The Islands are Laid Back

With exception of the rain, wind and breaking surf on sculpted red sandstone bluffs, the Iles de la Madeleine appear to be very laid back,  and may even be described as mellow. They feel very similar to PEI, the gentle island.

Though the winds and rain have been brutal at times, the temperatures have been moderate due to the influence of the Gulf water. At night, it only drops to about 15 C, and the highs during the day barely reach 20.

Another pleasant aspect is the local people's acceptance of us, English tourists. So far, without exception, when we greet them in our broken French, they respond in their broken English. The conversation then continues with some confusion ending with their farewell to us in their English and our farewell to them in our French. It's obvious, they're going out of their way to welcome us. Walking through the campground today, we passed a guy that yelled out "hi" along with a larger than life smile. Without doubt, it was the only English word he knew.

As in PEI, nobody appears to be in a hurry. As we dawdle along the roads sightseeing, the locals appeared in no hurry to pass, even though we would signal and pull aside.

We expected the cost of gas and food to be high, given the isolation, however on average, they appeared only about 15% higher than at home.

While touring the most southerly island, Ile de la Havre-Aubert, we found most of the houses are very modest with the exception of their colour. Most are painted bright colours, complimenting the land and seascapes. The bright colours would likely come across as bold and over the top in other settings , but not here, they just seem to add a French flair to the Island.

In the harbour, havre in French, there were not only lots of fishing boats, but some smaller craft too. This one really caught my eye.

This afternoon, we beachcombed along some red sandstone bluffs. The surf continued to carve away at the red sandstone, leaving interesting rock formations, and in some places, picturesque bluffs. The day's treasure was definitely the scenery, and of course, it was free.

We continued to keep a close eye on the weather for the next assault, but otherwise, we're enjoying these laid back Islands.

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