The cancelled 1000 little penguins outing, Saint-Jean-Port-Joli as plan B.

Our outing to the 1,000 little penguins was cancelled due to the sickly winds. But we decided to take our moms out anyway with an impromptu roadtrip along the Route des Navigateurs. And, oh, the surprise!

The weather had the last word

Indeed, with strong winds on the river and throughout the Chaudière-Appalaches region over the past few days, we’ve come to terms with the fact that we’ll be back next year for the little penguins. That’ll have to wait until next time, but here’s a glimpse of what was in store.

Plan B: A roadtrip to Saint-Jean-Port-Joli

Seriously, ever since I’d done it last year, my girlfriend and I had been looking forward to sharing this unique cruise we’d given them for Christmas with our mothers.

On this Saturday morning, we decided instead to head for St-Jean-Port-Joli along the Route des Navigateurs, to show them our favourite places along the way.

First stop: V’nez les mamies, we’ll show you the view from the end of the quay in Saint-Michel-de-Bellechasse. Y sale en ti-péché! This is the farthest we’ve managed to convince the grannies to go… Haha!

The soothing site of the Saint-Vallier strike

I wanted to pass by the village of Saint-Vallier to show them the wickedly beautiful view of the St. Lawrence. I often go there to relax on summer evenings. Here are a few photos of the place on a milder day, taken two weeks before our outing.

A surprise at Berthier-sur-Mer

We also stop off at Berthier-sur-Mer to show them our departure point for next year and to show them the Vent des Îles, a name that could not be more evocative (especially today) of this superb cruise ship from Croisières Lachance.

Next, we passed through the village of Berthier-sur-Mer, skirting the river as we rounded the bend. Someone kitesurfing. It’s true that it’s the perfect day for this activity.

So we decided to head for the beach at Berthier-sur-Mer to see what was going on. Kitesurfers are out in force.

As they say, one man’s misfortune is another man’s gain! We’re treated to a choreography of movements, sails and colors. Strangely enough, all of a sudden, the wind is bothering us a little less… I’ve decided to nickname them the Flying Penguins for a day! Did you know that real little penguins fly?

On course for Saint-Jean-Port-Joli

All well and good, but let’s not lose sight of our goal for the day: Saint-Jean-Port-Joli.

So we get back on the road. The wind is still blowing and we’re going to show them around the marina and Parc des Trois-Bérets. We leave the car in the public parking lot near the church and begin a short walking tour: Le Vivoir, L’Atelier M, and Boutique Morency. A little leather bracelet and a headband are among the day’s purchases.

A few gourmet stops and a classic to finish it off

We’re feeling a little peckish, and since we’re so close, why not fill it with a good cup of coffee? So it’s off to Café Bonté Divine for our break. Soups, muffins, croque-monsieur and café latté are sure to please!

The Boutique du Ras L’Bock is right next door, so I take the opportunity to stock up on Watatawow and Solution for later.

Just before ending our little escapade in St-Jean-Port-Joli, we wanted to show our grannies the unique decor of the Moule à Sucre. We didn’t leave empty-handed!

We’ll say what we want, but we, who are often last-minute when it comes to Christmas presents, are well ahead of the game this year, with the Little Penguins Cruise already in the bank for next year.

Haha, no c’tune joke grannies…You know there’ll be another Chaudière-Appalaches surprise in your stocking again this year!

Photos : Stéphane Bourque, Stéphanie Allard