Why this site?
Since 25 years, a friend of mine and I throw a dart at the map of Holland. Once a year. Where the dart hits the map, there we go for a day. Cycle around, see highlights if any and drink a beer.
The 10th an 20th time we used the map of Europe for the throw.
In 2017 we did this for the 25th time and used a worldmap!
And the dart hit Canada. Then we took a map of Canada with the provinces outlined and threw again. It hit Quebec. And next, using a detailed map of Quebec, it hit Pohénégamook! That was to be our 25th destination.
Our trip
June 13th 2017 we left for Canada. We had a vague plan for touring the east part of Canada.
We've been around for a little over two weeks. Seen a lot of things, met many people. Nice ones, very kind ones, born Canadians, immigrated people from all over the world, young, old, foreigners, men, women.
No bears. That was a pity.
Only a few of the people I met, made it to this report. They were special in one or the other way.
Pohénégamook, Quebec
After visiting Ville de Quebec we arrived late in the afternoon in Pohénégamook.
In Pohénégamook we spoke to Patrick, Leisure Manager of the town. From him we learned that Pohénégamook actually consists of three separate and formerly independent villages.
That's why I thought it was such a stretched town: we came into the first, left it and drove into the next and thereafter the third and it was still Pohénégamook.
Patrick gave us some city-merchandising: buttons, postcards and maple-syrup in a Pohénégamook-labelled bottle! Thanks again, Patrick.
He also gave us the correct pronounciation. In French that is. We still would like to know how it is pronounced in the Indian language it descends from.
pronounciation of Pohénégamook in French.
We always try to drink a beer in the place we hit by dart. In Pohénégamook that was easy. There is a microbrewery, called Le Secret des Dieux. Later we learned that many places in Canada have microbreweries.
I have drunk some: Le Secret des Dieux in Pohénégamook, HopEra in Jonquière and some more of which I forgot the name, and I should say: they were all pretty good!
Pohénégamook is on the banks of Lac de Pohénégamook and in high-season it will be full of people enjoying the water. Now it was quiet. The lakemonster Ponik, which is said to live in the lake, was not te be seen. Except on banners.
Pohénégamook is directly on the Maine border. We spoke to Chass, an American border-official, who is staffing a controlpost near a lumbercamp. The post is only used for trucks with timber. We could not pass there and Chass was strict in that.
Chester, Nova Scotia
I'm a big fan of Ben Caplan but never saw him live.
And it turned out he would perform in The Chester Playhouse! It would be a bit far from our vague plans but well, I travelled 5000km to Canada so the relative small detour via Chester had to be made.
It was good. Ben was great and his female counterpart as well. She played the melodeon, the flute, quatre-mains on the piano with Ben and had a beautiful voice.
The Chester Playhouse is a tiny venue where everybody seems to know each other. Even I was recognised: "Hey Derek!".
That was Suzi, the owner of the B&B where we stayed. Suzi has a 'my-house-is-your-house'-attitude. Very welcoming and breakfast was delicious and together with all her guests at one table made it a fine start of the next day.
Cape Breton National Park, Nova Scotia
We drove to Cape Breton and spent a couple of days there. Did some trails with great views and no bears. Squirrels. That is what you get.
In Margaree Harbour we came in contact with Peter. Peter heard us talk and introduced himself as an immigrated Dutchman. Now he is principal of the elementary school in Chéticamp. Being a teacher he told us some details about Canadian society in that part of the country.
E.g. social control is heavy but when your roof is leaking the handymen in their vans turn up to help you out instantly.
Peter stands symbol for the many encounters we had with Canadians and Americans with Dutch roots who heard us speak Dutch.
Port Hawkesbury, Nova Scotia
In the evening we arrived at Port Hawkesbury.
Because we had had a late lunch we were not that hungry so we tried to find a place for a cup of soup or the like.
We didn't find any so I stopped a car and asked whether they knew a place. The driver and his wife immediately invited us into the car, introduced themselves as Bill and Louise, gave us the Grand Tour of Port Hawkesbury and eventually dropped us at a Tim Hortons.
We saw many Tim Hortonses along the road but did never go into one, so I am glad now we did because it looks like Tim Hortons is part of Canadian heritage.
We stayed in a B&B, owned by a charming lady. So I can truely say: all the Port Hawkesburies I know are very kind people!
(for those with the sharp eye: Yes, this is not Tim Hortons in Port Hawkesbury, but in Campbellton)
Charlottetown, PEI
Later we took the ferry from Caribou in Nova Scotia to the Prince Edward Island. In a Dutch guide it is called "The Denmark of Canada". I understand why. It is lovely, green, rolling hills but as far as I have seen it has no spectacular highlights.
I have to say that we only have seen the middle part and not the east and west.
And Charlottetown is charming. A bit unlike the other Canadian towns we visited.
And Brigh Music Shop is TOP!
When I am abroad I always try to find local folk-music to buy. I play the Irish tenorbanjo and the accordion myself and like to learn more tunes and get inspiration.
So I went into this shop and asked for local music. The very nice girl (don't know her name) who adviced me showed me a CD made by her father and uncle MacGillivray. Of course I bought it. You can't have it more local.
And a tunebook with tunes from the Maritimes. Can't wait to try some out on the banjo.
Port Elgin, New Brunswick
In Port Elgin we stayed at Motel Indian Point. It turned out to be owned by a former German couple (Familie Flad) from Schwäbische Alb. Deutsche walldecoration, Schlagers out of the radio and the man told us stories about the textile-businesses he did in Russia when he was still living in Germany.
He was overenthusiastic when he heard the reason why we were in Canada: "dass is hellisch!"
It's sad that in Port Elgin we also met the only Canadians that were not really kind. In the C and J family restaurant they were obviously not happy that we were still eating our dinner after closing time.
Well, they let us order. We didn't know about closing time. They could have told us. Doesn't matter, we all have our off-days.
The rest
From Port Elgin we went north through New Brunswick. For me New Brunswick is synonymous with long roads through endless woodlands. Before I left for Canada I read the book Barkskins by Annie Proulx (Schorshuiden in Dutch).
It is a history of logging in North-East America and describes the deforestation in Maine, Nova Scotia and New Brunswick. It's good to see it is not as negative as written in this book.
Did a cycletrail in Kouchibouguac National Park with a so-called Fat Bike. Came in handy in part of the trail.
At the ferry in Rimouski a kind man helped us to tuck in the side mirrors of our rental car. I didn't know how to do that. And then he told us about his life as a game warden in Gaspesie and that he was on his way for a week of fishing near his sister's house.
We did the Saguenay fjord, later a heavy walking trail in Parc national de la Mauricie. Saw Shawinigan (charming like Charlottetown), went to Ottawa (fine city), made a little detour to visit the U.S. (New York in , Vermont out) and at last before taking the plane back to Holland spent an afternoon in Montreal.
In the airplane I had a full row of three to myself. And then the captain announced that "as there are not many people on this flight you can change seat if you want". Within a couple of minutes a woman was at my row asking if she could take a chair as she was stuck in the middle at another row.
I was a little disappointed to lose my private row, but she was nice, spoke about her businesstrip to Manchester for an organisation I did not know (Madscience), heard my reason for visiting Canada. Although she was from Quebec, she never heard of Pohénégamook
but I can not blame her for that. I learned from the past 25 years that I do not know all towns and villages in The Netherlands, so how can I expect somebody to know all in Quebec, which is 40 times the area of The Netherlands?
I showed her Pohénégamook on the screen in the seat in front of us and happy that she learned something new she tried to sleep.
Conclusion
This is only a very short excerpt from all that we did and all whom we met.
I learned Canadians are divers but they all seem to be very laidback and nice people, however a bit reserved at the start. For example they tend not to greet out of their own, but are very talkative when contact has been made.
The one thing I find difficult to understand is the First Nation/Indian/indigenous people-issue. In the Chester Playhouse for example the introduction by the manager had some references to the holy ground and former generations.
Is that a common thing to do? Is it political correctness? How is the situation for these peoples? I did not have the chance to find that out, so I bought these books. Maybe it helps me.
And otherwise I have to come back one day.
Which I would not hesitate to do!