The Getaway

I'm back in the city, back in normal altitude, and back into the hussle and bussle of city life. Marie-Christine, Stephanie and I went on a road trip to the Charlevoix area of Quebec this past weekend and we had such a good time. We drove hours on end in the mountains and literally had our ears popping due to the high altitude and to top that off I was getting anxious with all the road signs indicating 7, 10, 14% incline and moose warnings for at least 100 km of our trip.

While driving the along the country road, I made a dangerous maneuver in order to stop at what was a Cheese Museum. Marie and I are hardcore cheese lovers and the fact that I risked our lives to check the place out proves it. Charlevoix Economusée du Fromage showcased some beautiful antique machinery.

The city, more like a town of La Malbaie was picturesque. We rented a chalet that was literally on the edge of a cliff with an amazing view of the Fleuve St-Laurent. It had no running water and no electricity. Just kidding. It actually didn't have a radio, or a stove but it did have a TV with an antenna which we looked at it thinking, "an antenna, what channels do they get with that?!"

Our first day there we tried to walk down to the beach. Marie's adventurous mountain climbing persona kicked in and she was ready to master this cliff. I have to say that I was shit scared even though there was a yellow rope to guide us along the way. But my stress level went down when I saw a fallen tree that happened to block the trail. My immediate thought, "hallelujah". So we walked back up, Marie disappointed and I skipping along the way. That tree saved my life.

Our second day we had booked a boat ride on a Zodiac to see whales. Since the season for whale watching has just started, we were lucky enough to be only 8 on a boat that would normally accommodate 24. Our captain maneuvered the zodiac enough to scare the life out of me, and fast enough to keep one of the passengers laughing uncontrollably every time we hit a wave. At one point we hit a massive wave that towered over us and completely drenched us. Apart from the exciting boat ride, our whale watching was very minimal. We did get to see a small whale called a rorqual and even spotted a seal up close. Unfortunately, I didn't take any pictures since it was raining and was afraid for the life of my camera.

{The Fjord}

Our captain, took us to the Fjord, which looks like something out of a movie. With hills that are 300 meters high and beautiful waterfalls, I can say that I was impressed. The scene was magical. Here is a picture of the "Chute du caibou qui pisse", which translates to "Waterfall of the pissing caribou".