menue padroni assoluti del fiume restano gli stormi di uc- celli: migliaia di oche marine bianche, suie e pulcinelle che svolazzano a bassa quota. ln inverno perO, quando il hume si trasforma in una immensa lastra di ghiaccio, an- che gli uccelli migrano, e il silenzio sul San Lorenzo è to- tale. Si sente solo il ntmore delle chiatte rompighiaccio che trasportano materiale pesante da una riva all'altra. ln autunno c'è invece il sordo ntmore delle seggiovie che portano i turisti ai boschi delle Laurentides, le monta- gne che sôvrastano questa parte del fiume, per assistere allo spettacolo delle foreste che assumono tutte le tona-
182
er„.re ez
Veduta dal mare di •
Tadoussac, un() dei punti di paisiaggio delle balene e dei loro cuccioli che, Ira agosto e setternbre, fanno sentire ai turisti i loro canti di richiamo.
Tadoussac, one of the points where•
whales and their young can habitually be sighted. Between August and Septernber their haunting calls can be heard.
T
he majestic and imposing St. Laurence river runs 1,300 km from Lake Ontario ta the Atlantic Ocean. There are few better places fora cruise, be it in a large 'floating hotel' or on a smaller sailing vesse!.The most fascinating part of the river is the 200-mile stretch between Quebec City and the Saguenay fjord which fils with whales each August and September.
In October the whales move on to warmer waters and leave the river to the geese, gannets and puffins.
When vvinter arrives, the St. Laurence freezes over and the birds migrate. Silence reigns supreme. The only sound is the noise of the icebreakers carrying heavy materials from one bank ta the other. In the autumn, the area echoes to the sound of tourist chair-lifts heading for the forests of the Laurentides mountains to watch the turning of the leaves.
But there is more to the St. Laurence chan its wonderful nature, there is also the bonhomie and respect for nature of the Canadians themselves, the French pion eer houses and attractive villages. The riverbanks are not marred by big villas, but dotted with small wooden missionary houses, strawberry fields, red-roofed inns, ma pie trees, small vvharves with wooden landing stages beca use con crete ones are banned.
Casting off from Quebec, the river itinerary begins just after a large lock. Then comes the lie d'Orleans, a histori cal island which has main tained its rural charm. After this the river widens out and one feels as if one is at sea. On the coast lies the tourist port of Berthier-sur-Mer, with its tiny yacht club, then the wild, bird-covered cliffs of Cap Tourment followed by a handful of small islands with unusual names such as Sottise, Deux Tétes, Grues, Dignon Patience. They are ail flamingo reserves, but only Grues is connected to the mainland by ferry. A few miles later came the bell towers of lle-aux-Coudres nestling in the heart of hazel woods. lb marina and lighthouse corne into view and then the large ferry port. On land a small
road through the wood leads to the main village with its shops selling hazel wood souvenirs (Maison Normande), restaurants (La Mer Veille) and many artists' studios.
The river then runs through the immense Laurentides Park, home ta forests, woods and golf courses.
Heading north, the St. Laurence has changed colour from the grey of Quebec ta silver and then different shades of green. The colour also depends on the width of the river itself - in some parts it is up to eight miles wide. Our joumey takes us next around the Cap-à-l'Aigle with its La Pinsonniére Hotel, one of the Relais et Chateaux group nestling in the green countryside. The hotel is famous for its cuisine and the kitchens are run by a French chef who cooks - magnificent lobster in summer. The Cap-à-l'Aigle is
thirty miles from Tadoussac, a port built where the river Saguenay meets the St. Laurence. It has a large marina with berths for about a hundred boats. There is also a yacht club where the numerous employees give out information about the area and supply maps and pilot's books. The huge, red and white Grand Hotel Tadoussac faces the port and is a meeting point for sailors and tourists interested in whale watching.
Apart from a whale research centre there are also lots of small shops selling whale memorabilia. You can watch whales very close ta the village out in middle of the river. They arrive here from the Atlantic every year because the briney mix of the two rivers produces a rich variety of fora and fauna on which they feed. The most common are the greys (5-15 metres long) and the very docile white belugas (6-8 metres).
Sailing on the Saguenay is also charming because of the beauty of the area and at the Anse Saint-Jean yacht club there us a sign which simply states:
'Prevent forest fires, pro tect the waterways, save electricity'. That just about sums up Quebec and the