8/1 – Saint-Pierre, l’Ile aux Marins and Signature Chef’s Table dinner

Great sail in – overcast, but beautiful with wonderful views across the whole town as well as l’Ile aux Marins – our eventual destination today. After gym and breakfast we pack our bag and head downstairs to be some of the first out to get on the first shuttle at 8:30. They are having a bit of an issue with the lines and getting hard aside, but we are finally set free and on the first school bus shuttle.

Saint-Pierre, a self-governing territory of France, has a population of 5,800 and is part of a collection of 8 islands covering 93 sq mi of land. Very French – and very European – to wit, they use Euros here and the ferry fee is only accepted in Euro cash, which of course we have! Arriving in town, we head across the street to the little ferry booth, which is unmanned at this time, and wait at the pier for the little boat, which arrives right on time. Unfortunately, though we have to wait to see if we can fit because they are waiting for the ship’s tour. Sigh. We thought we’d beat the stupid tour, but no such luck. The first tour was supposed to leave at 9:45, but here again, they have changed the schedule and we are leaving at 3pm instead of 4 -meaning everything is compressed. Especially because this little ferry doesn’t operate between 12 noon and 1:30pm, meaning if you are stuck on the island at that time, you won’t be back here until 2:25 and will definitely miss all aboard.

Luck is on our side today, though, and the sweet boat guy lets us on first so we can get a good seat, takes our 14 Euros and, once the tour is loaded, we are off on the quick 5-minute ride through fortunately calm waters. L’Ile aux Marins (Sailors Island), originally known as l’ile aux chiens (Dogs Island), is described as an ‘abandoned fishing island,’ but it isn’t really abandoned – the remaining houses are used as summer homes with people living here until the end of August. Fake ghost town! Oh well, it is still cool to wander all around the still virtually empty island.

Developed for fisherman in the late 1800s and quite prosperous through the early 1900s, the island grew to a population of 683 by 1892 with cod fishing the reason to stay on the island. Year after year, as the fishing industry declined, so too did the population, eventually waning to 20 families in 1962. Electricity wasn’t installed on the island until 1961 via an undersea cable connected to Saint-Pierre. A ship coming into the harbor damaged the cable and the whole system failed a few months later. A few years later, the island was totally abandoned, sitting empty for 2 decades. In the 1980s, the island was rehabilitated for summer homes, some of which are now equipped with solar panels, others still relying on old traditional lamps for light.

As we wander toward the middle of the “commercial” part of the island, we stop at the different informational plaques that describe the different buildings – including the café/cabaret that was said to be the social and entertainment “heart” of the island. The only thing left now are the foundations sunken into the green grass. We pass the school house – once the town hall, now a museum that isn’t open for another 45 minutes or so – the lighthouse and the cool corten cut-outs that hold the informational plaques. Very creative!

There are wonderful views across the island where you can see how few structures still remain and imagine just how peaceful it must be to live here in the summer.

Past the town hall cum schoolhouse cum museum looms the island church, rising high above every other structure here. Religion played an important role with the family of the island, because of sailors’ religious convictions about divine protection when they sailed. The church played a central role in island life, as well as the stations of the cross that lead from the church to the cemetery – created by Father Lavole who presided over the flock here in the 1920s. He also built the replica of the grotto of Lourdes outside the church grounds.

The “walk of the cross” – Chemin de Croix – is really picturesque, each cross with a brass bas-relief depiction of the station, leading directly to the cemetery which was inaugurated with the large Jesus on the Cross in 1875. The oldest grave is from 1876, and every grave has some sort of cross – wooden, iron, granite. It is a true marine cemetery, overlooking the sea and open to the winds. Sadly, this also makes the cemetery very susceptible to erosion and collapse – which you can see in many of the graves and tombs which have been virtually lifted up out of the ground, some cracked open, many sitting cockeyed to the horizon. Our friend Maggi would have been mesmerized here!

Circling around the other side of the peninsula, we visit the memorial to the residents who died during the 1914 – 1918 war, sitting regally atop a knoll overlooking the cemetery as well as the Calvary – Christ on a cross with the name Duc in Altum, meaning Push offshore, or in this particular setting – sail your dory and be brave! The cross is an important landmark here, reflecting the island’s Catholic heritage.

Passing back through the “town,” with wonderful vistas across the island to our lovely ship on Saint-Pierre, wander past various houses of the original fishermen, each with a story to tell. Moving on into the “residential” area, we wander down a nicely mowed path with houses on either side, learning how the materials for the houses were imported from Canada and the US in order to save the small forests that existed on the other islands. Cedar shake and wood sided, the walk through the homes is picturesque and very reminiscent of a small little town – as are the remains of foundations along the way where you can see just how populated this island once was.

Heading to the Fort at the end of the island, we pass one house in particular that have the best flower “pots”! Recycled clothes and shoes! What a great way to make use of something instead of just tossing it!

Arriving at the end of the island we find the Fort, little more than a hillside battle station with cannons. Built in 1854 to defend the island against possible Russian attack during the Crimean War, the 4 cannons placed here were never used during wartime but did get fired on Bastille Days afterward. Definitely a perfect place for defensive armaments – with the views out to sea as well as a wide view across the island itself.

Retreating from the fort, we take a detour out toward Cap a Baudry – where we don’t have enough time to reach – but where we can view pieces of the Transpacific shipwreck which has been left in situ, so to speak, since its wreck in 1971. The 3865-ton cargo ship arriving from Quebec ran aground on a reef next to the cove here. After unsuccessful attempts to get the cargo off the reef, the crew abandoned the ship. The “resourceful” residents of the island saw an opportunity and began looting the ship almost immediately. They loaded their dories with lawn mowers, jukeboxes, food, beverages – anything they could salvage. Even some of the ship’s equipment! Eventually, fearing pollution, the ship was set afire, leaving nature to take care of the rest – with only the bow and a few miscellaneous pieces washing up on the shore for us to see. Great story!

Too soon, it is time to return to the pier to ensure we get one of the ferries back to the main island. On the way though, we are able to visit at least one of the old homes: Maison Grise, a fishing shed turned into museum with period motors and fishing gear on the first floor, and relics of homelife on the island upstairs in a little museum that displayed 1950s era Kitchen utensils, products and furniture.

Arriving at the pier entrance – with the cute wheelbarrow parking!!! – there are a few other “independent” folks there waiting as well. We spy the tour returning and decide to walk out onto the pier itself so we can position ourselves to get the next ferry back – we ain’t waiting around for the dumb tour! Of course this starts a stampede of independents out there too – all of whom have the same idea. We end up in conversations with a few of our other adventurous passengers, whiling away the time, until the sweet ferry guy returns and lets us on the boat first – again!

The ride back is fast and provides great views out to the lighthouse on the island as well as the seals in the harbor! Cute.

Back on land, we decide to just meander about, looking at the old architecture and walking through the retail area. It is a working town, not really touristic, and after a bit, we decide to head back to the ship for lunch – even though we hate not eating ashore. As we turn down a pedestrian area, we luck into a special outdoor “pop-up” restaurant outside one of the closed bars, serving lobster rolls and Fish (Halibut!) “Hot dogs.” Oh! We are all in on that! And what a great meal – the lobster roll is chock full of lobster and the most flavorful slaw, and the “hot dog” is an excellent mash up of Halibut and crab, almost like an oversized Spanish croquetta – that consistency. Wonderful local lunch sitting outside on a picnic bench in the middle of Saint-Pierre. Perfect.

Lunch was also fortuitous in that on our way from the bar to the shuttle stop, we stumble upon the history museum, which we did not think would be open. But it is, and we wander in for a delightful romp through Saint-Pierre history – from the religious beginnings (the museum is actually housed in an old convent with all the furniture and old religious artifacts still there, including the actual chapel and an old wooden Christ figurine from the Calvary of Saint-Pierre)…

to the hospital the Sisters developed in 1826 (with the old surgical bed, medicines and scary instruments)…

to the rum-running days of prohibition when so much liquor was bootlegged here and sold to the US and Canada (reputedly, Al Capone came here to buy liquor!).

There is even a whole room devoted to films and movies, with old film canisters and movie projectors used here in the movie houses. A totally fascinating look at the history of the islands here off the coast of Canada.

Back outside, we head to the shuttle stop, where a demonstration of the local cultural dancing is about to begin. We’re not interested in that, hopping on the shuttle that is sitting and waiting there on the square. He’s not leaving for 15 minutes, but we’re good sitting here and waiting – we have a seat! That’s what matters. And the delay allows me to run out and grab some pastries from the bakery that smelled so divine when we arrived this morning! Treats for our coffee once we are back aboard!

The driver, Steve, finally starts back to the pier and along the way gives us a narrated tour of the island! He’s a tour guide by trade, just helping out a friend today, and gives us a lively and funny tour, talking about all the different facets of the island and things to do. Very fun!

Sail away is beautiful, sliding up along the coast, complete with humpback whale sighting.

The rest of the afternoon is spent alternating between gym and balcony, watching the coastline fade into the distance, then preparing for our Signature Chef’s Table tonight. At the appointed hour we head upstairs to wait outside Prime C, only to find that we are in the Drawing Room. Hmmm…..turns out there are so many people – 28 to be exact! – that they have set up the Drawing Room with a massively long table for all us to fit. Crazy. And, btw, this is the first of 2 Signature Chef’s Tables. Obviously this and specialty (which we know is seating 120/night as opposed to the normal 70-80/night) are totally selling – even with the new pricing (head shake).

For some reason – unless this is the new norm – Tetiana is seating us by name, no place names at the settings. Works for us, as we don’t care where we sit and we end up at the end of the table opposing each other. A nice couple (from Raliegh, no less) sits next to us – Jay and Jim (they call themselves the J’s) – and after some minor seat rearranging for 2 latecomers who are irritated they can’t sit where they want or together, we end up spending a delightful evening (with me at the head of the table in the Queen seat) laughing and carrying on with the J’s – much to the chagrin of the latecomer “Oceania-preferred” first time Azamara woman who is sitting next to us now.

The dinner is spectacular – one of the best chef’s tables we have attended. Shiju, the new head chef who just signed on this cruise, changed up the menu we had seen on the first leg and it was amazing – from the Tuna Tartare to the Almond & Olive crusted Beef Tenderloin (for me) and the Pan-fired Brill with broth (for Ed), even the dessert which we both ate because it was so excellent – we had a wonderful meal and a fabulous time chatting and laughing with the J’s. In the middle of the dinner, Vicson appears, whispering to us that the Hotel Director would like our to invite us to dinner tomorrow night. Too funny – could they not have just sent an invite or a phone message? Of course we’ll join Louis – we’ve been waiting all cruise to have a dinner and catch up with him!