The steepest coastline on the Gaspe peninsula is on the northeast side, beginning near Forillon National Park and continuing until the span of the St. Lawrence River to upper Quebec narrows near the town of Sainte Anne des Monts. Along this coastline, route 132 (the main road around the Gaspe) was carved out of the steep hills at sea level, and is highly susceptible to storm damage - resulting in road repair projects for us summer tourists to endure.
Driving along route 132 Saturday, we saw one small coast-hugging village after another, as well as the effects of road damage from this past winter. Although many of the houses we saw along the way are no doubt summer vacation homes, we couldn't help but wonder how the year-round residents make a living. It also drove home the point we've often observed, that a vast number (majority?) of people throughout the world don't live the life we're accustomed to - with easy access to shopping, work in factories or office parks or multi-story buildings, and miles of wide open although often congested highways.
As we drove west up the St. Lawrence, the terrain gradually changed into rolling hills and a more gentle coastline.
Of course, even up here, there's room for the kitschy:
No comments:
Post a Comment