The Place Where the Water Flows

October 3

I didn't realize a river could have a fjord. I thought only the ocean could have a fjord. Today I found out that the Saint Lawrence River has a fjord called Saguenay.

We docked this morning in Ville de Saguenay, Quebec.  What a welcome we received! People dressed in period costumes were square-dancing on the dock.

There was a gleaming vintage Buick parked on the dock. There were lumberjacks and settlers and fur traders and Native Americans and missionaries.

There was a place  to taste juice made from local wild blueberries (bitter and tart). There was a sugar shack where you could taste maple taffy made on a bed of crushed ice.

 Locals were passing out Saguenay flags and maps and more. And that was just on the dock. 

Inside the terminal the local artisans had booths, there was free wi-fi, and there was more live music. It seemed as though half the town was there.

Outside the terminal there were buses to the town center and the museum. I think they were free. There were information booths and places to get maps or rent a car or take a ride in a helicopter or a float plane.

What was not there:

• Stores selling junky made-in-China crap - t-shirts, magnets, tote bags, etc.
• Obnoxious local hustlers trying to sell you something 
• Litter, trash, junk

It was cold in the morning - probably around 35-40 degrees. The sun was out and it warmed up a lot later in the day.  Our tour started at 9:30 so I bundled up in layers. Our tour involved a hike in a national park. We rode  school bus for an hour to get to Fjord-du-Saguenay National Park. The school bus was pretty uncomfortable. Usually you get a nice motor-coach on tours booked through the ship.

We had a nice guide on the bus. He talked to us quite a bit about what it is like to live in Saguenay, the local history, the economy, etc. He described Saguenay as a "remote" part of the province. It used to be a 4-hour drive from Quebec City, but now it is more like 2 hours. The big industry there used to be the pulp mill, but those days are over and now the kids tend to leave the area without looking back.

Saguenay is a municipality, the result of the merging of several towns. It is, in terms of area, the largest "city" in the province of Quebec, although the population of this large area is only about 150,000. When the villages agreed to merge they decided on the name Saguenay, after the Saguenay River. It is a First Nations (Native American) word meaning "the place where the water flows."

At the national park we met a park ranger/guide, Audrey, who led us on our hike and explained the local flora and fauna to us. 

Audrey shows us some woodpecker holes

The kids had gone on a kayak trip and we saw the kayak area as we began our hike. It looked like a wonderful place to kayak. The water was flat and the area was very scenic.

Our hike involved climbing up a steep path. It was an elevation gain of 450 feet, but seemed like a lot more. According to my FitBit, I climbed 131 staircases. Not sure I believe that.

According to National Geographic, the world's second best hiking trail network is in this national park. It was a gorgeous sunny day and the leaves were starting to turn. It was a perfect day to spend time outdoors. The views were outstanding. We even saw a group of kayakers. Anybody we know?

Upon returning to the ship we encountered even more of the enthusiastically friendly locals. In one area they were juggling and walking on stilts. In the terminal there was accordion music. We had at least four people thank us for coming to Saguenay. But the show-stopper was seeing around 500 people from the town lined up along the waterfront to see the ship off.

This was the most welcoming and friendly port we have ever been to. They are working very hard to develop tourism in the area, and it is a lovely, unspoiled place to visit.

Wildlife spotted:

1 porcupine

unknown number of whales, probably humpbacks