Leaving Alma, we headed south toward Saguenay, the first stage of our Tadoussac journey on the 170.
Fuelling up our quarter-full tank cost only £32. Seriously, that is like half price back home..!
We arrived at Saguenay. It was overcast and chilly and, to be honest, so was Saguenay. There was little to see, so we didn’t hang around.
Saguenay Fountain
We turned onto the 172, the famous Fjord Road, and we were not disappointed.
The chill meant autumn was definitely in the air and the fall, if not in full natural splendour, was beginning to happen. Tree leaves were starting to turn amber, golden and fiery red. The beginnings of a spectacle of nature’s beauty.
The road was long, more exciting than the lake tour, with sweeping bends and the odd incline or descent.
We took a slight detour to Sainte-Rose-du-Nord, a tiny hamlet on the shore of the Saguenay River.
A spot of lunch was required, so we took the plunge and tried the famous Canadian comfort food — poutine.
Crispy French fries, cheese curds and hot gravy. Well… the fries weren’t exactly crispy with all that gravy. It was a dish to try and not repeated!
The view across the river was pleasant and added to our lunch, as did the slight chill that seemed to be here to stay.
We continued onward, but now keen to search out the Beluga. Usually seen in Arctic waters, the Beluga whale is famous for finding its way into the Saguenay and from there into the Sainte-Marguerite River.
Our next stop on route took us to the shore of the Sainte-Marguerite and the nature reserve. We set out on foot to find the mysterious Beluga.
We noted the warnings about moose and bears, followed the track and passed camping pitches dotted amongst the trees, sheltered from the breeze of the river shore. Campfires burnt and people sat reading in the tranquillity.
We wandered onward. Eventually the Marguerite lay open before us again and the estuary to the Saguenay as we peered intently, looking for whale smoke.
Alas, the Beluga failed to show and we were whale-less again…
The final stretch of the road took us to Tadoussac and the mouth of the Saguenay, where it was swallowed up by the mighty St Lawrence River.
We were now some three hours east of Québec, which already seemed a distant memory.
We’d had a fantastic day, filled with autumn colour and whale hunting, and it was finished off with a truly lovely stroll around the village and a delicious meal in a local eatery.
Tomorrow we take on the St Lawrence.
A ride across the water to begin our next adventure on the Gaspé Peninsula and maybe, just maybe, the whales will be waiting for us…
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