It was a dark and stormy night, last night, but this morning, as promised, the sun was shining brightly and the sky was blue. The wind was a little high but that just seemed to clear the air. We first explored the campground; it is called Camping du Phare a Perce (Phare = lighthouse).
The Rock, the morning after the storm, taken from our campsite.
We found this path that leads to the lighthouse on the campground. Last night I could look out the window and see the light saving hundreds of ships in the storm.
There were two viewing platforms adjacent to the lighthouse, you can see them in the picture above. I took this picture of a platform from the other platform.
The cliffs below the viewing platform with Bonaventure Island in the background.
Close-up of the lighthouse - it's actually quite nice.
Behind the city are these red cliffs.
We went next to the Visitor Center in town. There we got information on some nearby hiking trails and on the boat trip out to Bonaventure Island which is a provincial park. We then headed over to the Information Center of Parc national de l'Ile-Bonaventure-et-du-Rocher-Perce - both the island and the rock make up the park.
As soon as we entered the door of the Information Center we felt right at home. It featured exhibits of the early European history of Perce and it was all about cod fishing! Yeah, cod!! Even before Cartier landed at Gaspe (1534) and claimed the land for France, the Basque were fishing and trading with the Mi'kmaq. When Cartier landed, he encountered Mi'kmaq speaking pidgin Basque and waving furs and beaver pelts. From then until the Conquest (what the French call the British takeover of the future Canada) in 1760, Basque, Brittany and Normandy harvested cod in the Gulf of Saint Laurence. Gaspe often saw between 400 and 600 fishers each summer.
The dry, cool climate of the Gulf made the Gaspe one of the rare areas in the world where this internationally prized product could be prepared. The place-name Perce first appeared around 1570. Mi'kmaqs from time immoral had visited this site for cod and salmon. The second half of the 16th century began to attract fishermen who came ashore each summer to fish and prepare the cod. The tides at Perce reach 1.2 meters and the water is ice cold. The harbor is sheltered from winds and storms by Bonaventure Island. Summer weather favored rapid drying of the cod. All these advantages made for much rivalry among the fishermen for control of this exceptional site.
Often the King of France had to intervene, the rivalry was so brutal among the groups of fishermen. In 1681, it was decreed that the first ship's Captain to arrive was made beach master. He would then decided which sites would go to which fishing ship and crew. For these seasonal fishermen the season began in mid-June and ended in mid-August. Ships left around late September when the last catches had dried out. The returning cargo could also contain beaver pelts traded from the Mi'kmaq.
Once again we read that Catholic Europe made cod fish a staple for meat-free days (the Church calendar had over 160 meat-free days). Each summer, ship owners and merchants chartered ships and boats and employed thousands of sea fishermen. The trip over could be adventurous. In wartime English corsairs could ruin a fishing expedition. Everyone put their faith in Saint Anne, the patron Saint of sailors.
Cod fishing under the French Regime, led to year-round settlements by the first contingents of fishermen/settlers on the Gaspe coast. A small colony of Perce's year-round population rose from six people in 1670 to around thirty, 27 years later.
The Information Center had this nice diorama, just as we had seen before in Newfouldland. It was so great to see cod fishing again!
After getting reacquainted with cod fishing and learning a bit about the French settlement of Canada, we headed for the trails and a waterfall. After a 4 km false start, we found the right trail, and proceeded to the Chutes (falls) de la riviere-aux-Emerauds.
The trail was so steep in sections we had to take the stairs.
A view of the emerald waters below the falls.
We were able to go right to the bottom of the falls and walk on the river bank.
Down river, where the water goes after the trip over the falls.
Eating lunch at the base of the falls. Notice the Inukchuk in the foreground.
A selfie at the falls.
This picture is for Nathan. See the dump truck and the front loader? We didn't go any closer because these truck mean business and it wasn't safe.
The cliffs at the end of Bonaventure Island. The island is a rock platform, 4 kilometers square. There is no fresh water and it is located in a cold maritime climate. Even so, there are 600 plant species on the rock and very little fauna. There are, however, 200 resident bird species.
The rock in the afternoon light.
The tip of the rock and Mont Joli, the tip of the city of Perce.
The city on Anse (cove) du Sud. That is Mont Joli at the right.
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