Street view

We started out the morning with a pleasant visit from Sandra Perry. She and her husband, David Kneeland, from Cohasset, MA,  are traveling in an Airstream. When we came into the campground yesterday we noticed them (it's hard not to notice them because, aside from towing an Airstream trailer, their truck has two long kayak on the roof) and remarked that we thought we had seen this same rig in Kouchibouguac Provincial Park last week. Sure enough, Sandra came over to chat while David was finishing up the outside work to get ready to move. They remembered seeing us in Kouchibouguac and wondered if we are doing the same around-the-Gaspe-peninsula trip they are doing. They are a day or two ahead of us, but maybe we'll meet up with them again by the time we get to Quebec. They are not full-timers.

After meeting Sandra, we headed back to the Interpretation Centre to learn more about Forillon National Park.  

In the parking lot of the Interpretation Centre we saw this vehicle and man getting ready to hoist this contraption onto his back; kind of like a backpack with a periscope extending from it. He was then going to be walking around the parking lot to get Google Maps Street views of the parking lot. We went up to him and thanked him for his work. We frequently use Street-view maps when we are towing and wondering about our ability to stop somewhere with the Airstream in tow. We can find out if there are tight turns and if there is adequate parking. Very helpful. The camera on the car has four GPS devices; the portable one only has two. The car had a California license plate.

This is Christian, the only staff person at the Interpretation Centre and we were the only visitors to the Centre. He was very helpful explaining the park to us and describing various trails and attractions. 

The Centre had four or five salt-water tanks with various sea creatures in them. The message was the marine life is incredibly diverse and we know very little about it.

This crab was very active. Its eyeballs on stalks were constantly moving and he would move along the tank on three of its eight legs.

This historic picture shows the cod fishing industry along the Gaspe peninsula. It's a good picture showing all the flakes erected to dry the cod.

Our friends, the Mi'kmaq (although in Quebec the spelling seems to be Micmac), came to the Gaspe peninsula al least 4000 years ago. They learned how to exploit the marine resources throughout the millennia, diversified and improved their fishing techniques, and thrived. That is a harpoon in the case next to the picture.

Not far from the Interpretation Centre was Cap-Bon-Ami viewpoint. It is right on the edge of the cliffs and a park employee was trimming the bushes on the other side of the barrier. He had on a harness with a safety rope attached and the man on the left was controlling the other end. Now that I look at the picture, I guess you can't see that he has a weed-whacker, and he is clearing the view.

The view is of this stunning panorama of the west shore of the Cap-Gaspe.

In the opposite direction, still on the west side, is a view towards Cap-des-Rosiers and the tallest lighthouse in Canada. In yesterday's blog I think I had a picture of the lighthouse. You can barely see it in the center far right. (Too bad it was an overcast day and the water looks grey.)

Our hike for the day was to see a waterfall, of course. This viewpoint is where we stopped to eat our lunch. 

We hiked down to the base of the falls.

La Chute selfie. Yes, those are our down jackets we are wearing. The temperature was about 52 degrees; colder at the base of the falls.

A little further along the trail was another falls.  The sun is trying to come out.

We then drove the west coast of the peninsula. We could drive right up to the lighthouse, but I think this picture from across a small bay is more effective. The tallest lighthouse in Canada!

Further along is L'Anse-au-Griffon, a commercial fishing center on the peninsula. This dry dock is just a portion of the harbor and fishing facilities that provide the economic base for the region.