Town of Gaspe and on to the Town of Perce, Quebec

Today we drive farther down the Gaspe Peninsula to the town of Gaspe and eventually on to  the town of Perce and the famous Perce Rock. 

One of two QF 4.7 inch guns

We make a stop at Fort Peninsula, the only completely preserved World War II coastal artillery battery in Quebec. It was built to protect the deep waters of Gaspe Bay from German U-boat attacks during the Battle of the St. Lawrence (spanning 1942-1943). 

There are original concrete bunkers, underground tunnels and two QF 4.7 inch guns. Too bad it is closed for repair but we still enjoy the grounds.

We actually never knew German U-boats infiltrated Canadian inland waters to sever vital trans-Atlantic supply lines between North America and Great Britain. It was the first time hostile enemy action resulted in casualties in Canadian waters since the War of 1812. Over 20 Canadian merchant vessels were sunk before a strengthened Canadian military presence and broken German codes gave Canada the upper hand. Who knew? 

We make a quick stop in the town of Gaspe and look out at the bay where two ships commanded by Jacques Cartier sought shelter on July 14th, 1534. They apparently spent 11 days in the bay where they met and established friendly relations with the St. Lawrence Iroquois.

Jacques Cartier memorial

Indian Head Rock

Farther down the road we pass The Indian Head Rock, a natural cliff formation sculpted entirely by wind and water.

View of Perce Rock and Bonaventure Island

We check into Camping Cote Surprise RV park and marvel at our view...the back window in our trailer is what really sold us on our model of RV as we have had some tremendous views over the years. This is another 5* rating. 

Short bike ride to town of Perce

The town of Perce is a 4 minute bike ride away so we head off for an afternoon of exploration. 

Perce Rock

Perce Rock is one of the many draws to the town and it is quite the sight sitting just off shore. An iconic 375-million-year-old limestone monolith being a UNESCO-recognised landmark and bird sanctuary. Tomorrow we'll get close as we plan to do the boat tour to Bonaventure Island. 

We stop in a few gift shops and admire the license plates one can buy. Je Me Souviens means 'I remember' - generally signifies the preservation of Quebec's distinct French heritage, history and culture. 

Backgammon and beer :)

A local pub is serving some very nice craft beers so we enjoy a couple and play a best of 5 round of Backgammon. 

View of Perce town site at dusk

Back at our trailer the evening view of the town of Perce is very sweet. 

After supper we head back to the pub from earlier and catch the live music at 9 pm. Turns out they are a couple of guys from Louisiana touring Quebec picking up gigs. 

Queen of Sorrows - Louisiana musicians