the harsh local conditions. These included the Himalayan blue poppy, the Gardens’ distinguished emblem, and more than 3000 species and varieties from all over the world. A selection of contemporary sculptures sparkle within. Visitors are encouraged to explore, photograph, play and gambol among the flowers, trees, artificial hedges, water sprays and musical sounds.

Exhausted but happy we return to Hotel Rimousky and eat a Lobster Thermidor at $13.95 for me, and for Bob a mushroom soup, stuffed chicken breast with almonds, veggies, strawberry cake and coffee for $21.95.

Next day we catch the ferry to Forestville and on to Tadoussac, the Marine Environment Discovery Centre, whale watching, the replica of a 16^th century fur trading post and the oldest wooden chapel.

For more information visit http://www.bonjourquebec.com/