TCC territory #5. June 5-12, 2024
June 5.
This set of small islands so close to Newfoundland is part of France. It is a French overseas territory, and it has its own time zone. People here speak French, the Euro is used, and the shops close for a couple hours midday just like in many places in Europe (and in other parts of the world too). Very little English is spoken. I am getting by well enough using the tiny bit of French that I know and Google Translate.
Saint Pierre is so small that after waiting a few minutes for a taxi after getting off the plane, I realized I could easily walk into the main part of town since I only carried a backpack.
Speaking of the airport, it is teeny. Air Saint Pierre uses a total of two planes. The larger one (46 passengers) is the one I was on and operates between parts of Canada and Saint Pierre. It does not operate every day, at least not during the spring. The smaller (eight-seater) plane is used for the local islands.
Fog obscured most of my views as I carefully walked along the streets into the center of town. My first stop was the office of tourism, where I booked two English-speaking tours for later in the week. The woman working there was a bit condescending when I asked if she spoke English. Thought that was silly of her, considering it was the tourism office and these islands are literally surrounded by Canada. When it came time to pay, she informed me they took Euros as though I would be surprised by this. I handed her the appropriate cash with a smile. Yes, I did my homework. She did not offer any info about needing reservations for meals since there are only a few restaurants, or of the hours all the shops close in the middle of the day, as I thought she might since, again, this is the tourism office. Didn’t matter though since I had read up on all this before arriving. Maybe she was having a bad day. Other people I have encountered here have been very kind and helpful.
Bought some groceries at a local store on my way to my AirBnB. Many things are pricey since they have to be shipped into the area. Local bread and cheese was cheap (and good!).
Hiking in the hills of Saint Pierre, June 6, 2024.
Saint Pierre has some really nice hiking that resembles the White Mountains right at and above treeline even though the highest point, Trepied, is only 621 feet. Various trails begin just north of the town. Indeed, the houses and buildings abruptly end where the steep terrain begins.
Rocks, roots, vast mud bogs, great bog bridges, rotting bog bridges, lakes nestled in between the hills/peaks – I felt like someone had dropped me at 4000 feet in the Whites right before the trees turn into krummholz. I hiked through the trees on ankle-twisting terrain and up onto the bare rocks amongst what looked like delicate vegetation. So similar to rock hopping in the Whites up there.
After a few miles of ambling, I descended into the town at a different point and walked through the streets back to my lodging. Stopped by a different food market and discovered much better prices and selection than in the place I had shopped the day before. Bought even more bread since it is local and inexpensive. Regretted the purchase later as I now have way too many carbs to consume. The bread is so tasty, though!
There are enough trails to spend a couple enjoyable and fairly strenuous days here just hiking. A White Mountain hiker would love it. The morning fog kept visibility to a minimum, but in a clear day I bet the views toward the ocean are spectacular.
Included in the photos below is a view of Ile aux Marins, an abandoned fishing village of which I’ll discuss more later in this post.
June 7, 2024.
I took a two-hour history and architecture walking tour with Eric (book this through the tourism center). Eric was fantastic and gave me much more info than what I include in this short post. Highly recommend this tour.
An extremely abbreviated history (Eric was more thorough than I am here). From 1536-1816, the archipelago went back and forth between the British and the French. The British finally ceded the islands to the French fishermen who had lived and worked there mainly to take advantage of their cod fishing skills (according to my tour guide). Cod was a big industry, and the French living on Saint Pierre & Miquelon had fished cod for decades. Settlers in 1816 were mainly Basques, Bretons and Normans. One Basque family in particular held a lot of influence.
I asked about Native Americans. Apparently, there is no record of Native Americans having permanent settlements on the islands, though there is evidence of transient populations visiting for fishing purposes.
The fog that is common around the archipelago has caused over 660 shipwrecks. The statue by the waterfront is a monument to the lives lost.
SP&M benefited economically from Prohibition and was a popular spot for rum runners and smugglers. Some of the buildings near the water were built with fronts that resemble “Wild West” architecture to attract the business of American smugglers.
There are no zones in the town, so shops are right next to houses that are right next to cafes that are right next to nightclubs. This has its pros and cons, as one can imagine.
Building construction over the years has gone from wood (not ideal as there is limited supply on the islands and there have been a couple major fires), stone (the local pink granite, which is not easy to shape), brick, concrete, and more modern siding. Many homes have a mixture for economical and/or aesthetic reasons, with brick over wood and concrete/siding over the brick. People are free to build their homes however they wish, and one German immigrant built his house in the style of a wooden chalet. Most homes are painted bright colors.
June 8, 2024. Ile aux Marins. This little island close to Saint-Pierre used to be inhabited fulltime. For well over a century, fishermen and their families lived and worked here. The population dwindled over time, many moving to next-door Saint-Pierre since SP is better protected from the elements. In the late 1900s the island was uninhabited. Now there are a handful of people with summer homes here, and the island as a whole is a museum. There is one restaurant, and you must book reservations with the office of tourism.
You can book a tour for the island at the tourism office. I did and once again had Eric, the same guy who gave the architecture/history tour the day before. Eric is a great guide, I definitely recommend his services if you visit.
There were a lot of tourists and locals on the boat, and it was nice talking to so many people. Everyone was friendly and in a good mood. I’ve been fairly solo the last few days (I was the only person on the history/architecture tour), which generally suits me fine since, as a solid GenX-er, I am comfortable being on my own. That being said, it was nice having fun conversations in-person with people again.
Did another Saint-Pierre hike after the Ile aux Marins tour yesterday. Gorgeous. Looked like upper elevation in the Whites (New Hampshire). Loved it. And for a gorgeous Saturday, there were very few people on the trails.
Miquelon (Saint-Pierre & Miquelon). June 10, 2024
Took the Sunday evening ferry to Miquelon from Saint-Pierre on the 9th. The ferry is nice! Power outlets, WiFi, comfy seats, snack bar, TV (in French). The ride takes an hour and a half.
The village in Miquelon is tiny with only residential houses, a couple of small museums, two or three small albergues, a couple of restaurants open at limited hours, and one or two (?) food stores that were not open when they said they would be. I am glad I brought food with me from Saint-Pierre and that my hostess offered free breakfast (bread, jam, juice, milk, and coffee/tea) or I would have gone hungry while visiting.
There are a few trails to explore. On the 10th, I checked out the popular Cap de Miquelon which was a ten-ish mile roundtrip hike including the walk to the trailhead from my albergue. There is a road that takes you up the hill, then you can take a trail down the other side toward the ocean and walk along the cliffs in a narrow clockwise oval direction until you get back to either the trailhead or, if you take a different exit path, down a steep grassy side of a cliff to a road. It was a rainy day and the terrain was often muddy, but I was dressed appropriately and enjoyed the misty views. Saw a hare and a deer. I actually cut the oval short and took a connecting path to make the ten miles eight; the wind was picking up and the route is completely exposed. Got back to the albergue soaked but happy.
The ladies in the room next to me were a woman and her niece on holiday from Newfoundland. The day before they had rented a car (the village is so small I didn’t know car rentals were possible) and drove to Langlade, the island connected to Miquelon by a narrow and sandy isthmus. There isn’t a town in Langlade, but the drive offers ocean and nature views. They enjoyed their excursion. We sat and drank tea together and swapped moose stories, then we compared accents from various regions of Canada and the USA. I had great fun speaking with them, they were good company.
Note the info sign about when the British confiscated the Acadian’s homes and properties and sent all 10,000 French to various places.
Final words on Saint Pierre & Miquelon (June 5-12, 2024).
I enjoyed this trip so much. The hiking was unexpectedly breathtaking, the people were all exceptionally friendly (the one person I previously mentioned being the only exception), everything is walkable for the able-bodied, and the weather (for me) was perfect (overcast and cool with sporadic rain).
A White Mountain hiker would love it here. You can walk up into the “mountains” from your abode.
Some advice – if you use only a backpack, there is no need to call a taxi at the airport. The main village is 1.4 miles away. Easily walkable. If you have luggage, you’ll want a taxi as it isn’t all sidewalks and you’ll have trouble rolling your bag. If you do need a taxi, arrange for one ahead of time to pick you up. They do not line up waiting for random people at the airport. Call ahead. Be prepared for them not to speak much English.
Everything is easily walkable for the able-bodied. So walkable that I am surprised everyone here has a car. Unless you are moving things you can’t easily carry or have mobility issues, there is no need for a car here.
All evening meals must be reserved in advance at the handful of restaurants here or you won’t eat out. There are grocery stores though. Expect limited selections and things imported from mainland France, so costs may be pricey depending on what you get. Local bread, cheese, and jams are inexpensive. I can’t speak to the wine as I no longer drink alcohol.
THIS IS FRANCE, not French-speaking Canada. SP&M is part of the EU. You need the correct power adapter, Euros, and a bit of French. People speak European French, not Canadian French (not that my terrible ear can tell a difference). Many business owners do speak English though, as they are used to tourists. My terrible French, their good English, and Google Translate got me by just fine. Never assume anyone you meet speaks English, though.
Reserve your hotel/AirBnB well in advance. Accommodations are limited & the tourist season is short.
Places close for a couple hours midday.
Once here, book tours through the Tourist Office.
For me, a day or two in Miquelon was plenty as there isn’t much to do and not many places to get food. Four or five days in Saint-Pierre was perfect. One could happily stay longer if hiking more and/or doing more tours. Note there are boating excursions later in the summer including puffin sightings. I was here too early for that.
So glad I visited!
Also loved the view I got of Langlade and the isthmus connecting it to Miquelon as I flew out of Saint-Pierre!
