Saturday will be different. If I’m going to be blue collar for a while, then Saturday will be, at least partly, a break.
DC has decided that we shall explore St Peters, then go visit L’Ardoise a town pronounced Lordways around here. I can’t help thinking that francophones might find that a bit much... Lordways?
10 kilmeters to St Peters, past a lot of little houses sporting heaps of large spring garbage. We get a Saturday Globe in the convenience store, then head on to a large Pharmacy which is joined internally to a Home Hardware store. The girl who serves DC is a CARA! Lots of people working in these stores, lots of socialising going on. Why do they need so many people? Although I’m delighted that everyone has a job. I ask after French and people tell me that they understand it but don’t speak much. Their grandparents spoke it. Their children and grandchildren do: immersion. I buy tickets from a teenager in the Foodland store who is raising money for a grade 12 trip to Europe. $100 of lobsters is the prize, donated by one of the parents. London, Paris... Go for it!
The stout young man who serves us in the Liquor commission speaks French. Entertains us to tales of lessons he took during which he discovered that his French wasn’t standard modern French.
This town has everything, including a Laundromat, duly noted. A little nursery proves to be supplied by Quebec nurseries! Then the drive to L’Ardoise, to come upon it down by the sea, with its large white church and the men in dark suits at the back door, smoking and talking. You could be in the West of Ireland. Stop to ask a lady in French where the pound is and she almost faints with embarrassment. A language issue? It’s just as bad in English. On along the coast dirt road to Lobsters ‘r’ Us, to buy one each for the night meal. 5$ a pound, cooked outdoors in seawater...
Life is tough, as you can see from the photos. This rural life is really tough. Cutting trees, burning dead wood and eating lobsters...Tough.
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