It was a truly memorable moment : there was the Belem, sailing into Quebec Harbour, at precisely 5 p.m. on Tuesday July 2nd , right on time after a six and a half weeks crossing of the Atlantic. So punctual was she that for a few wild moments it appeared she might berth before the various officials from Quebec and from France made their appearance ! But no, as the crowd cheered her on, she took the time to sail twice along the city coastline, escorted by dozens of other vessels, thus giving every press photographer in Quebec ample opportunity to take as many shots as they wanted so that she could grace the front page of every Quebec newspaper...

 

The weather was bright and sunny for the occasion, to everyone's relief after several days of sailing up the Saint Laurent river in the cold, the rain and the sleet. However, the following day, the rain was back again, causing public visits to be cancelled ; but by the afternoon the sun decided it would shine upon a prestigious guest – French Prime Minister François Fillon came aboard, in the company of his British-born wife, Penelope, bringing official greetings from France. It was actually the first time a French Prime Minister set foot aboard the Belem since she came back to France in the late seventies. Mr Fillon was greeted and taken round the ship by Paul Le Bihan, President of the Belem Foundation. He later posed for an official photograph, surrounded by the entire crew of the Belem in full regalia.

 

At the week-end, weather permitting, the Belem was finally opened to the public, attracting a record number of visitors, including the world-famous singer Charles Aznavour.
It was also an opportunity for the Belem to meet up with some other ships, like the French sailing vessel Notre Dame des Flots or the lovely schooner Blue Nose, an emblem of the Canadian sailing tradition.

 

All too soon, however, it was time to start preparing for the Belem's next lap of the journey, Montreal, where she is due to arrive on July 8th. But she will soon be back in Quebec !