Unforgettable: it's the least one can say of the Belem's final travels in Canadian waters between Quebec and Gaspé before she took to the open seas on her way back to Europe. It was a week of events, discoveries and encounters that added another vivid page to the stirring story of the Belem's adventures.

Actually, the day she left Quebec, on July 20th, will probably be remembered by everyone there as the one when Sir Paul McCartney gave a historic concert before 200 000 people on the Plains of Abraham... even though a large crowd did come to the Harbour to wave goodbye to the Belem.

 

Taking aboard 20 Canadian Marine Cadets, happy to discover the rules and traditions of tall ship sailing, the Belem sailed to Chicoutimi, capital of the “Realm” of Saguenay, passing on her way before the village of Tadoussac where Samuel Champlain's ship “Don de Dieu”, laid anchor in July 1608.
After an “open day” in Chicoutimi where, once again, crowds of people queued up to come on board and visit the Belem,  it was time to leave for a short stop over at Rimouski, last town between the Saint Laurent River and the Gulf, and seat of the Quebec Maritime Institute. So delighted was the crew by the whole Quebec experience that they spent the evening singing old sailor songs which the people passing by on the harbour did not hesitate to join in!
Next day, the Belem left Rimouski with some forty local passengers invited to take a two-day training course on board. Another unforgettable experience, as always a very successful alchemy between the grand old ship and all those who have the opportunity to spend some time with her...

 

And so to Gaspé, where the whole Canadian story started for the French 474 years ago, for this is where the Breton sailor Jacques Cartier first set foot on Canadian soil. Gaspé was built right at the point of the province of Gaspésie ; the name comes from the Micmac Indian word meaning “end of the earth” so in fact Gaspé is the Canadian equivalent of Land's End...

There again, another successful Open Day, made even more pleasant by sunshine and blue skies. The next day, the Belem's departure took place in pouring rain which, in a sense, was a fitting if melancholy way of saying goodbye to Québec at the close of a truly historic and long to be remembered visit in the wake of a three master barque that crossed the seas 400 years ago carrying Samuel de Champlain on his way to founding the state that will for ever be “la belle Province”.

 

Among the 48 trainees now sailing on the North Atlantic, Emile Le Moignic has taken on the task of sending us a daily report. So, if you want to follow the Belem's progress day by day, all you have to do is click here.