Les Laurentians
Trip Start
Jan 08, 2006
1
7
36
Trip End
Apr 01, 2006
St Jovite, Quebec, Canada
Monday, January 16, 2006
I can now guarantee that I will take the wrong road the first time. Where I read that I should drive to Orleans/Richmond on the 417, can guarantee that I will take the first turnoff in the wrong direction. I left Ottawa at +2ºC, Eastbound on the 417. the first chance I got, I took an exit onto the 174. the signs looked right, but then after a few minutes, the error became evident as the numbers on the freeway were different to my map. There was nothing for it but to return to the old road and start again. So I did it, about 8 kms out of my way but I had at least corrected my error.
Imagine my horror, after regaining the 417 for over 20km, only to come to the horrifying truth. The 174 had been the right road all along, and the incorrect numbers were right after all. Oh, did I mention that it was snowing heavily, I was on the wrong side of the road, in an unfamiliar car, at 100kph, with the wipers banging back and forth, in an unfamiliar city, and alone? Is this excuse wearing thin?
I stopped for assistance at this point, and was identified as lost as I walked into the service station by the attendant who said to me before I spoke, " guess your lost" when I said "as a matter of fact yes", he replied "bet you miss the cane toads over here". Yep, nailed as a dumb aussie in 5 words!
The attendant and a friend gave me a mud map to regain my route with minimal loss of personal respect. And I got to drive the road less travelled, met nice peoples, and get this; take a crossing of the Ottawa (ottaoaise for you quebecois) river in winter. The river is frozen, except for the crossing point where 4 ferries ply their trade through a passage that looks like a cup of movie coca cola with ice in it. And then I was there, in Quebec, and its nice.
The signs don't bother being bilingual here, its just French. I stopped at the first fromagerie and got some cheese, some bread and sausage for lunch. Yum!
The roads and the weather deteriorated as I drove north. Its 4 pm and getting darker, and the temp is -5ºC and dropping fast. It is heading to -19ºC overnight; with a top of -16ºC due for tomorrow.
I drove along the side of many frozen lakes and villages, took a walk on a frozen lake for moment, until all the movies I have ever seen of situations like that came flooding and I crawled back to the shore, spreading my body mass out as far as possible, like a spider, to avoid falling through the ice and being carried by the current under toe ice pack and drowning, liking up through the a glassy clear patch at the watery sun. I hope that no one at the pub nearby was watching me when the panic set in. I might have been certified insane.
I am in the town of St Jovite, part of the Mont Tremblant village area, in the Laurentian mountains. If that doesn't mean much to you, don't worry, it didn't mean much to me either til I got here. Its beautiful. The village is very pretty by dayl with beautiful shops and houses, and at night its like a Christmas tree.
I am staying in a fabulous B&B for only $65 per night including full hot breakfast, watching the fire, listening to music, and marvelling at how lucky I am to be doing this.
Mish, this place is much closer to us than France....17 hours in the plane, and 2 hours in the car. Briancon is 24 hours in the plane, and 2 hours in a car at least....if we flew into Marseille.
I have not seen a McDonalds or a Wendy's or a Boston Pizza, or a Tim Horton's, or a Quiznos Subs, or a STARBUCKS, since I arrived. It looks just like France, but with more colour. they are there, just hidden, I'm sure, behind all the casse-croutes. I did see a KFC though!, hidden behind a different name; PFK....Poulets Frites au Kentucky
I did my usual walk through a supermarket too. The contents are very French with only small amounts of pork and beef, and large cheese cabinets. The bread is much better than in Ottawa or Vancouver, and the fresh fruit and vegetables are really well priced, particularly compared to Australia.
Beans $1.99/kg
Carrots $1.79/kg
Potatoes$0.99/kg
Snow is still falling...I gotta dig out the car tomorrow.
