DAY FIVE--SAGUENAY, QUEBEC

Saguenay, Quebec, is a relatively new cruise port and, as such, there is little information to be found about it.  We looked through the excursion choices, selected one and, sacre bleu, it was already closed ten days before the cruise.  We chose another and...same story.  And yet again with a third.  We were down to choosing among a tour of a goat farm, another highlighting the industrial exploitation of the area from pulp and aluminum products or, finally, risking a probable double drowning during the Saguenay Sea Kayaking Excursion. That's not easy.

But, as we returned from breakfast, there in our little ship mail box, were two tickets for "A Stroll in the Park", our original choice for Saguenay.  "Hooray!" we shouted, completely frightening our rather timid cabin steward.

OMG, Carson has sent the car for us.  I'm sure there's a lovely thermos of tea in the back seat, tucked near the soft mohair lap blanket. The black trunk behind?  It carries the wicker basket filled with Mrs. Patmore's delightful goodies, and a bottle of bubbly for later in the afternoon.  Oh, oh really?  We ride in the school bus?  Really???  Oh... 

 

Pushing aside the dream and tamping down my over-active imagination, we lined up with the crowd and loaded ourselves into the bright yellow school bus that would take us to our destination.  I, not having ridden a school bus as a child, chose the seat just over the back wheels and sat with my chin on my knees for the one hour drive through the Saguenay National Park which, fortunately, was a beauty.  Enough so, I completely forgot I was an old lady twisted into a very uncomfortable position.  (Which I did manage to crawl out of when we arrived at the Interpretive Center.)  

 

I told you it was pretty.  It worked for me that many trees were still green which made the red's and yellow's stand out more dramatically.  BC would have liked more color, but I was happy.  Again, we experienced that wonderful silence you don't even realize surrounds you until the cry of the circling bird, or the distant wave on the beach is carried to your consciousness on the faintest of breezes.

 

 

Our stroll was quite relaxed as we often paused along the way for a nature lesson on birds of the area, fish to be found nearby, mammals that frequent the forest, or the variety of trees we were standing under.  As the little bridge in the photo above shows, it was a most civilized trail.   

 

 

We completed our stroll at the Interpretive Center where we had begun and were allowed thirty minutes in the obligatory gift shop, which did have some very neat sweaters that I regretfully passed up.  We re-boarded our school bus (BC led the way in order to avoid the wheel wells) and wound our way back to the ship with our guide pointing out this and that interesting site.  Once back at the dock, we joined the throngs in the "Free Wireless" area of the Visitor Center that seems to have popped up at every port.  It was, by far, the most popular spot at the Center, easily beating out the jewelry, maple syrup, and wood carvings kiosks.

Our weather has been good--turtle necks and jackets are just right, and no umbrellas needed so far which is a good thing as I just remembered we forgot to bring ours.  Tomorrow will be a "Cruising Day" as we head toward Prince Edward Island.