Saint Pierre et Miquelon 2022

When the alarm went off at 6AM, I could have honestly turned it off and slept all day, so exhausted I was.  But chop chop, as planes wait for no one!  The hotel’s breakfast started promptly at 7:00 and I was the first one there when it opened. Having inhaled some fresh French pastries, sausage, honey-yogurt and coffee, I checked out of the hotel at 7:20 and waited in the pre-sunrise 4C air for my taxi, which arrived 7:35. (I could have / should have lingered over another cup of coffee and a croissant!)  Thankfully, the airport is just five minutes from practically everything in Saint Pierre, so I was in the Air Saint Pierre checkin lineup by 7:45.  Security wanted to confiscate my 120g bottle of “cranberges” jam (what the folks in the archipelago call partridgeberries) for being 20g over the limit. But after many sighs and stern looks, they relented and let me take it through.  The guy on the French Customs desk was the fine fellow on our delegation to Miquelon...

After a night of revelry among the Acadian cousins from Atlanta Canada and Miquelon, which lasted until 3:30 AM, the annual general meeting of the Acadian National Society miraculously got underway exactly on time at 10 AM, followed by the annual general meeting for the Acadian Foundation. It made for a busy Sunday of meetings. This is the Centre des fetes, where all our meetings were held on Saturday and Sunday. I remember being fascinated by the cemeteries when I did my first trip to Saint Pierre in grade 8. Why? Because they were all raised graves, something I wasn’t used to in Newfoundland. So I went to check out the local cemetery in Miquelon after our meetings ended this afternoon. Sure enough, the same graves I recalled from my grade 8 trip to Saint Pierre. I was surprised to see the small museum which focusses on the intersection between Miquelon and the Mi’kmaw people. Fishing boats in Miquelon. The pebble beach next to Miquelon’s port.  Lobster was here. But left in a hu...

Morning view of the heart of Saint Pierre  Not one, but two super ferries! These ferries go to/from Newfoundland and Miquelon.   The cathedral  The modern airport The Air Saint Pierre puddle hopper to Miquelon.  There are two pilot seats, but Just one pilot! First view of Langlade First view of the village of Miquelon, population 400ish.  The Miquelon air terminal.  The mayor of Miquelon accepting gifts from the President of the Acadian National Society.  Church and war memorial in the centre of Miquelon.  The Prefect’s residence when in Miquelon.  The post office.  Lighthouse Farm tour  This small operation produces 11,000 heads of lettuce per year, which are fully consumed by the residents of Saint Pierre et MIquelon.  Goats  Goats  And more goats  Visit to the brasserie which produces an award-winning brew called Miqu’Ale.  Most wires are buried here. And for those that aren’t, the poles are made of conc...