All photos by Carole Jobin
Our waiter warned us that a storm was approaching, but nothing prepared us for this show stopper, which arrived exactly at the same pace as a Saharan sandstorm. As it approached, the sky darkened, creating a feeling of dread. But when the rain appeared, it was quite gentle and we could calculate it creeping along the Saguenay River fjord, heading toward the St. Lawrence River at Tadoussac. Then, the rain disappeared, and the sun shone brightly again.
ABOVE: Curtain of rain along the Saguenay River.
You must first traverse forests on a gravel road to get to the Du Cap au Leste Inn perched high above the fjord, but rest assured, it’s worth it. Rustic rooms have long balconies with superb views of the Saguenay River and its sunsets.
A boat trip from the nearest town, Ste-Rose-du-Nord to Anse-St-Jean, down the majestic Saguenay River fjord, is a must.
Due to the changing rain patterns as described above, you may see rain, winds and sunshine during your boat trip, as you admire the cliffs that make up the south shore of the fjord. I must admit that I’d tired of the rain and overcast skies, when all of a sudden, the boat’s captain played ‘Ave Maria’ over the public address system. Immediately, the sun came out, and we looked up at the nearby cliffs. At the top of one, now no longer shrouded in mist, was the beloved statue of the Virgin Mary, a well-known landmark by famous Québec sculptor Louis Jobin. Hollywood could not have come up with a better scenario!
ABOVE: A close-up look at the fjord cliffs on the Saguenay River from the bateau-mouche.
The Saguenay-Lac-St-Jean region produces so many blueberries that its residents are known as ‘bleuets’, that is ‘blueberries’.
When asked by a ‘bleuet’ what struck me most about his region, my reply was immediate: the people.
Talkative by nature, the people of Saguenay-Lac-St-Jean are not afraid to try new things, love explaining their region and enjoy talking about their respective passions!
Read more about the beauty of Saguenay-Lac-St-Jean on our travel site here.
Header image: Downstream view of Saguenay River.
