Les îles - Swiss style

Our hope to get over to île d'Entrée today was, once again, dashed by a lack of people for the boat but we were told by the excursion company that the boat would definitely be going tomorrow so we went with Plan B and decided to head off on the bikes for a tour of île du Havre aux Maisons. 

There was a nice downhill leading out of Cap aux Meules towards the bridge though we realized we would have to come back up it on our return. 

We also passed further evidence that Disco was dead. 

Île du Havre aux Maisons is smaller than Cap aux Meules but it has several distinctive Hills and bluffs that make it quite picturesque. This was also going to be a bit of a gastronomic tour as the island has a smokehouse and a cheese-making farm. The tour, however, started out on a very basic level as our picnic lunch consisted of peanut butter and jelly sandwiches with sliced banana, a few carrots and an apple as we tried to deplete our food stocks prior to our departure tomorrow. 

Still, we found a nice, quiet spot off Chemin du Cap Rouge along the Lagoon with a few small boats anchored just offshore and a blue heron to keep us company. 

Now fortified for the ride through the hills, we headed to the northern point of the island where we (I) decided an ice cream might also be required. 

The Bar Laitier was just in front of the Plage de la Dune du Sud so we had a look while digesting our ice cream. 

Unable to find any other excuses to not ride, we embarked on our steeds and looked for the turn for Chemin des Montents. And climb we did, with a bit of wind in our faces to amp up the challenge. But the climbs weren't endless and the days pedaling against the wind had fortified our legs so we got to the top. The view certainly made the effort worthwhile. 

It almost felt like we had travelled over to the Swiss mountains for a moment. 

Another Hill brought us to a lookout with a lighthouse and a view towards île d'Entrée. 

The view from the direction we had come from wasn't bad either. 

The day was getting on so we made our way down to the Fumoir to pick up some smoked mackerel and seal Jerky before taking in the selection of cheeses at the Fromagerie. Two stops on the Chemin de la Pointe Basse that are musts for anyone visiting the islands. 

Stocked up with goodies for our hike on île d'Entrée tomorrow, it was time to head back to Cap aux Meules against the wind and up that hill to get us to our dining spot for the night, Les Pas Perdu. 

The menu looked very good with a lot of dishes using local products. Sarah was more adventurous, going with the salad of smoked scallops and seal meat confit while I went with the old standby, moules et frites. The Crème de Légumes soup we had to start was very tasty as we sat enjoying the ambience and the glass obviously from ISO Verre. 

Great meal; probably rivaled the lunch we had at Café de la Côte for best meal on the islands. Stuffed, we took ourselves across the street to the Butte to step off our meal and get a view of the harbour where our cruise ship was waiting for us for tomorrow. 

Heading back down the steps we spied a good Samaritan trying to rescue a cat. 

He managed to get the cat and himself down in one piece with a hearty Bravo from Sarah, though a jogger running the steps thought the salutation was meant for him and thanked her as he ran for the top. 

We finished the day by taking the bike path, a real one, at the base of the Butte that took us along the shore half way back to the Auberge. 

And so we parked our bikes under the windows of our room at the Auberge du Gros Cap for the last time; lucky number 7 and the nicest room in the place.